The Yokozuna, or Grand Champion, is the highest ranking in Grand Sumo and the ultimate goal of every sumo wrestler. It’s the only ranking which you can’t be demoted from, but it comes with very high standards and you are expected to compete in every tournament and win consistently. Failure to do so or not meeting the high standards of conduct can result in being forced to retire Yokozuna are also held to the highest conduct expectations as they are considered the public face of the sport and are looked up to by all other wrestlers.
Although the yokozuna rank was not included on the banzuke (rankings) until 1890, and until 1909 they were determined by actual win-loss records as there were no championships until then, between historical records and the modern system of promotion there have been 75 yokozuna to date in the history of sumo. They are listed below in order of promotion, along with their ring name if known, how long they were active as yokozuna from promotion date to retirement if known (or other reason for leaving), and number of post-promotion championships if known.
As of May 2026 there have been 75 Yokozuna in history.
1-Akashi Shiganosuke (Akashi). Length: ?-around 1649 (died). Championships won: Unknown.
2-Ayagawa Goroji (Awakawa). Length: ?-1765 (died). Championships won: Unknown.
3-Maruyama Gondazadaemon (Maruyama). Length: 1749 (died). Championships won: Unknown.
4-Tankikaze Kajinosuke (Tanikaze). Length: 1789-1795 (died). Championships won: 21 (unofficial).
5-Onogawa Kisaburo (Onagawa). Length: 1789-1797. Championships won: 7 (unofficial).
6-Onomatsu Midorinosuke (Onomatsu). Length: 1828-1835. Championships won: 5 (unofficial).
7-Inazuma Raigoro (Inazuma). Length: 1830-1839. Championships won: 10 (unofficial).
8-Shiranui Dakuemon (Shiranui). Length: 1840-1844 (demoted in 1842). Championships won: 1 (unofficial).
9-Hidenoyama Raigoro (Hidenoyama). Length: 1847-1850. Championships won: 6 (unofficial).
10-Unryu Kyukichi (Unryu). Length: 1861-1865. Championships won: 7 (unofficial).
11-Shiranui Koemon (Shiranui). Length: 1863-1859. Championships won: 3 (unofficial).
12-Jinmaku Kyuguro (Jinmaku). Length: 1867. Championships won: 5 (unofficial).
13-Kimenzan Tanigoro (Kimenzan). Length: 1869-1870. Championships won: 3 (unofficial).
14-Naniemon Sakaigawa (Konishikawa/Sakaigawa). Length: 1877-1881. Championships won: 5 (unofficial).
15-Totaro Oe (Umegae/Umegatani). Length: 1884-1885. Championships won: 9 (unofficial).
16-Kajiro Nishinoumi 1 (Nishinoumi). Length: 1890-1896. Championships won: 2 (unofficial).
17-Iwai Yasokichi (Konishiki). Length: 1896-1901. Championships won: 7 (unofficial).
18-Kakubari Manji (Misawataki/Ozutsu). Length: 1901-1908. Championships won: 2 (unofficial).
19-Ichige Tani (Hitachiyama). Length: 1904-1914. Championships won: 8 (unofficial).
20-Otojiro Oahida (Umegatani 2). Length: 1904-1915. Championships won: 3 (unofficial).
What is considered “official” Yokozuna lineage begins here.
21-Daigoro Kato (Matsuwaka/Tateko/Wakashima). Length: 1903-1907. Championships won: 4 (unofficial). All championships won in Osaka Sumo Association, which existed until merging with Tokyo Sumo Association in 1926.
22-Yajiro Omoto (Tachiyama). Length: 1911-1918. Championships won: 11 (9 official, 2 unofficial). Championships became official statistic in 1909 in Tokyo.
23-Mitsuzo Uchida (Okido).Length: 1910-1913. Championships won: 10 (unofficial). All championships won in Osaka Sumo Association.
24-Akira Takita (Otori). Length: 1915-1920. Championships won: 2.
25-Kyuhachi Makise (Tanegashima/Nishikinada/Nishinoumi/Kajiro). Length: 1916-1918. Championships won: 1.
26-Uichiro Hosokawa (Onishiki). Lemgth: 1917-1923. Championships won: 5.
27-Moriya Yokoda (Tochigiyama). Length: 1918-1925. Championships won: 9.
28-Daigoro Yamada (Onishiki). Length: 1918-1922. Championships won: 6 (unofficial). All championships won in Osaka Sumo Association.
29-Fukumatsu Sato (Iwategawa/Miyagiyama). Length: 1922-1931. Championships won: 6 (2 official, 4 unofficial). Osaka & Tokyo Sumo Associations merged during reign in 1927.
