The following are the events in professional sumo during 2020.
Tournaments
January
Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 12 January – 26 January
2020 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest1-3-11øHakuhōYøKakuryū1-4-1011-4-0TakakeishōOGōeidō5-10-010-5-0AsanoyamaSTakayasu6-9-05-10-0AbiKDaieishō7-8-09-6-0EndōM1Myōgiryū5-10-011-4-0HokutofujiM2Mitakeumi7-8-05-10-0TamawashiM3øKotoyūki0-0-158-7-0OkinoumiM4Shōdai13-2-01-7-7øMeiseiM5Enhō8-7-07-8-0TakarafujiM6Tochinoshin5-10-07-8-0ShōhōzanM7Ōnoshō9-6-04-11-0AoiyamaM8Ryūden10-5-07-8-0TakanoshōM9Yutakayama11-4-07-8-0SadanoumiM10Ishiura6-9-07-8-0ChiyotairyūM11Kagayaki10-5-06-9-0TsurugishōM12Chiyomaru6-9-07-8-0KotoshōgikuM13Kotoekō2-13-08-7-0TerutsuyoshiM14Shimanoumi6-9-07-8-0AzumaryūM15Ikioi8-7-09-6-0TochiōzanM16Kaisei8-7-011-4-0KiribayamaM17Tokushōryū14-1-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
March
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 8 March – 22 March 2020 Haru basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest13-2-0HakuhōYKakuryū12-3-07-8-0TakakeishōOø0-0-011-4-0AsanoyamaSShōdai8-7-04-11-0HokutofujiKEndō7-8-08-7-0DaieishōM1øTakayasu0-5-108-7-0OkinoumiM2Tokushōryū4-11-08-7-0YutakayamaM3Mitakeumi10-5-06-9-0EnhōM4Abi7-8-06-9-0RyūdenM5Ōnoshō9-6-04-11-0MyōgiryūM6Kagayaki8-7-09-6-0TakarafujiM7Tamawashi6-9-04-11-0ShōhōzanM8Kiribayama9-6-012-3-0TakanoshōM9Tochinoshin6-9-06-9-0SadanoumiM10Tochiōzan3-12-08-7-0ChiyotairyūM11Terutsuyoshi9-6-09-6-0IshiuraM12Ikioi8-7-07-8-0KotoshōgikuM13Aoiyama11-4-08-7-0KaiseiM14Nishikigi6-9-01-4-10øTsurugishōM15Chiyomaru7-6-25-10-0AzumaryūM16Shimanoumi9-6-07-8-0MeiseiM17Daiamami5-10-09-6-0KotonowakaM18ø0-0-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
May - Cancelled
Originally scheduled to be held on 10–24 May at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, the tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19 following Japan's state of emergency in April.
July Nagoya
Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 19 July – 2 August
Originally scheduled to take place at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya on 5–19 July due to avoid scheduling conflict with the 2020 Summer Olympics, the tournament was moved to Tokyo by the Sumo Association due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament was limited to 2,500 spectators per day, which is less than one-fourth of the Kokugikan's capacity. The banzuke originally issued for the cancelled Natsu basho was used. 2020 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest10 -3 -2øHakuhōYøKakuryū0 -2 -138 -4 -3øTakakeishōOAsanoyama12 -3 -011 -4 -0ShōdaiSMitakeumi11 -4 -011 -4 -0DaieishōKOkinoumi9 -6 -08 -7 -0EndōM1Yutakayama5 -10 -08 -7 -0TakanoshōM2Ōnoshō2 -13 -05 -10 -0TakarafujiM3Kiribayama6 -9 -05 -10 -0KagayakiM4Aoiyama5 -10 -03 -4 -8øAbiM5Hokutofuji9 -6 -05 -10 -0EnhōM6Ryūden7 -8 -08 -7 -0TerutsuyoshiM7Tokushōryū7 -8 -04 -11 -0IshiuraM8Chiyotairyū6 -9 -010 -5 -0TamawashiM9Ikioi3 -12 -06 -9 -0KaiseiM10Myōgiryū10 -5 -05 -10 -0ShimanoumiM11Tochinoshin10 -5 -08 -7 -0SadanoumiM12Shōhōzan5 -10 -010 -5 -0TakayasuM13Kotonowaka4 -6 -58 -7 -0KotoshōgikuM14Wakatakakage10 -5 -08 -7 -0KotoshōhōM15Chiyomaru4 -11 -06 -9 -0NishikigiM16Kotoekō10 -5 -013 -2 -0TerunofujiM17øKotoyūki6 -8 -1 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
August Olympic exhibition - Cancelled
Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 12 August – 13 August – cancelled
September
Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 13 September – 27 September
