This is a list of records held by wrestlers of professional sumo. Only performances in official tournaments or honbasho are included here. Since 1958, six honbasho have been held every year, giving wrestlers from the modern era more opportunities to accumulate championships and wins. Before this, tournaments were held less frequently; sometimes only once or twice per year.
Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler.
The tables are up to date as of the end of the March 2026 tournament.
Most career championships Official championships since 1909+ Name Total Years 1 Hakuhō 45 2006–2021 2 Taihō 32 1960–1971 3 Chiyonofuji 31 1981–1990 4 Asashōryū 25 2002–2010 5 Kitanoumi 24 1974–1984 6 Takanohana II 22 1992–2001 7 Wajima 14 1972–1980 8 Futabayama 12 1936–1943 Musashimaru 12 1994–2002 10 Akebono 11 1992–2000 + Raiden is said to have had the best record in 28 tournaments between 1790 and 1810, Tanikaze 21 between 1772 and 1793, and Kashiwado 16 between 1812 and 1822. Tachiyama won two unofficial championships and nine official, giving him a total of 11.
Most undefeated championships Zenshō-yūshō since 1949+ Name Total Years 1 Hakuhō 16 2007–2021 2 Futabayama 8 1936–1943 Taihō 8 1963–1969 4 Tachiyama 7 1910–1915 Kitanoumi 7 1977–1984 Chiyonofuji 7 1983–1989 7 Tochigiyama 6 1917–1925 8 Asashōryū 5 2004–2006 9 Haguroyama 4 1944–1952 Tsunenohana 4 1921–1928 Takanohana II 4 1994–1996 + Tournaments have been consistently fifteen days long since May 1949. Before that date there were a number of different lengths, including ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen days. The records of Tachiyama, Tochigiyama and Tsunenohana also include some draws, holds and rest days.
Most consecutive championships Consecutive championships Name Total Years 1 Hakuhō 7+ 2010–2011 Asashōryū 7† 2004–2005 3 Hakuhō 6 2014-2015 Taihō 6 1966–1967 Taihō 6 1962-1963 5 Futabayama 5‡ 1936–1938 Kitanoumi 5 1978 Chiyonofuji 5 1986–1987 + Four of these titles were in perfect tournaments (zenshō-yūshō) and were part of Hakuhō's second-place streak of 63 consecutive wins. † Includes a sweep of all six tournaments in 2005. Asashōryū remains the only wrestler to have won all tournaments in a six-tournament calendar year (post-1949). ‡ All of Futabayama's victories in this streak were in perfect tournaments and were part of Futabayama's record setting 69 consecutive wins. ÷ Raiden is said to have had the best record in nine consecutive tournaments between 1806 and 1810
All time The list includes yokozuna and ōzeki (the highest rank before the yokozuna rank was introduced), but excludes so-called kanban or "guest ōzeki" (usually big men drawn from local crowds to promote a tournament who would never appear on the banzuke again) and wrestlers for which insufficient data is available. Name Win–loss Years rate 1 Raiden 254–10 1790–1811 96.2% 2 Umegatani I 116–6 1874–1885 95.1% 3 Tanikaze 258–14 1769–1794 94.9% 4 Jinmaku 87–5 1858–1867 94.6% 5 Onogawa 144–13 1781–1797 91.7%
Modern era In 1927, the Tokyo Sumo Association merged with the Osaka Sumo Association to form the Japan Sumo Association, and most of the sumo systems were changed, so any pre-1927 records are disregarded. The list excludes active wrestlers. Among active wrestlers, at the end of the March 2026 tournament, Onosato had 146 wins against 53 losses, giving a ratio of 73.4%. Name Win–loss Years rate 1 Hakuhō 1093–199 2001–2021 84.6% 2 Taihō 746–144 1960–1971 83.8% 3 Futabayama 276–68 1932–1945 80.2% 4 Asashōryū 596–153 2001–2010 79.6% 5 Haguroyama 321–94 1937–1953 77.3% 6 Kitanoumi 804–247 1972–1985 76.5%
The March 2011 and May 2020 tournaments were cancelled for all wrestlers and are disregarded in these totals. Tournaments sat out by individual wrestlers are included, with the exception of "outside the banzuke" status (banzuke-gai).
Most tournaments ranked in the top division Name Total First Last Highest rank 1 Kaiō 107 July 1993 July 2011 ōzeki 2 Hakuhō 103 May 2004 September 2021 yokozuna 3 Tamawashi 100 September 2008 still active sekiwake 4 Kyokutenhō 99 January 1998 July 2015 sekiwake 5 Takamiyama 97 January 1968 January 1984 sekiwakeAminishiki 97 July 2000 May 2018 sekiwake 7 Terao 93 March 1985 May 2001 sekiwake 8 Akinoshima 91 March 1988 May 2003 sekiwakeKotoshōgiku 91 January 2005 November 2020 ōzeki 10 Kotonowaka 90 November 1990 November 2005 sekiwake Most tournaments ranked at yokozunaName Total First Last 1 Hakuhō 84 July 2007 September 2021 2 Kitanoumi 63 September 1974 January 1985 3 Chiyonofuji 59 September 1981 May 1991 4 Taihō 58 November 1961 May 1971 5 Takanohana II 49 January 1995 January 2003 6 Akebono 48 March 1993 January 2001 7 Kashiwado 47 November 1961 July 1969 Wajima 47 July 1973 March 1981 9 Asashōryū 42 March 2003 January 2010 10 Kakuryū 41 May 2014 March 2021
Most tournaments ranked at ōzekiName Total First Last Ended by 1 Chiyotaikai 65 March 1999 November 2009 Demotion Kaiō 65 September 2000 July 2011 Retirement 3 Takanohana I 50 November 1972 January 1981 Retirement 4 Kotoōshū 47 January 2006 November 2013 Demotion 5 Hokuten'yū 44 July 1983 September 1990 Retirement 6 Konishiki 39 July 1987 November 1993 Demotion 7 Takanonami 37 March 1994 May 2000 Demotion 8 Asashio 36 May 1983 March 1989 Retirement 9 Yutakayama 34 March 1963 September 1968 Retirement 10 Gōeidō 33 September 2014 January 2020 Retirement
Most tournaments ranked at komusubi or sekiwakeName Total First Last Highest rank 1 Kotonishiki 34 September 1990 September 1999 sekiwake 2 Kaiō 32 May 1994 July 2000 ōzeki 3 Musōyama 31 March 1994 September 2000 ōzeki 4 Hasegawa 30 November 1965 September 1974 sekiwakeKotomitsuki 30 January 2001 July 2007 ōzeki 6 Mitakeumi 29 November 2016 November 2022 ōzeki 7 Akinoshima 27 November 1988 September 2000 sekiwakeTakamiyama 27 November 1969 September 1982 sekiwake 9 Takatōriki 26 May 1991 May 2000 sekiwakeWakanosato 26 November 2000 September 2005 sekiwake Most career tournaments Name Total First Last Highest rank 1 Hanakaze 214 March 1986 January 2022 sandanme 18 2 Tenichi 197 March 1993 current makushita 10 Terunosato 197 March 1993 current sandanme 23 4 Itakozakura 191 March 1994 current jonidan 19 5 Sawaisamu 187 July 1992 May 2025 jonidan 53 6 Hokutoryū 186 March 1986 March 2017 sandanme 53 7 Shōketsu 185 March 1995 current makushita 4 8 Yoshiazuma 180 January 1996 current maegashira 12 9 Dairaido 179 March 1996 current jūryō 2 10 Koshinoryū 176 March 1995 September 2024 makushita 34
The table for the fastest progress shows wrestlers with the fewest tournaments from their professional debut to their top division debut since the six tournaments a year system was introduced in 1958. It excludes makushita tsukedashi and sandanme tsukedashi entrants who made their debut in the third makushita division and the fourth sandanme division.
Special prizes (sanshō) were first awarded in 1947. They are given to wrestlers ranked sekiwake, komusubi or maegashira in acknowledgement of exceptional tournament performance. For the list of currently active special prize winners, see here.
Gold stars (kinboshi) were first awarded in 1930. They are given to maegashira ranked wrestlers who defeat a yokozuna, excluding wins by default or in a playoff. For the list of currently active kinboshi earners, see here.
