# Hakuhō Cup

The Hakuhō Cup (Japanese: 白鵬杯, Hepburn: Hakuhō-hai) is a sumo competition for elementary and middle school students held every year in Japan.

## Origin

The Hakuhō Cup is one of the largest and most prestigious junior sumo event in the Japanese amateur calendar. With the Japan Association of Athletics Federations choosing not to hold a sumo competition for the 2025 national middle school and high school tournaments, the Hakuhō Cup also sits its impact status for the sport's popularity. Its origins are actually in the Asashōryū Cup. The Wanpaku National Championship is an all-Japanese event, and Asashōryū wished to allow Mongolian kids on the dohyō in the Kokugikan. The first Asashōryū Cup was held in August 2009, in the Kokugikan. At the time, no individual competitions were held, and in total 12 teams of 5 wrestlers per team, each consisting of boys aged 8 to 12, competed in a team competition. The event was largely won by the Mongolian delegation, who scored a no-defeats. The competition was however a mixed success with only 1,000 people in the audience instead of the advertised 7,000. Asashōryū, who wanted to make this an annual event, was forced to retire a few months later, and the event was never repeated.
Hakuhō was then the only yokozuna and established his own event in 2010. The Hakuhō Cup in its current form is an event for boys from first to ninth grade. Around 1,300 boys attended the 2020 event, hailing from Asian countries, such as China, Hong Kong, Mongolia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Japan but also from the Brazil, Georgia, Poland, Ukraine and the USA.
Since 2014, the event is produced by Osamu Suzuki, an experienced screenwriter. The tournament is a popular event with lectures by former professional wrestlers between competitions. The Hakuhō Cup is also a place where it is not uncommon to come across professional wrestlers, whether they are retired or active, who come to encourage their son or to participate in the organization by refereeing or in some other capacity. All the members of the Miyagino stable are involved in the event. Since the event has grown into a prestigious amateur competition, many participants have had successful careers in sumo, and include sekitori like makuuchi-ranked wrestlers Ōnoshō, Ura, Kotonowaka and Hakuōhō.

## Organization

The tournament is a private event, and only clubs that have received an invitation may take part. The event is an amateur sumo competition. Competitors are between 5 and 15 years old, and are divided into 7 divisions (ranging from first grade to sixth grade and junior high school). An eighth category, combining participants from the first seven to form groups that will compete for the team title, is also its own division. Like in professional sumo, the most deserving young wrestlers are entitled to special awards modelled on the sanshō prizes. Another prize, the Osamu Suzuki Award, is also awarded. Each wrestler competing in his division must win to advance in the competition.
The event is recognized as an organizational challenge, with participants coming from all over the world and from all over Japan. Organizing accommodation is particularly complicated. The tournament also takes place in the middle of the school year. In addition, as the event is held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, organizers must apply to the Japan Sumo Association for permission to use the arena.
During the period of the event, it is common for stables to open their doors to students to train and eat with professional wrestlers.

## Previous events

Results only began to be published in 2016

### 2010-2013

In 2010, the first Hakuhō Cup took place in the Ohama Sumo Hall of Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. The event gathered around 750 elementary and junior high school students. Among them, 8 amateurs from Mongolia participated to a sumo event for the first time. The original event should have taken place in Mongolia in June, but the travel was cancelled and the event postponed due to the scandals that erupted within the Japan Sumo Association at the time. Professional wrestlers Ōnoshō Fumiya participated in the event and his Aomori team won the team competition of that year. Makuuchi wrestler Ura Kazuki also attended the event. The Hakuho Cup then took place in December 2011 in Osaka.
The following year, the Hakuhō Cup took place in April 2012 in Ōsaki, Miyagi Prefecture to entertain the children after the earthquake that devastated the prefecture. The location was also chosen as Hakuhō is also a tourism ambassador for the city and he felt it was also his responsibility to help the reconstruction effort. Only elementary and junior high school students from the Tōhoku region were allowed to participate in the tournament.
In 2013, the event was held on February 11 and, for the first time, took place in Tokyo at the Ariake Colosseum. The tournament was marked by the victory of the two children of Tokitsukaze stablemaster (Tokitsuumi Masahiro). His first son, Hiroichi Sakamoto, won the fourth-grade division, and his second son, Masamasa, won the first-grade division. In the same tournament, Kamatani Masakatsu (son of Sadogatake stablemaster Kotonowaka Terumasa) came third in the junior high school division.

