[Full Interview] Former Yokozuna Hakuho Speaks Candidly: “I Have No Regrets. I’m Ready to Compete on a New Dohyo”

“I get nervous thinking about the future.”

One hour after addressing over 100 members of the press in the “Hikari no Ma” room of the Imperial Hotel to speak about his resignation and future plans, former yokozuna Hakuho Sho (40), once hailed as the strongest yokozuna in history, invited the FRIDAY interview team into the hotel room where he had been staying since the previous day. He sank deeply into the sofa and, ever considerate, said, “Get them some chairs,” making sure the reporters were comfortable. When asked how he honestly felt just after the press conference, he flashed a bright smile.

“Honestly, I’m more excited about what lies ahead. Someone told me, ‘Until yesterday, you were Japan’s Hakuho. From today, you’re the world’s Hakuho. So keep pushing forward,’ and that really stuck with me. A lot has happened up to now, but thinking about what’s to come—it gives me butterflies. I’m mostly just looking forward to it.”

His expression was surprisingly clear and refreshed, his eyes shining brightly like those of a teenager.

In February last year, Hakuho was held responsible as stablemaster for a violence incident involving one of his disciples and received disciplinary measures including a demotion by two ranks and a pay cut. His Miyagino stable was shut down, and together with its wrestlers, he was transferred to the Isegahama stable. There, he worked under Isegahama-oyakata while waiting for his own stable to reopen.

However, by March of this year, even after more than a year had passed since the punishment, the closure order had still not been lifted. Compared to the handling of scandals at other stables, the treatment was clearly severe. Insiders commented, “The bigger problem is that the Japan Sumo Association has no clear standard for how to deal with such situations. It feels like bullying.”

Outwardly, Hakuho remained composed, saying only, “I have nothing but gratitude toward the Association.”

But around March of this year, triggered by the Association’s response, he began consulting with close business patrons over dinner about his future.

In other words, the vision of resigning from the Association and contributing to sumo from the outside began to form for him only about three months ago.

“It’s true that the series of disciplinary actions related to the Miyagino stable, and the mismatch between the Association’s response and the actual facts, may have been the trigger for my resignation. But I didn’t choose to leave because I hated the Association. I’ve been loved by sumo, and I love sumo. So when I thought about how I could continue contributing to it, I realized that maybe stepping outside the Association and broadening my perspective to the world was the way forward. Hearing advice from those around me helped me see sumo from a wider viewpoint.

There were also reports that I didn’t want to work under my junior, Terunofuji (33), but let me firmly deny that. He entered the sumo world because my father introduced him to the Magaki stable. I did train him harshly, but that was my duty as a senior. I have no personal grudge, and our relationship isn’t bad at all.”

Still, leaving his disciples behind at the Isegahama stable weighs heavily on his mind.

“When I first became an oyakata, my mother back in Mongolia told me, ‘It takes time to mend a broken bowl. Teaching someone is harder than fixing a broken bowl.’

I sometimes think maybe I should’ve been stricter with my disciples. Of course, I wanted to be right there to see them become yokozuna. But I can still support them from the outside.”

Sumo association’s organizational problems require reform

Hakuho, who achieved a record-breaking 45 tournament victories, became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 2019. Foreign-born rikishi must acquire Japanese citizenship in order to become an oyakata (sumo elder). As a national hero in Mongolia, Hakuho made the profound decision to change his nationality and fully dedicate himself to Japanese sumo.

Because of this, when news broke that Hakuho would be resigning from the Japan Sumo Association, it sent shockwaves through the community. A representative from a sponsor company that had supported sumo for many years, including by providing prize money, expressed outrage:

“A yokozuna of that magnitude leaving the Association is an enormous loss. Without a doubt, he was a necessary figure for the organization and could have even become its chairman in the future. The Japan Sumo Association, while receiving various preferential treatments as a public interest incorporated foundation, still has many vague aspects when it comes to disciplinary regulations during scandals. Everything is ultimately decided at the top, revealing a closed-off, clan-like structure. When Hakuho was sanctioned, they said things like, ‘He can’t transfer to a stable run by another Mongolian-born oyakata’ or ‘He can’t go to a stable with a rookie oyakata,’ and so they sent him to Isegahama-beya. But this January, Terunofuji, who is also Mongolian, retired and became the head of Isegahama-beya. If Hakuho’s resignation isn’t treated as a problem for the entire organization and serious reforms aren’t undertaken, the appeal of sumo itself may be lost.”

Hakuho also organizes the “Hakuho Cup,” a world children’s sumo tournament now in its 15th edition. Many promising competitors from the Hakuho Cup have gone on to enter the world of professional sumo. One such example is Oonosato (25), who became the first Japanese-born yokozuna in eight years last month. He won the Hakuho Cup as a third-year middle school student, gaining confidence from his first major tournament victory, which propelled him to greater success.

Having always been passionately committed to developing young talent, Hakuho now envisions expanding the Hakuho Cup into a broader tournament that includes adults and women. He has already settled on a name: “World Sumo Grand Slam.”

Hakuho explains:

“Actually, there are sports similar to sumo in over 100 countries—not just Japan and Mongolia. The basic rules are the same: you draw a circle on the ground, and competitors push or lift each other to test strength. It can be done anywhere, and although it looks simple, it’s incredibly profound. Sumo isn’t just a sport—it also holds spiritual significance, such as praying for peace, bountiful harvests, and national safety. There are already international amateur competitions like the ‘World Sumo Championships,’ but if we could hold mega-events around the world, like the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis or the four major championships in golf, it would give rise to global superstars and bring even more excitement to the sport.”

“Sumo x Game” is next!

The speed at which Hakuho’s vision is taking shape is faster than expected—he is already being considered for some form of involvement in the “World Sumo Championships” to be held in Thailand this September.

He is also currently working with his team to develop ways to promote the appeal of sumo to the world.

“Right now, live sumo broadcasts are pretty much limited to NHK and ABEMA, right? But there are so many ways to stream live content nowadays, so I think we can really expand sumo’s reach worldwide. For example, combining sumo with gaming so people can enjoy it in virtual worlds, or enhancing the entertainment value of matches with music and lighting—there are so many things we can do. 

Foreign spectators are increasing at each Grand Sumo Tournament, but if things stay the way they are now, we might see a temporary boom, but it won’t foster passionate, long-term international fans. I want to create events where the audience can really go wild and feel united.”

There were once rumors that Hakuho was planning to build a glass-walled training facility in Ginza. When asked whether he might create such a space for people to experience sumo firsthand, the great yokozuna of the Heisei era responded with interest, saying, “That’s interesting,” without denying the possibility.

Since announcing his resignation at the beginning of this month, there have reportedly been a flurry of behind-the-scenes business inquiries—including offers for commercial appearances. Hakuho has also shown a strong interest in social media. On the day of his resignation from the Sumo Association, he launched a TikTok account and held a live stream with a popular streamer, proactively reaching out to audiences previously unconnected to sumo.

From the June 27 and July 4, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”