The following are the events in professional sumo during 2011.
Tournaments
Hatsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 9 January – 23 January 2011 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14 -1 -0HakuhōYø9 -6 -0KaiōOBaruto9 -6 -010 -5 -0KotoōshūOHarumafuji8 -7 -010 -5 -0KisenosatoSKotoshōgiku11 -4 -06 -9 -0TochiōzanKKakuryū8 -7 -08 -7 -0ToyonoshimaM1Aminishiki6 -9 -04 -11 -0TochinoshinM2Yoshikaze4 -11 -05 -10 -0AranM3Tamawashi5 -10 -08 -7 -0HōmashōM4Tokusegawa9 -6 -011 -4 -0GōeidōM5Asasekiryū6 -9 -07 -8 -0KyokutenhōM6Gagamaru5 -10 -08 -7 -0TakekazeM7Tosayutaka7 -8 -09 -6 -0KitataikiM8Tokitenkū6 -9 -06 -9 -0TakamisakariM9Wakanosato8 -7 -06 -9 -0MiyabiyamaM10Hakuba8 -7 -08 -7 -0ShōtenrōM11Shimotori2 -13 -08 -7 -0KōryūM12Mōkonami8 -7 -011 -4 -0OkinoumiM13Kotokasuga8 -7 -09 -6 -0WakakōyūM14Kimurayama6 -9 -03 -12 -0KokkaiM15Toyohibiki9 -6 -08 -7 -0SōkokuraiM16Tochinonada9 -6 -05 -10 -0ToyozakuraM17ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Haru basho Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 13 March – 27 March 2011 Haru basho results - Makuuchi Division Basho cancelled for match-fixing investigation
Natsu basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 May – 22 May 2011 Natsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest13 -2 -0HakuhōYø3 -8 -4øKotoōshūOKaiō9 -6 -010 -5 -0BarutoOHarumafuji10 -5 -010 -5 -0KotoshōgikuSKisenosato8 -7 -012 -3 -0KakuryūKToyonoshima5 -10 -011 -4 -0GōeidōM1øTokusegawa0 -0 -03 -12 -0HōmashōM2Tochiōzan4 -11 -03 -12 -0KitataikiM3Aminishiki7 -8 -07 -8 -0OkinoumiM4Takekaze7 -8 -06 -9 -0AranM5Wakanosato7 -8 -07 -8 -0TamawashiM6Tochinoshin12 -3 -00 -0 -0øHakubaM7Yoshikaze9 -6 -08 -7 -0KyokutenhōM8Shōtenrō4 -11 -010 -5 -0TosayutakaM9Asasekiryū7 -8 -00 -0 -0øKasugaōM10Wakakōyū8 -7 -00 -0 -0øKōryūM11Tochinowaka7 -8 -00 -0 -0øMōkonamiM12Toyohibiki7 -8 -00 -0 -0øKotokasugaM13Tokitenkū8 -7 -08 -7 -0GagamaruM14Tochinonada6 -9 -07 -8 -0TakamisakariM15ø8 -7 -0MiyabiyamaM16Kaisei10 -5 -07 -8 -0KimurayamaM17ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Nagoya basho Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 10 July – 24 July 2011 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest12 -3 -0HakuhōYø11 -4 -0BarutoOHarumafuji14 -1 -03 -8 -0øKaiōOKotoōshū9 -6 -011 -4 -0KotoshōgikuSKisenosato10 -5 -0øSKakuryū10 -5 -05 -10 -0GōeidōKTochinoshin6 -9 -00 -4 -11øTosayutakaM1Yoshikaze7 -8 -02 -13 -0KyokutenhōM2Toyonoshima9 -6 -05 -10 -0WakakōyūM3Aminishiki2 -13 -08 -7 -0OkinoumiM4Takekaze8 -7 -06 -9 -0KaiseiM5Wakanosato9 -6 -05 -10 -0TamawashiM6Aran10 -5 -08 -7 -0TokitenkūM7Gagamaru5 -10 -010 -5 -0TochiōzanM8Miyabiyama8 -7 -011 -4 -0HōmashōM9Asasekiryū6 -9 -07 -8 -0KitataikiM10Takarafuji4 -11 -09 -6 -0TakayasuM11Tochinowaka8 -7 -06 -9 -0DaidōM12Toyohibiki8 -7 -08 -7 -0SagatsukasaM13Shōtenrō7 -8 -03 -12 -0TakamisakariM14Tochinonada6 -9 -010 -5 -0FujiazumaM15Kimurayama7 -8 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Aki basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 September – 25 September 2011 Aki basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest13 -2 -0HakuhōYø8 -7 -0HarumafujiOBaruto10 -5 -0øOøKotoōshū1 -6 -812 -3 -0KotoshōgikuSKisenosato12 -3 -09 -6 -0KakuryūSø8 -7 -0ToyonoshimaKAran5 -10 -010 -5 -0HōmashōM1Okinoumi8 -7 -04 -11 -0WakanosatoM2Yoshikaze6 -9 -05 -10 -0TakekazeM3Tochiōzan7 -8 -08 -7 -0TochinoshinM4Tokitenkū6 -9 -07 -8 -0MiyabiyamaM5Gōeidō10 -5 -06 -9 -0TakayasuM6Wakakōyū6 -9 -06 -9 -0FujiazumaM7Tochinowaka9 -6 -04 -11 -0KaiseiM8Toyohibiki6 -9 -02 -3 -10øMasunoyamaM9Sagatsukasa6 -9 -06 -9 -0TamawashiM10Kyokutenhō11 -4 -010 -5 -0KitataikiM11Gagamaru11 -4 -010 -5 -0AminishikiM12Asasekiryū7 -8 -05 -10 -0YoshiazumaM13Tamaasuka4 -11 -04 -11 -0TosayutakaM14Shōtenrō9 -6 -08 -7 -0DaidōM15Takanoyama5 -10 -09 -6 -0KokkaiM16Kimurayama7 -8 -05 -10 -0HochiyamaM17ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Kyushu basho Fukuoka International Centre, Kyushu, 13 November – 27 November 2011 Kyushu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14 -1 -0HakuhōYø11 -4 -0BarutoOHarumafuji8 -7 -09 -6 -0KotoōshūOKotoshōgiku11 -4 -010 -5 -0KisenosatoSKakuryū10 -5 -08 -7 -0ToyonoshimaKHōmashō4 -11 -07 -8 -0OkinoumiM1Gōeidō7 -8 -02 -13 -0TochinoshinM2Kyokutenhō4 -11 -04 -11 -0AranM3Gagamaru2 -13 -07 -8 -0TochinowakaM4øTochiōzan5 -6 -48 -7 -0KitataikiM5Yoshikaze7 -8 -09 -6 -0AminishikiM6Miyabiyama11 -4 -06 -9 -0TokitenkūM7Takekaze10 -5 -00 -0 -15øShōtenrōM8Takayasu9 -6 -02 -4 -9øWakanosatoM9Wakakōyū12 -3 -01 -14 -0KokkaiM10Fujiazuma7 -8 -09 -6 -0ToyohibikiM11Myōgiryū10 -5 -08 -7 -0DaidōM12Sagatsukasa6 -9 -05 -10 -0TamawashiM13Asasekiryū6 -9 -06 -9 -0KaiseiM14Takarafuji5 -10 -010 -5 -0ShōhōzanM15Sadanofuji8 -7 -011 -4 -0AoiyamaM16Tsurugidake4 -11 -04 -11 -0KimurayamaM17ø ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
News
January 23: Hakuho wins the first honbasho of the year. It is his eighteenth championship, and his sixth in a row, a feat only previously achieved by Taiho and Asashoryu. His only defeat is to Kisenosato, who also beat the yokozuna in the previous tournament and once again wins the Outstanding Performance Prize. Kotoshogiku and Okinoumi finish runners-up to Hakuho on 11–4 and are awarded Technique and Fighting Spirit prizes respectively. Goeido also finishes on 11–4. The jūryō championship is won by Kasugao, and the makushita title by Matsutani, returning from suspension. Former maegashira Kasuganishiki announces his retirement. He will stay in the sumo world as an elder under the name Takenawa Oyakata. 23: Kiriyama stable shuts down, with its wrestlers moving to Asahiyama stable. 24: Georgian wrestlers Kokkai and Gagamaru are reprimanded by the Japan Sumo Association after allegedly damaging an Indian restaurant after a night of drinking following the sixth day of the Hatsu tournament. 26: Three former wrestlers from the Ōnomatsu stable are arrested in connection with illegal gambling on professional baseball. 27: The Sumo Association issues a warning to Tamawashi after he leaned against and broke the window of a restaurant in Tokyo after the last day of the Hatsu basho. He had been drinking, and the accident caused an injury to his right arm which kept him out of action for three weeks. 29: The danpatsu-shiki or official retirement ceremony of former komusubi Kaiho (Tanigawa Oyakata) takes place at the Kokugikan.