### 2014

The event was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on February, 2. Around 566 elementary and junior high school students from Japan, Mongolia, South Korea and China took part in the tournament. For the first time, the event was produced by screenwriter Osamu Suzuki who also designed a prize that was set to be awarded to the most memorable wrestler. The prize, taking the shape of a championship belt, went to Kaishin Nakanishi (from Wakayama Sumo School), who finished second in the individual competition in the first-grade division. Among future sekitori, Rōga Tokiyoshi placed 8th in the individual junior high school division.

### 2015

The event was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on February, 1. Some 800 children from eight countries participated in the tournament. Among the participants, Kotomitsuki Keiji's son participated. It was the first public appearance of Kotomitsuki since his dismissal by the Association. That year, the individual championship (junior high school) was won by Kawazoe Keita, who later joined Miyagino stable under the name Kihō, using the makushita tsukedashi system to reflects his other successes.

### 2016

The event was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on January, 31. The sponsor of that year's event was ōzeki Kotoshogiku who was the first Japanese wrestler to win a January tournament in ten years that year. The individual championship (junior high school) of that year was won by Nakamura Daiki who later joined Nishonoseki stable under the shikona Ōnosato in 2023. Among the thousand participants, Hakuhō own son took part for the first time in the event. For the first time, a Mongolian won the Outstanding Performance prize.

### 2017

The event was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on January, 29. The sponsor of that year's event was Yokozuna Kakuryū. A record number of more than 1,200 people gathered from Japan, Mongolia and the USA. Hakuhō's son, eight-year-old Mahato, participated in the second-grade division of the individual tournament but was eliminated in the first round, as he was in 2016. It was also the first time a Mongolian won the Fighting Spirit prize.

### 2018

The event was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on February, 13. Around 1,300 elementary and junior high school students from eight countries and regions, including Mongolia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, gathered for the event. That year, the individual championship (junior high school division) was won by Shingo Mukainakano [ja], who later joined Miyagino stable.

### 2019

The event was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on February, 11. On this edition, 54 teams and 1,194 participants from eight countries, including Japan, China and Mongolia, took part to the event. The sponsor of that year's event was Yokozuna Kisenosato. That year, the individual championship (junior high school division) was won by Tetsuya Ochiai, who later joined Miyagino stable. In the fourth-grade individual competition, one match attracted particular attention after the underdog defeated after a thrilling match an opponent twice his weight. The winning wrestler, Kōsei Motomura, was awarded the competition's Technique Prize and then joined Sadogatake stable in April 2024, becoming the first wrestler since the end of the Second World War to be under 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) tall.

### 2020

The event was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on February 2. A record number of more than 1,100 entrants from 14 countries participated to the event with 142 teams competing in the team division. This record makes the 10th edition of the Hakuhō Cup the largest sumo tournament in history. For the first time, a team of 5 Brazilians participated to the event. At the occasion of the ten years of the event, the Hakuhō Cup was sponsored by two yokozuna: Kisenosato and Harumafuji. It was also the first public appearance of Harumafuji to an event linked to the Japan Sumo Association since his retirement and the first time the three yokozuna publicly met together since Harumafuji and Kisenosato retired. Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto also gave a speech for the opening ceremony. The Chinese team, which was scheduled to participate, was unable to come to Japan due to the spread of pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus.

### 2021

The 11th Hakuhō Cup was cancelled due to the spread of coronavirus.

### 2022

After taking a year off because of pandemic-related situations, the 12th Hakuhō Cup took place on April 3 in the Ōta-city General Gymnasium in Tokyo, a venue chosen at the last minute to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Because of coronavirus protocols, the number of people in the venue, divided into morning and afternoon sessions for each grade, was kept to a minimum and general public admission was cancelled. The tournament was however streamed on YouTube. About 2,000 people attended, including 600 contestants. Former ōzeki Kotoōshū served as sponsor for this edition.

