The following are the events in professional sumo during 2009.
Tournaments
Hatsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 January – 25 January 2009 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14 -1 -0HakuhōYAsashōryū*14 -1 -02 -10 -3øKotomitsukiOChiyotaikai8 -7 -010 -5 -0KotoōshūOKaiō8 -7 -08 -7 -0HarumafujiOø9 -6 -0BarutoSøAminishiki3 -6 -68 -7 -0KisenosatoKøToyonoshima2 -6 -76 -9 -0KotoshōgikuM1Kyokutenhō9 -6 -07 -8 -0MiyabiyamaM2Yoshikaze6 -9 -07 -8 -0TakekazeM3Gōeidō10 -5 -07 -8 -0WakanosatoM4Kokkai5 -10 -05 -10 -0Futen'ōM5Takamisakari6 -9 -02 -13 -0BushūyamaM6Aran5 -10 -09 -6 -0HokutōrikiM7Dejima7 -8 -06 -9 -0AsasekiryūM8Kakuryū9 -6 -05 -10 -0TosanoumiM9Chiyohakuhō6 -9 -09 -6 -0TokitenkūM10Tochinonada8 -7 -08 -7 -0IwakiyamaM11Tochinoshin8 -7 -010 -5 -0TochiōzanM12Kakizoe8 -7 -07 -8 -0TamawashiM13Kōryū5 -10 -05 -10 -0ToyohibikiM14Masatsukasa4 -11 -011 -4 -0TamanoshimaM15Yamamotoyama8 -7 -011 -4 -0HōmashōM16ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner *Won Playoff
Haru basho Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 15 – 29 March 2009 Haru basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest11 -4 -0AsashōryūYHakuhō15 -0 -010 -5 -0KotoōshūOChiyotaikai2 -13 -08 -7 -0KaiōOHarumafuji10 -5 -08 -7 -0KotomitsukiOø8 -7 -0BarutoSKisenosato5 -10 -09 -6 -0GōeidōKKyokutenhō6 -9 -02 -13 -0HokutōrikiM1Kakuryū10 -5 -06 -9 -0KotoshōgikuM2Tochiōzan8 -7 -04 -11 -0MiyabiyamaM3Tokitenkū5 -10 -08 -7 -0TakekazeM4Yoshikaze7 -8 -06 -6 -3øWakanosatoM5Aminishiki9 -6 -08 -7 -0TamanoshimaM6Toyonoshima8 -7 -011 -4 -0HōmashōM7Takamisakari6 -9 -08 -7 -0TochinonadaM8Kokkai5 -10 -06 -9 -0DejimaM9Futen'ō7 -8 -08 -7 -0IwakiyamaM10Tochinoshin6 -9 -09 -6 -0AsasekiryūM11Aran10 -5 -07 -8 -0KakizoeM12Shōtenrō7 -8 -010 -5 -0ChiyohakuhōM13Yamamotoyama8 -7 -09 -6 -0TamawashiM14Shimotori8 -7 -04 -11 -0TosanoumiM15Kimurayama7 -8 -05 -10 -0ToyozakuraM16ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Natsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 – 24 May 2009 Natsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14 -1 -0HakuhōYAsashōryū12 -3 -09 -6 -0KotoōshūOHarumafuji*14 -1 -08 -7 -0KaiōOKotomitsuki8 -7 -08 -7 -0ChiyotaikaiOø4 -11 -0BarutoSGōeidō6 -9 -09 -6 -0KakuryūKTochiōzan6 -9 -01 -14 -0HōmashōM1Aminishiki5 -10 -04 -11 -0TakekazeM2Kyokutenhō8 -7 -05 -10 -0TamanoshimaM3Toyonoshima5 -10 -013 -2 -0KisenosatoM4Aran8 -7 -05 -10 -0TochinonadaM5Yoshikaze4 -11 -010 -5 -0KotoshōgikuM6øChiyohakuhō2 -3 -105 -10 -0AsasekiryūM7øWakanosato0 -0 -159 -6 -0IwakiyamaM8Tamawashi6 -9 -07 -8 -0TokitenkūM9Yamamotoyama7 -8 -06 -9 -0Futen'ōM10Shimotori6 -9 -09 -6 -0MiyabiyamaM11Toyohibiki11 -4 -09 -6 -0TakamisakariM12Dejima7 -8 -04 -11 -0HokutōrikiM13Tochinoshin9 -6 -08 -7 -0KokkaiM14Kakizoe8 -7 -08 -7 -0ShōtenrōM15Bushūyama9 -6 -05 -10 -0KimurayamaM16ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner *Won Playoff
Nagoya basho Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 12 – 26 July 2009 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14 -1 -0HakuhōYAsashōryū10 -5 -09 -6 -0HarumafujiOKotoōshū13 -2 -08 -7 -0KaiōOKotomitsuki12 -3 -08 -7 -0ChiyotaikaiOø5 -10 -0KakuryūSKisenosato9 -6 -06 -9 -0KyokutenhōKKotoshōgiku8 -7 -04 -11 -0AranM1Gōeidō5 -10 -02 -13 -0TochiōzanM2Toyohibiki3 -12 -05 -10 -0IwakiyamaM3Baruto11 -4 -08 -7 -0MiyabiyamaM4Takamisakari6 -9 -011 -4 -0AminishikiM5Tochinoshin9 -6 -05 -10 -0BushūyamaM6Tamanoshima9 -6 -08 -7 -0ToyonoshimaM7Mōkonami6 -9 -05 -10 -0KokkaiM8Kakizoe6 -9 -08 -7 -0TakekazeM9Tochinonada6 -9 -011 -4 -0ShōtenrōM10Tokitenkū9 -6 -04 -7 -4øYamamotoyamaM11Tamawashi5 -10 -09 -6 -0AsasekiryūM12Yoshikaze6 -9 -06 -9 -0Futen'ōM13øDejima2 -13 -09 -6 -0ShimotoriM14Tosayutaka8 -7 -010 -5 -0HōmashōM15Kasugaō8 -7 -04 -11 -0WakakōyūM16ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Aki basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 13 – 27 September 2009 Aki basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14 -1 -0HakuhōYAsashōryū*14 -1 -09 -6 -0KotoōshūOKotomitsuki9 -6 -09 -6 -0HarumafujiOKaiō8 -7 -02 -9 -4øChiyotaikaiOø7 -8 -0KisenosatoSKotoshōgiku6 -9 -012 -3 -0BarutoKAminishiki7 -8 -04 -11 -0TochinoshinM1Miyabiyama4 -11 -02 -13 -0ShōtenrōM2Kyokutenhō5 -10 -05 -10 -0TamanoshimaM3Kakuryū11 -4 -07 -8 -0ToyonoshimaM4Tokitenkū8 -7 -010 -5 -0GōeidōM5Takekaze9 -6 -06 -9 -0AsasekiryūM6Hōmashō7 -8 -07 -8 -0AranM7Takamisakari6 -9 -08 -7 -0IwakiyamaM8Shimotori4 -11 -05 -10 -0MōkonamiM9Toyohibiki6 -9 -06 -9 -0TosayutakaM10Bushūyama10 -5 -09 -6 -0KakizoeM11Kasugaō6 -9 -011 -4 -0TochiōzanM12Tochinonada4 -11 -06 -9 -0TamaasukaM13Wakanosato10 -5 -08 -7 -0KokkaiM14Hokutōriki11 -4 -09 -6 -0YoshikazeM15Futen'ō5 -10 -07 -8 -0MasatsukasaM16ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner *Won Playoff
Kyushu basho Fukuoka International Centre, Kyushu, 15 – 29 November 2009 Kyushu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest11 -4 -0AsashōryūYHakuhō15 -0 -010 -5 -0KotoōshūOKotomitsuki8 -7 -09 -6 -0HarumafujiOKaiō8 -7 -02 -9 -4øChiyotaikaiOø9 -6 -0BarutoSKakuryū7 -8 -06 -9 -0KisenosatoKGōeidō7 -8 -06 -9 -0TakekazeM1Aminishiki5 -10 -010 -5 -0KotoshōgikuM2Tokitenkū5 -10 -05 -10 -0TochiōzanM3Bushūyama6 -9 -08 -7 -0HokutōrikiM4Iwakiyama2 -13 -011 -4 -0ToyonoshimaM5Kakizoe8 -7 -07 -8 -0WakanosatoM6Kyokutenhō8 -7 -04 -11 -0TamanoshimaM7Hōmashō6 -9 -07 -8 -0AranM8Tochinoshin12 -3 -010 -5 -0YoshikazeM9Miyabiyama12 -3 -08 -7 -0AsasekiryūM10Kokkai8 -7 -010 -5 -0TamawashiM11Takamisakari8 -7 -09 -6 -0ShōtenrōM12Toyohibiki5 -10 -08 -7 -0TosayutakaM13Mōkonami9 -6 -03 -12 -0KasugaōM14Kimurayama4 -11 -02 -12 -1øYamamotoyamaM15Shimotori8 -7 -03 -5 -7øTamaasukaM16ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner News
January
11–25: At the Hatsu-basho, yokozuna Asashoryu comes back from three tournaments out injured to defeat his fellow yokozuna Hakuho in a playoff on the final day to claim his 23rd tournament championship with a 14–1 record, putting him in sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list. His only defeat in the tournament is to Hakuho in their regular match. Hakuho is denied his fourth straight championship and has to settle for the runner-up position. New ozeki Harumafuji barely makes his kachi-koshi with eight wins. Goeido wins ten bouts and receives the Ginosho or Technique Prize. Homasho, who has fallen to maegashira 16 in the rankings, scores an impressive 11–4 and is awarded the Fighting Spirit Prize. Shotenro wins his second straight juryo division championship and promotion to the top makuuchi division. Former maegashira Katayama announces his retirement, and leaves the sumo world. 29: Japan Sumo Association chairman Musashigawa criticises Asashoryu for raising his arms above his head whilst still on the dohyo in the aftermath of his playoff win. 30: Juryo and former maegashira wrestler Wakakirin is arrested for cannabis possession at a CD store in Tokyo's Roppongi district that had been monitored by police for some time. He is the fourth wrestler after Wakanoho, Roho and Hakurozan, to be caught up in a drug scandal, but the first Japanese. At the drug tests in September 2008 that led to the dismissals of Roho and Hakurozan, Wakakirin's sample was borderline before eventually being declared negative. 31: The retirement ceremonies of Tochisakae and Tochinohana take place at the Kokugikan.