30-Isesuke Matsuyama (Genjiyama/Daigoro/Nishinoumi). Length: 1923-1926. Championships won: 1.
31-Kanichi Yamanobe (Tsunenohana). Length: 1924-1930. Championships won: 10.
32-Yasuki Nishinouchi. Length: Tamanishiki). Lemgth: 1933-1938 (died). Championships won: 9.
33-Takeshi Yokoyama (Musashiyama). Length: 1936-1939. Championships won: 1.
34-Tomojiro Sakata (Minanogawa). Length: 1936-1942. Championships won: 2.
35-Sadaji Akiyoshi (Futabayama). Length: 1936-1945. Championships won: 12.
36-Masaji Kobayashi (Haguroyama). Length: 1942-1953. Championships won: 7.
37-Setsuo Nagata (Akinouni). Length: 1943-1946. Championships won: 1.
38-Manzo Suga (Terukuni). Length: 1943-1953. Championships won: 3.
39-Kanematsu Hagimori (Maedayama). Length: 1947-1949. Championships won: 1.
40-Kin’ichi Inoue (Azumafuji). Length: 1949-1954. Championships won: 6.
From this point on Yokozuna were promoted by the Japan Sumo Association and not by the House of Tsukasa Yoshida.
41-Masaharu Sugimura (Chiyonoyama). Length: 1952-1959. Championships won: 6.
42-Kyoji Okuyama (Kagamisato). Length: 1953-1958. Championships won: 4.
43-Junnosuke Ikeda (Yoshibayama). Length: 1955-1958. Championships won: 1.
44-Kiyoshi Otsuka (Tochinishiki). Length: 1955-1960. Championships won: 10.
45-Katsuji Hanada (Wakanohana). Length: 1958-1962. Championships won: 10.
46-Yonekawa Fumitoshi (Asashio). Length: 1959-1962. Championships won: 5.
47-Tagashi Tsuyoshi (Kashiwado). Length: 1961-1969. Championships won: 4.
48-Koki Naya (Taiho). Length: 1962-1971. Championships won: 32.
49-Shigehiro Hanada (Tochinoumi). Length: 1964-1966. Championships won: 3.
50-Shinmatsu Sanada (Sadanoyama). Length: 1968. Championships won: 6.
51-Masao Taniguchi (Tamanoumi). Length: 1970-1971 (died). Championships won: 6.
52-Katsuaki Takezawa (Kitanofuji). Length: 1970-1974. Championships won: 10.
53-Norio Kamitani (Kotozakura). Length: 1973-1974. Championships won: 5.
54-Hiroshi Wajima (Wajima). Length: 1975-1981. Championships won: 14.
55-Toshimitsu Obata (Kitanoumi). Length: 1974-1985. Championships won: 24
56-Katsunori Shimoyama (Wakanohana). Length: 1978-1983. Championships won: 4.
57-Goro Ishiyama (Mienoumi). Length: 1979-1980. Championships won: 3.
58-Mitsugu Akimoto (Chiyonofuji). Length: 1981-1991. Championships won: 31.
59-Toshihide Takaya (Takanosato). Length: 1983-1986. Championships won: 4.
60-Koji Kitao (Futahaguro). Length: 1986-1988. Championships won: None.
61-Nobuyoshi Hoshi (Hokutoumi). Length: 1987-1992. Championships won: 8.
62-Yasushi Aoki (Onokuni). Length: 1987-1991. Championships won: 2.
63-Seiya Suginomori (Asahifuji). Length: 1990-1992. Championships won: 4.
64-Chad Rowan (Akebono). Length: 1993-2001. Championships won: 11.
65-Koji Hanada (Takanohana). Length: 1994-2003. Championships won: 22.
66-Masaru Hanada (Wakanohana). Length: 1998-2000. Championships won: 5.
67-Fiamalu Penitani (Musashimaru). Length: 1999-2003. Championships won: 12.
68–Dolgorsürengiin Dagvadorj (Asashoryu). Length: 2003-2010. Championships won: 25.
69-Monkhbatyn Davaajargal (Hakuho). Length: 2007-2021. Championships won: 45.
70-Daavanyamyn Byambadorj (Harumafuji). Length: 2012-2017. Championships won: 9.
71-Mangaljalavyn Anand (Kakuryu). Lemgth: 2014-2021. Championships won: 6.
72-Yutaka Hagiwara (Kisenosato). Length: 2017-2019. Championships won: 2.
73-Gantulgyn Gan-Erdene (Terunofuji). Length: 2021-2025. Championships won: 10.
74-Sugarragchaaglin Byambasuren (Hoshoryu). Length: 2025-Present. Championships won: 2.*
75-Daiki Nakamura (Onosato). Length: 2025-Present. Championships won: 5.*
*-As of May 2026.