### 2023

The event was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on February 12. Over 122 teams with a total of 920 wrestlers were invited to compete. The event had been scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned to normal for the first time in three years. In addition to first to third-graders from all over Japan, children from seven countries (Mongolia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, the US, Australia, and Ukraine) also gathered. For the first time, a "Toddler division" was introduced to allow really young kids to compete. During the competition, Uriah Ulima Kamahao Luamanu of Hawaii won a bronze medal in the elementary school fifth-grade division. By doing so, he became the first-ever Hakuhō Cup medalist from the United States, and also the first wrestler from outside of Japan or Mongolia to reach the podium in any classification during the 13-year history of the event.

### 2024

The 2024 edition of the Hakuhō Cup was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan on 12 February. A total of 1,100 people took part in the competition, with athletes from nine different foreign countries (Thailand, Brazil, Taiwan, Ukraine, Mongolia, Georgia, Poland, the USA and South Korea). Exceptionally, a children's group from Ishikawa Prefecture was invited to take part as an honorary group, to entertain the children after the 2024 Noto earthquake. Hiroto, son of former ōzeki Kotoshōgiku competed in the toddler division team competition and his club (Kashiwa Sumo Boy's Club) won the tournament. Former junior high school division winner Ōnosato also attended the event as a spectator, having come to cheer on Ibata Yūki (a wrestler also from Tsubata, Ishikawa). Yuki then went on to win the individual Junior High competition.

### 2025

As a result of the Hokuseihō's scandal and retirement and the closure of Miyagino stable, the event was initially assumed to be cancelled due to the disciplinary punishment meted out to stablemaster Miyagino (former yokozuna Hakuhō), the latter also mentioning in the press at the time of the scandal that he didn't consider it appropriate to hold the tournament. Encouraged by the children's clubs and friends, Miyagino and his tutor Isegahama (former yokozuna Asahifuji) announced in December 2024 that they would be organizing the fifteenth edition of the event. Due to the late announcement of the organization, it was expected that many international clubs would not be able to make the trip. However, it was announced that Ukrainian clubs had been invited. Finally, clubs on the Noto Peninsula were also honored after the earthquake that struck at the beginning of the previous year.
Around 1,100 children took part in this year's competition and a total of fifteen countries (the largest number since the beginnings of the Hakuhō Cup) were represented, with Kyrgyzstan being represented for the first time. The Georgian delegation was led by former komusubi Kokkai, President of the Georgian Sumo Federation. Unusually, that year's Junior High competition was won by a freshman, Mongolian Temujin Chilgun, a rare achievement for a nationwide competition and the first time in the history of the Hakuhō Cup that a non-third-year student won the division.