2020 Aki basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest0 -0 -15øHakuhōYøKakuryū0 -0 -1510 -5 -0AsanoyamaOTakakeishō12 -3 -013 -2 -0ShōdaiSMitakeumi8 -7 -05 -10 -0DaieishōSø0 -0 -04 -11 -0OkinoumiKøEndō3 -9 -38 -5 -2øTerunofujiM1Takanoshō10 -5 -06 -9 -0HokutofujiM2Tamawashi5 -10 -06 -9 -0MyōgiryūM3Terutsuyoshi5 -10 -02 -5 -8øYutakayamaM4Tochinoshin6 -9 -09 -4 -2KiribayamaM5Takarafuji7 -8 -010 -5 -0TakayasuM6Kagayaki8 -7 -06 -9 -0RyūdenM7Aoiyama7 -8 -07 -8 -0TokushōryūM8Wakatakakage11 -4 -06 -9 -0EnhōM9Ōnoshō10 -5 -07 -8 -0SadanoumiM10Kotoekō8 -7 -05 -8 -2øChiyotairyūM11Kotoshōgiku2 -10 -310 -5 -0KotoshōhōM12Kaisei7 -8 -09 -6 -0MeiseiM13Ishiura4 -4 -711 -4 -0TobizaruM14øAbi0 -0 -156 -9 -0ShimanoumiM15Shōhōzan5 -10 -02 -2 -11øKyokutaiseiM16Hōshōryū8 -7 -08 -7 -0IchinojōM17ø0 -0 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
November Kyushu
Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 November – 22 November
Originally scheduled to be held at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Kyushu, the Sumo Association moved the tournament to Tokyo due to the coronavirus pandemic. 2020 Kyushu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest0 -0 -15øHakuhōYøKakuryū0 -0 -1513 -2 -0TakakeishōOøAsanoyama1 -2 -123 -2 -10ShōdaiOø0 -0 -07 -8 -0MitakeumiSTakanoshō8 -7 -013 -2 -0TerunofujiKTakayasu8 -7 -03 -12 -0KiribayamaM1Wakatakakage7 -8 -07 -8 -0ŌnoshōM2Daieishō10 -5 -05 -10 -0KagayakiM3Okinoumi6 -9 -011 -4 -0HokutofujiM4Tobizaru6 -9 -04 -11 -0MyōgiryūM5Kotoshōhō8 -7 -09 -6 -0TakarafujiM6Tamawashi8 -7 -09 -6 -0TochinoshinM7Endō8 -7 -06 -9 -0AoiyamaM8Terutsuyoshi5 -10 -08 -7 -0TokushōryūM9Kotoekō6 -9 -09 -6 -0RyūdenM10Meisei9 -6 -05 -10 -0SadanoumiM11Enhō3 -12 -06 -9 -0YutakayamaM12Kaisei6 -9 -07 -8 -0HōshōryūM13Ichinojō8 -7 -010 -5 -0ChiyonokuniM14Kotonowaka7 -8 -09 -6 -0ChiyotairyūM15øKotoyūki0 -0 -158 -7 -0ChiyoshōmaM16Akua9 -6 -011 -4 -0ShimanoumiM17ø0 -0 -0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
News January
9: Ishiura is docked 20 percent of one month's salary by the Japan Sumo Association following an incident in training at Miyagino stable when he came to blows with a junior ranked wrestler, Hokahō, after a series of heated bouts, leading to them having to be separated by Hakuhō. Hokahō is warned, while stablemaster Miyagino Oyakata is docked 20 percent of his salary for three months. 25: Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko (an avid sumo fan since the age of five) watch the final nine matches of Day 14 of the Hatsu basho, the first time they have attended sumo since the Emperor ascended to the throne in May 2019. 26: The final day sees two maegashira, Shōdai and Tokushōryū, in contention for the championship. Shōdai defeats Mitakeumi to finish on 13–2, but in the final match Tokushōryū defeats ōzeki Takakeishō to win the yūshō with a 14–1 record, avoiding the need for a playoff with Shōdai. He only returned to the makuuchi division this tournament at the very bottom rank of west maegashira 17, and he is the first to win the championship at the lowest rank since Takatōriki in March 2000. He is also the first winner from Nara Prefecture in 98 years. Visibly emotional after the championship-winning bout, Tokushōryū at 33 is the third oldest first-time yūshō winner since the six tournaments per year era began in 1958, after Kyokutenhō and Tamawashi. He also receives his first ever special prizes, for Fighting Spirit and Outstanding Performance. Shodai also gets a share of the Fighting Spirit Prize, as does makuuchi debutant Kiribayama who scores 11–4. Hokutofuji is awarded the Technique Prize and also finishes on 11–4. Endō receives a share of the Outstanding Performance Prize for beating both yokozuna, Hakuhō and Kakuryū, although both end up dropping out of the tournament with injuries. Ōzeki Gōeidō can only score 5–10 and faces demotion from the rank after 33 straight tournaments at ōzeki, the tenth highest in history. The jūryō division championship is won by former ōzeki Terunofuji with a 13–2 record, continuing his comeback from injury. Former maegashira Arawashi retires. 28: Gōeidō's retirement is announced, leaving sumo with only one ōzeki for the first time in 38 years. Gōeidō is the first ōzeki to retire at that rank since Kaiō in 2011. He is staying in sumo as a coach under the elder name of Takekuma. 29: The promotions to jūryō are announced. There is one newcomer, Midorifuji, a Kindai University graduate from Isegahama stable. The other four are all returning: Wakamotoharu, Chiyonoumi, former maegashira Akiseyama (his 7th jūryō promotion), and . 30: Furiwake Oyakata, the former Takamisakari, is announced as the new head coach of Azumazeki stable. Its future had been in doubt following the death of the previous Azumazeki Oyakata, ex-Ushiomaru, last December.
February 1: The retirement ceremony (danpatsu-shiki) of former sekiwake Takekaze (now Oshiogawa Oyakata) is held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan. 3: A number of top wrestlers take part in the soy bean-throwing at the Setsubun festival at Narita-san Shinshō-ji Temple in Narita, Chiba. 4: The Sumo Association announces that it will hold an exhibition tournament from August 12 to 13, shortly after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, to show sumo to an international audience. Dubbed the "Grand Sumo Tournament Rooting for the Tokyo 2020 Games", it will be part of the larger Nippon Festival, a nationwide collaboration focused on showing Olympic visitors Japan's culture and arts. 4: Chairman Hakkaku and head of public relations Shibatayama tell a meeting of wrestlers and stable masters that the ban on individual wrestlers posting on social media, introduced after an image uploaded by Abi showed another wrestler tied up as a prank, is to be continued indefinitely. "One person’s mistake can cause trouble for everyone. Fans have been driven away by scandals in the past" says Hakkaku. 9: The 44th Fuji TV one day tournament is held at the Kokugikan. Takayasu defeats Myogiryu in the final. 17: Sandanme Wakaichirō Ken, a wrestler of mixed African-American and Japanese ancestry who grew up in Houston, Texas, retires. With his retirement, there are no active rikishi from North America. 23: The Sumo Association says the March tournament in Osaka will go ahead despite the current coronavirus outbreak, although it urges those attending to take suitable anti-viral measures. 24: The banzuke for March is released, with Tokushōryū rising from maegashira 17 to maegashira 2 in the rankings. Shodai returns to sekiwake for the first time since January 2017. The retirement of Gōeidō creates room for a maegashira 18, with Kotonowaka Masahiro making his makuuchi debut at the expense of his injured stablemate Kotoyuki, who drops to jūryō. Kotonowaka is the son of his stablemaster, ex-sekiwake Kotonowaka Terumasa, and it is the ninth time that a father and son have both reached the top division. Returning to makuuchi are Nishikigi and Daiamami. 26: Coming under increasing pressure to cancel the March tournament, the Sumo Association says it will make a decision on March 1. The J.League has postponed all matches until March 15, the Tokyo Marathon organizers have restricted entry to elite runners only, and Olympic organisers have cancelled training events. 28: The Sumo Association admits that the tournament is unlikely to be held in a "regular fashion".
March 1: The Sumo Association confirms that the March Basho in Osaka will be held behind closed doors. The tournament will be broadcast, but will be cancelled if any wrestler is found to have contracted the coronavirus. This will be the first closed door basho since a June 1945 tournament where only injured World War II veterans were invited to attend. 8: With the tournament underway several wrestlers remark on how odd it is to fight in a virtually empty arena, with Enhō commenting, "It’s like I can’t raise my fighting spirit...It made me wonder what I’m fighting for." 15: Chiyomaru withdraws from the tournament with a fever. After two straight days with a temperature of above 37.5 °C he undergoes a test for the coronavirus, which comes back negative on March 17. He re-entered the tournament on March 18.