February
2: It becomes public that police last May investigating the baseball betting scandal found evidence of match fixing of sumo bouts, known as yaocho, from mobile phones belonging to jūryō wrestlers Kasuganishiki and Chiyohakuho. Leaked to the media are a series of text messages between Kasuganishiki and Kiyoseumi, with the low ranker acting as a go-between. They discuss trading cash for wins and how to orchestrate the matches, with Kiyoseumi saying of one bout, "Hit me hard at the tachi-ai and just go with the flow." Also mentioned in the messages are Kaiho (Tanigawa Oyakata), Shimotori, Shotenro, Koryu, Toyozakura, Kyokunankai, , , and Yamamotoyama. Twelve of the wrestlers are summoned to the Sumo Association headquarters to explain themselves. Chairman Hanaregoma tells a press conference that this questioning did not uncover any conclusive evidence but he promises severe punishments to those proven to be involved. 3: Sports minister Yoshiaki Takaki tells the Diet that three people in the sumo world have admitted their involvement in bout rigging. They are Chiyohakuho, Enatsukasa and the now-retired Kasuganishiki (Takenawa Oyakata). Kiyoseumi denies any wrongdoing. During these interviews Kirinowaka's name is mentioned, bringing the number of wrestlers involved to 14. The Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan calls the scandal a "betrayal" of the Japanese public. At stake is the Sumo Association's future as a government affiliated entity with tax benefits, as this is up for renewal. NHK announces that it will not hold the 44th Annual Charity Ozumo tournament scheduled for February 11, and is considering dropping TV coverage of the March honbasho. Fuji TV is also scrapping its 1-day tournament on February 6. A Ministry of Education official, Kan Suzuki, insists the Sumo Association conduct a thorough investigation, saying "Holding the scheduled sumo tournament in March will not gain the public's support unless the association uncovers every detail." An independent panel of seven figures from outside sumo has been set up and will report its findings to the Sumo Association. 5: It is reported that the Sumo Association has decided to cancel the March tournament in Osaka. This will be the first time since 1946 (when the bomb-damaged Kokugikan was undergoing renovation) that a honbasho has been called off. A regional exhibition tournament in Akita Prefecture on August 8 has also been cancelled. 6: Cancellation of the Haru basho is confirmed by Hanaregoma, who tells reporters "We cannot, and should not hold the tournament under these circumstances. Until we can completely root out corruption in the sport, we cannot appear in the sumo ring." He also announces the scrapping of all regional tours (jungyo) for the year. The head of the investigative panel, Waseda University professor Shigeru Ito, says that questionnaires distributed to members of the Sumo Association have not led to anyone else confessing involvement, but that the 14 wrestlers under suspicion have been asked to surrender their mobile phones and bank account details for analysis. Ito stresses that the panel will thoroughly investigate without regard for the scheduling of tournaments, which could also put May's Natsu honbasho in Tokyo in doubt. 8: Sports minister Takaki requests that wrestlers co-operate fully with investigators, after reports that some of the 14 who have been asked to hand over their mobile phones have claimed that they are either broken or have been replaced by new ones. 14: Kodansha, publishers of the tabloid weekly Shukan Gendai, demand compensation from the Sumo Association for lost court cases in 2007 over articles that alleged match-fixing, in which they had to pay 8.25 million yen in damages. 15: Police submit requests to the Tokyo District Prosecutors' Office for charges to be brought against two jūryō wrestlers, and Daido, and seven other people, for allegedly taking part in an illegal baseball gambling ring. 17: An independent panel of 11 sumo outsiders, formed last year to look at ways to improve the Sumo Association's governance, delivers its report. It does not mention the current match-fixing scandal, but recommends banning the trading of toshiyori elder names, reducing the number of stables from the present 50 to around 30, issuing contracts with each stable for the education of its young wrestlers, and having outsiders make up about half the Association's 12 man executive board. It criticised the current practice of allowing stablemasters to serve as board members, saying, "It is inappropriate that the people who are being supervised are those doing the supervising." 28: Instead of a traditional banzuke, the Sumo Association releases a simple document indicating the rankings of the wrestlers on their performances in the January tournament, to be used for calculating salary and other allowances. Only the positions of the sekitori are released to the media. Chiyohakuho and Kiyoseumi are both listed in the jūryō division.
March
2: The Mainichi Daily News reports that Takenawa Oyakata (ex Kasuganishiki) has claimed that about 40 other wrestlers were involved in the match-fixing scam, and that he first became exposed to yaocho in January 2006 when a sanyaku wrestler asked him to throw a bout. He refused on that occasion, but later became involved when injuries sent him down to jūryō. 4: