Asadora Actress Witnesses New Yokozuna’s Inaugural Dohyo-iri — Spotting Original Sumo Fan Misako Konno at Onosato’s Ceremony

A die-hard sumo fan

One day in late May, despite the unfortunate rainy weather, many sumo fans and foreign tourists gathered at the Meiji Shrine grounds. This was because the 75th yokozuna, Ōnosato (25), was performing his ceremonial dohyo-iri (ring-entering ceremony).

Among the crowd was another person attracting as much attention as the new yokozuna himself: actress Misako Konno (64), attending as a member of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council.

“Konno-san entered the shrine hall where the dohyo-iri took place wearing a checkered jacket and a pure white tight skirt. She responded with a smile to the fans’ cheers,” said a visitor present.

Konno rose to fame in 1980 playing the heroine, a Takarazuka revue performer, in NHK’s morning drama “Niji wo Oru.” She later appeared in many hit dramas like “Takeda Shingen” (NHK) and “Kyoushi Binbin Monogatari” (Fuji TV). Alongside her acting career, she has been a longtime avid sumo fan, or “Sūjo.”

“Influenced by her grandmother with whom she lived, she has loved sumo since elementary school. At one point, she even wanted to marry a sumo wrestler. In 2019, she was appointed by the Japan Sumo Association to the Expert Committee for the Inheritance and Development of Professional Sumo, and since 2022, she has served on the Yokozuna Deliberation Council.

Her passion for sumo also influences her acting—she has performed in a sumo-themed musical playing the role of a stablemaster’s wife. The media sometimes calls her the original Sūjo,” said a sports newspaper reporter covering sumo.

A die-hard sumo fan, Konno also attended the May tournament where Ōnosato secured his promotion to yokozuna.

“She has been spotted watching sumo from the reserved seats near the ring in the past. At the May tournament, with Ōnosato in contention for the yokozuna rank, she watched his bouts and commented, ‘He is steadily racking up wins, so he seems very promising. I want a yokozuna who is overwhelmingly strong. His power and speed already make him more than a yokozuna.’

Konno has long expressed a strong desire to see a match between the two yokozuna, Ōnosato and Toyoshoryu (26). If possible, she will likely attend the July tournament where their showdown could take place,” the reporter added.

Will the yokozuna of the Sūjo world grace the July Nagoya tournament with her presence once again?