Sumo is the traditional sport of Japan, a sport mixed with art and tradition. Because of this, for a long time Sumo was just some folklore for non-Japanese. When Japan opened to the outside world, some foreigners started developing an interest in Sumo. Naturally, certain Oyakata begun to recruit foreigners: perhaps these new wrestlers will bring success to their heya?
So, little by little, some foreigners penetrated the very narrow world of rikishi, increasing in numbers bit by bit. And on one fine day in January 1968, they reached Makuuchi. Since then, only two basho passed without at least one foreigner figuring on the banzuke of the Makuuchi division.

The first foreign rikishi to reach the Makuuchi division was a Hawaiian, a colossus sporting a 205 kg on 1.92 m frame: Jesse Kuhaulua, better known under the shikona Takamiyama. Even when just taking into consideration his success while active (reaching the rank of Sekiwake and taking a yusho in the Aki basho 1972), he may be considered the one who paved the way.
But his importance can also be measured by the role he still plays: as Azumazeki oyakata, he recruited and shaped numerous foreigners, among them Akebono, the first foreigner to become a Yokozuna.

Still, the absence of recruiting doesn’t mean the absence of foreigners in Makuuchi. Talented wrestlers had managed to debut before the doors closed.

Thus Musashimaru became the third foreigner to be promoted to Ozeki, in January 1994. He will go on to become the second foreign Yokozuna. In 1997 there are four “Hawaiians” in Makuuchi: Akebono (Yokozuna), Musashimaru (ozeki), Konishiki (ex-ozeki) and Yamato.
Yamato is the last of the Hawaiians promoted to Makuuchi, and the one that had the least success, with only seven tournaments in the highest division.

In November 1997 Konishiki retired from the ring. Quite soon afterwards he quit the world of Sumo for that of show business.

If the goal of ruling instances of Sumo was to prevent the Hawaiians from invading it, it was fully accomplished in 1998. It was consequently possible to restart the recruitment of foreigners. But this time a clear rule concerning them is established. No more letting the situation get out of hand!

In 1998, the Nihon Sumo Kyokai amends their rules: a total of 40 foreign rikishi are allowed in the Sumo world. Those that have obtained Japanese nationality (as in the case of Akebono and Musashimaru, joined later by Hoshitango), and those who could boast more than 10 years of presence in Sumo (as is the case with Sentoryu) are excluded from that number.

After a period of blockade, the NSK now seemed to realize that the foreigners could contribute something to Sumo without distorting it. The excellent comportment of Akebono and Musashimaru probably had something to do with it. In spite of that, Hawaiians seem to be clearly excluded from the new recruiting…

This period marks the end of Akebono’s career, undermined by injuries, and the apex of Musashimaru’s. With 12 yusho in September 2002 he passed Akebono and became the foreigner with the most yusho titles to his name.

This reopening of the gates to foreigners proved to be lucrative for one country in particular: Mongolia. A vast and scarcely populated land, Mongolia’s particularity is that it has a wrestling competition similar to Sumo, the Garuda. Lively, inventive, keen to train, the Mongolian wrestlers quickly imposed themselves as an indubitable value in Sumo.

The best among them so far joined Sumo in January 1999: Asashoryu. With record-breaking speed, the young wrestler born in 1980 soared up the ranks, sweeping aside all opposition, to earn his promotion to Ozeki in July 2002, and then to Yokozuna in January 2003. With his zenshoyusho this January 2004 he already has five titles to his name, and seems to be only at the start of a fantastic career.
And once again there are those who loudly criticise this recruitment of foreigners, regarding with regret the style of Kyokushuzan, which could be described as avoidance of combat, or the escapades of Asashoryu.

There are four Mongolians in Makuuchi now (Asashoryu, Asasekiryu, Kyokutenho, Kyokushuzan), and three more in Juryo (Hakuho, and after this Hatsu basho Ama and Tokitenku). Mongolia is thus the country with the largest number of Sekitori active at the same time (after Japan, of course). This country even has more Sekitori than any Japanese prefecture except one (Aomori)!

This prestige of Mongolia is one of the greatest features of this whole recruiting period, essentially based on Eastern Asia (Mongolia, China, Korea, Siberia).

An outstanding characteristic of current Sumo is the arrival of wrestlers born in the countries of the former “Eastern Block”. While other foreigners (Hawaiians, Mongols, etc.) resemble the Japanese in their general appearance, the arrival of wrestlers with Caucasian physique can’t help but arouse an instinctive first reaction of astonishment. But this is not a completely new phenomenon: there already have been some rare wrestlers with a Caucasian physique (for example the Argentinean Hoshitango), but none of them rose to Makuuchi.

It is above all their sporting past that makes these newcomers so interesting. In fact, these wrestlers in general have a past experience in wrestling (free-style or Greco-roman) or amateur Sumo. So they come with technical habits completely different from those in professional Sumo. When one observes Kokkai, the first among them to arrive in Makuuchi, one cannot avoid noticing his often very low position at the tachi-ai, which resembles that of a wrestler. In spite of this position, Kokkai is remarkably stable.
This wrestling past can also be a handicap. Kokkai has recently stated that he had to unlearn numerous bad habits, as the one of pulling his opponent to himself, a movement to be avoided in Sumo. Roho (still in juryo) seems to take better advantage of his wrestling experience.

The arrival of this new group of wrestlers is a remarkable feature of current-day Sumo. Not by their quantity: there are only eight at the moment (Kokkai in Makuuchi, Roho in Juryo, Kotooshu at the gates of Juryo, Hakurozan in Makushita, Takanoyama, Orora and Amuru in Sandanme, Kazafuzan in Jonokuchi), but by their quality: Kokkai managed a rare 14-1 in juryo in Kyushu basho 2003, Roho managed a doten-yusho in his first basho in juryo, Kotooshu, Takanoyama and Kazafuzan finished at 6-1 in their respective divisions.

Since 2002, the number of foreigners in Sumo has increased again. In fact this allowed new stars (Roho and Kotooshu for example) to enter Sumo. The explanation? Another change of rules: from then on the number of foreigners is not limited to 40 in total, but to one foreigner per heya. Heya that already have several foreigners have the right to keep them.

Theoretically, this meant that the number of foreigners could increase again, and this is what is happening now. On the other hand there are almost no heya left without foreigners. This is a good sign, because it shows that the oyakata have finally accepted the contribution these rikishi represent. But it also means that soon the doors could become very narrow, entries limited by the retirements of “old” foreigners, not that numerous themselves…

Are foreigners accepted in Sumo today? That is the impression one could get. Still, it must be noted that these rikishi have to adapt, accept the rules and customs of Japanese Sumo, or else leave. It is expected of them to become almost more Japanese than the Japanese themselves. They have problems digesting certain food? Too bad for them, they have to adapt. What is expected of them is to become like Hoshitango for example, who says he feels completely Japanese and that only his appearance isn’t.

The current core of young promising wrestlers is made up of foreigners. Will the top of the rankings be filled with foreigners one day? It is a possibility. But perhaps this influx of foreign stars will also manage to rekindle the callings in young Japanese that are lacking at the moment. One thing is certain: the foreigners bring much to Sumo. Will. Talent. And also diversity, from whirlwinding Kyokushuzan to the quality oshi-zumo of Kokkai. It is impossible not to notice that since Takamiyama’s Makuuchi debut the quality of the best foreigners keeps on improving. Whatever certain grumpy men may say, they are now an essential part of modern Sumo. The absence of Hawaiians is certainly regrettable, but who knows, maybe Musashimaru, now an oyakata, will be able to revive their recruiting?