Latest sumo ranking sheet has plenty to catch the eye

Hoshoryu holds up the latest "banzuke" sumo ranking chart in Osaka on Tuesday. | JIJI

Japan Times
February 26, 2025

In professional sumo, the release of every new banzuke — or ranking list — signals the imminent arrival of the next official tournament.

For the March 2025 meet in Osaka, the two most striking changes on the banzuke are the absence of Terunofuji, and Hoshoryu’s name writ large in stylized sumo calligraphy under the rank of yokozuna.

After that, what immediately catches the eye is “Ukraine” written in katakana on the top line on both east and west sides of the printed banzuke sheet.