“Gundam All the Way!” — Top Sumo Wrestlers Speak at Osaka-Kansai Expo Tournament

The Osaka-Kansai Expo has been bustling every day, coinciding with the summer vacation period.

After the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, the wrestlers held the “Grand Sumo Osaka-Kansai Expo Tournament” on August 3 at the multipurpose exhibition hall “WASSE” inside the venue, promoting the appeal of Grand Sumo.

This is the first time since the 2005 “Aichi Expo,” held in Nagoya, that Grand Sumo tours have been showcased at a domestic expo.

From shortly after the gates opened at 9 a.m., sumo fans from various countries flocked to “WASSE,” attentively watching the training. Yokozuna Ōnosato, who entered the ring as the new yokozuna at the July Nagoya Tournament, also took the dohyo at 9:30 a.m., working up a sweat and occasionally exchanging words with Ozeki Kotosakura, creating a serious yet relaxed atmosphere.

At the end of the training, boys practicing sumo in Neyagawa City, Osaka, challenged wrestlers such as Gōnoyama (from Neyagawa City) and Asakōryū (from Shijōnawate City), with the audience warmly watching the future hopefuls.

This Expo features participation from 165 countries and regions, with 20 domestic and 162 international pavilions.

“I went with all the Mongolians!”

Using the lunch break, Makuuchi wrestler Tamawashi, also from Mongolia, visited the Mongolia Pavilion inside Commons D Hall. Tamawashi is known as the super uncle wrestler who, at 40 years old, earned a kinboshi (gold star) by defeating Ōnosato at the last tournament, achieving 11 wins and winning the Outstanding Performance Prize. Both the kinboshi and the prize set records as the oldest ever.

Tamawashi shared: “I went with all the Mongolian rikishi who are on tour — Sekiwake Kirishima, Komusubi Okinouma, Makuuchi wrestlers Abukuma and Roga, and Juryo wrestler Tamashoho. In Commons D, besides the Mongolia Pavilion, there are booths for countries like Bhutan, Sudan, Laos, and Moldova, which are not very familiar to us, so it was really interesting.

At the Mongolia Pavilion, they were selling Mongolian clothes and bags, and honestly, they seemed cheaper than buying them in Mongolia (laughs). I even bought some stuffed animals as souvenirs for my wife and kids.”

It was clear he thoroughly enjoyed it.

A week after the Nagoya tournament finale, his sun-kissed body showed great health. His strong performance is expected to challenge the top ranks again in the autumn tournament.

Ōnosato, the new yokozuna, who finished the Nagoya tournament with an 11–4 record, was also among those who sneaked out of the dressing room to enjoy sightseeing at the Expo.

He said: “Our generation is all about Gundam. I heard there’s a ‘GUNDAM NEXT FUTURE PAVILION,’ which was surprisingly close to the sumo venue, so I went to check it out. Also, I walked around the Expo’s symbol—the big wooden roof ring—with my attendants, but we got swarmed by people and got totally mixed up (laughs). It was cool and breezy, very comfortable.

But if I had more time, I wanted to explore more, but I heard popular pavilions like Italy’s have six-hour waits, right? Also, I have a London performance scheduled in the UK this October. I wanted to learn more about the UK, too.”

He sounded a bit disappointed.

At the Nagoya Tournament, his first as a new yokozuna, Ōnosato suddenly found himself the sole yokozuna after Tōshōryū withdrew mid-tournament. Throughout, he trailed behind the lower-ranked wrestlers in the championship race and was unable to contend for the title until the end. Ōnosato continued:

“The 15 days of the Nagoya Tournament were filled with a level of fatigue I had never experienced before. Especially when I suffered my fourth loss on Day 13 against Kotokatsuho—I was mentally crushed. Rather than feeling frustrated, it was more like, ‘What am I even doing?’ Winning the last two matches (Day 14 against Wakatakakage and the final day against Kotosakura) felt like it gave me something to build on for the next tournament.”

At the Expo tournament, Ōnosato performed a tsuna-shime demonstration in front of fans and felt anew the weight of the tsuna (yokozuna rope). Hopefully, he can turn the humiliation from Nagoya into strength for the autumn tournament.

Resting the Body Comes First

Though he narrowly missed winning his first championship, Makuuchi wrestler Anseikin was undeniably the central figure of the Nagoya Tournament.

The 21-year-old from Ukraine, despite his relatively compact frame (182 cm, 138 kg), constantly took an aggressive, forward-leaning stance—delivering the kind of sumo opponents hate to face. He remained in contention for the title until the final day, and by defeating top-ranked wrestlers and finishing with 11 wins, he earned the Technique Prize, clearly demonstrating his skill and potential.

In the preparation room of the Expo venue, he found himself affectionately teased by senior wrestlers like Tamawashi, Sekiwake Wakatakakage, and Makuuchi’s Ichiyamamoto—establishing himself as the easygoing junior of the group.

“I wanted to visit the Ukraine Pavilion, but resting my body is more important,”

he said, showing his earnest and disciplined personality.

Having joined professional sumo just two years ago, Anseikin is already being eyed as a potential sanyaku (upper ranks) contender for the autumn tournament. He’s already looking ahead:

“I want to train hard during the tour and do even better than I did in Nagoya.”

Wakatakakage, who was part of the conversation, added:

“Anseikin is seriously strong! (He lost to him by push-out on Day 4) I’ve got to get my revenge next time.”

As Wakatakakage noted, Anseikin looks set to be a major force—and a storm to watch—for the next tournament as well.