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2 Yokuzuna in History 3 External Links |
Elevation to yokozuna rank is decided by the Japan Sumo Association,
who decide that a ozeki-rank wrestler has enough power, skill and
dignity/grace (品格 hinkaku) to qualify. There are no set
criteria for qualification, and
neither is there a set quota: there have been periods with no wrestlers
at yokozuna rank, and there have been periods with up to three
simultaneously. The rank, once awarded, is permanent, although
yokozuna are expected to retire once no longer at the top of their
form.
The flexible qualification criteria, especially the requirement of
hinkaku, has been the source of much controversy over the
years, especially with the recent entry of very successful
Hawaiian wrestlers into the ring. Ozeki Konishiki (小錦), in
particular, was felt by many to be unfairly kept from yokozuna status due to
his foreignness, and many Sumo Association members even openly said
that gaijin can never achieve the hinkaku needed to be a
yokozuna. However, this debate was finally laid to rest on
January 27, 1993, when ozeki Akebono (曙) was formally promoted
to yokozuna after only 8 months at ozeki rank.
To date, there have been a grand total of 67 yokozuna, although formal recordkeeping only started in 1800 or so.
A selected list:
Becoming a Yokozuna
Yokuzuna in History
There is currently only one active yokozuna:
External Links