February 1: At a meeting of the elders of the Japan Sumo Association, Wakakirin is dismissed from sumo. His stablemaster Oguruma, who had already submitted Wakakirin's retirement papers, is given a pay cut for three months and demoted. 8: Hakuho wins the one-day Japan Ozumo Tournament held at the Kokugikan in Tokyo. Although unofficial, the tournament is sponsored by Fuji Television and the Sankei newspaper and offers a large amount of prize money (3 million yen for the victor). Asashoryu, the winner of the tournament for the last three years, is defeated in the semi-finals by Kotoōshū. 12: Junichi Yamamoto, the former head of the Tokitsukaze stable, goes on trial at the District Court in Nagoya for his involvement in the death in June 2007 of one of his junior wrestlers, Takashi Saito. He denies ordering three of his wrestlers to beat Saito.
March
2: The banzuke for the upcoming tournament in Osaka is released. Due to his playoff victory, Asashoryu is listed as the East Yokozuna, with Hakuho moved to the West side. Kisenosato makes his debut at sekiwake, and Shotenro is ranked at maegashira 12. Hakkaku stable's Okinoumi, previously known as Fukuoka, makes his debut in the juryo division halfway up the ranks at no.7 after a 7–0 yusho at makushita 1 the previous tourney. 5: The Tokyo District Court awards Kitanoumi and the Sumo Association 15.4 million yen (154,000 USD) in damages after ruling against Kodansha, the publishers of Shukan Gendai, who alleged that he threw a bout for the championship in 1975. 17: Roho and Hakurozan's lawsuit against the Sumo Association claiming unfair dismissal is rejected. 26: A second ruling by the court awards Asashoryu and 29 other wrestlers representing the Association 42.9 million yen for another article in the Shukan Gendai alleging that Asashoryu had thrown bouts in November 2006. 29: At the Haru basho in Osaka, Hakuho wins his tenth championship with an unbeaten 15–0 score. Asashoryu finishes four wins behind on 11–4. Homasho also wins eleven and is rewarded with his second successive Fighting Spirit Prize. Kakuryu gets the Technique Award. Ozeki Chiyotaikai finishes on 2–13, the worst score ever recorded by an ozeki fighting the full 15 days. Toyohibiki wins his second juryo championship with a 12–3 score and earns promotion back to the top division. Former maegashira Otsukasa, who at 38 years is the oldest active sekitori, announces his retirement. He will stay in the sumo world as Wakafuji Oyakata.
April 5: The Spring tour begins with a ceremonial tournament in the Ise Shrine, Mie Prefecture. 10: A ceremonial tournament is held at the Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda, Tokyo. 11: The tour visits Fujisawa, Kanagawa Prefecture. 13: The former Wakakirin appears at the Yokohama District Court and pleads guilty to cannabis possession. 18: The regional tour goes to Nagano, Nagano Prefecture. 19: The tour concludes at Tochigi, Tochigi Prefecture. 22: Wakakirin is sentenced to ten months in prison, but suspended for three years. 22: The Sumo Association carries out random drug tests on 104 wrestlers and coaches from the Musashigawa, Tokitsukaze, Ōshima, Ōnomatsu and Takasago stables at the Kokugikan. The tests (for recreational drugs only) were conducted by the WADA-certified Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corp. All test negative. 27: The banzuke for the May tournament is released, showing Goeido at sekiwake and Kakuryu and Tochiozan at komusubi for the first time. There are no wrestlers making their makuuchi or juryo debuts for the first time since July 2003. 29: The Yokozuna Deliberation Council joint practice session, attended by the sekitori ranked wrestlers, is held in public for the first time, with around 5000 spectators in the Kokugikan. Asashoryu and Hakuho participate but do not fight each other. Instead, Hakuho fights eleven matches against the ozeki, losing twice to Kotoōshū, while Asashoryu goes undefeated in eight bouts against Kakuryu and other maegashira.
May
8: A group of Mongolian rikishi, including both yokozuna, play golf together in Chiba Prefecture two days before the start of the Natsu basho, attracting criticism from elders within the Sumo Association.