## Competition results

| | Year | Category | Result | Country | Shikona | Ref |
| 5th | 2015 | team | Nakadomari Dojo | Japan | | |
| 5th | 2015 | team | Kawakami Dojo | Japan | | |
| 5th | 2015 | team | Iruma Dojo | Japan | | |
| 5th | 2015 | junior high | Kawazoe Keita | Japan | Kihō | |
| 5th | 2015 | junior high | Yūta Takahashi | Japan | Shirokuma | |
| 5th | 2015 | junior high | Mikiya Ishioka | Japan | Takerufuji | |
| 6th | 2016 | team | Mongolian delegation | Mongolia | | |
| 6th | 2016 | team | Kawakami Dojo A | Japan | | |
| 6th | 2016 | team | Aso Iwashita Sumo Dojo A | Japan | | |
| 6th | 2016 | 6th grade | Kawazoe Fūma | Japan | | |
| 6th | 2016 | 6th grade | Fujita Kazushō | Japan | | |
| 6th | 2016 | 6th grade | Hamaguchi Hayato | Japan | | |
| 6th | 2016 | junior high | Nakamura Daiki | Japan | Ōnosato | |
| 6th | 2016 | junior high | Kawabuchi Kazuto | Japan | Kawabuchi | |
| 6th | 2016 | junior high | Osanai Ryū | Japan | | |
| 7th | 2017 | team | Kawakami Dojo A | Japan | | |
| 7th | 2017 | team | Mongolian delegation | Mongolia | | |
| 7th | 2017 | team | Nakadomari Dojo | Japan | | |
| 7th | 2017 | 6th grade | Narita Rikido | Japan | | |
| 7th | 2017 | 6th grade | Ikumei Tomoyuki | Japan | | |
| 7th | 2017 | 6th grade | Nishida Kenshin | Japan | Nishida | |
| 7th | 2017 | junior high | Kawabuchi Kazuyoshi | Japan | | |
| 7th | 2017 | junior high | Kazuya Tsuchiya | Japan | | |
| 7th | 2017 | junior high | Kageyama Yoshinaka | Japan | | |
| 8th | 2018 | team | Kawakami Dojo A | Japan | | |
| 8th | 2018 | team | Kashiwa Sumo Boy's Club | Japan | | |
| 8th | 2018 | team | Arita Boy's Sumo Club | Japan | | |
| 8th | 2018 | 6th grade | Masami Tada | Japan | | |
| 8th | 2018 | 6th grade | Ōte Kisei | Japan | | |
| 8th | 2018 | 6th grade | Yamashita Kaisuke | Japan | | |
| 8th | 2018 | junior high | Mukainakano Shingo [ja] | Japan | Tenshōhō | |
| 8th | 2018 | junior high | Ezure Kazuki | Japan | | |
| 8th | 2018 | junior high | Shirokami Osamu | Japan | | |
| 9th | 2019 | team | Terada Dojo A | Japan | | |
| 9th | 2019 | team | Sumiyō Sumo club | Japan | | |
| 9th | 2019 | team | Mongolian delegation | Mongolia | | |
| 9th | 2019 | 6th grade | Jōichirō Kaifuku | Japan | | |
| 9th | 2019 | 6th grade | Nakanishi Takeshin | Japan | | |
| 9th | 2019 | 6th grade | Hayashi Itaru | Japan | | |
| 9th | 2019 | junior high | Ochiai Tetsuya | Japan | Hakuōhō | |
| 9th | 2019 | junior high | Tebakari Taiki [ja] | Japan | Kotoeihō | |
| 9th | 2019 | junior high | Yoshii Ko | Japan | Yoshii | |
| 10th | 2020 | team | Terada Dojo A | Japan | | |
| 10th | 2020 | team | Ashikita Treasure Sumo Club | Japan | | |
| 10th | 2020 | team | Yaizu Boys Club | Japan | | |
| 10th | 2020 | 6th grade | Yamashita Masakiyo | Japan | | |
| 10th | 2020 | 6th grade | Shigemura Kōnosuke | Japan | | |
| 10th | 2020 | 6th grade | Anai Shōta | Japan | | |
| 10th | 2020 | junior high | Altangerel Sosorkhu | Mongolia | | |
| 10th | 2020 | junior high | Altankhuyag Bayarbold | Mongolia | | |
| 10th | 2020 | junior high | Shinozaki Sōta | Japan | | |
| 11th | 2021 | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| 12th | 2022 | team | Komatsuryū Dojo | Japan | | |
| 12th | 2022 | team | Kashiwa Sumo Boy's Club | Japan | | |
| 12th | 2022 | team | Kawasaki Club | Japan | | |
| 12th | 2022 | 6th grade | Katatana Kyōnyō | Japan | | |
| 12th | 2022 | 6th grade | Kai Yōta | Japan | | |
| 12th | 2022 | 6th grade | Ozawa Kaitō | Japan | | |
| 12th | 2022 | junior high | Nishide Daiki | Japan | | |
| 12th | 2022 | junior high | Kodama Hayato | Japan | | |
| 12th | 2022 | junior high | Tamiya Aiki | Japan | | |
| 13th | 2023 | team | Kashiwa Shōki Boy's Club | Japan | | |
| 13th | 2023 | team | Tomobe Sagami Junior Group | Japan | | |
| 13th | 2023 | team | Mongolian delegation | Mongolia | | |
| 13th | 2023 | 6th grade | Sugama Soshin | Japan | | |
| 13th | 2023 | 6th grade | Sasaki Haruki | Japan | | |
| 13th | 2023 | 6th grade | Hasegawa Kazuyuki | Japan | | |
| 13th | 2023 | junior high | Kazuma Nishimura | Japan | | |
| 13th | 2023 | junior high | Kuraoka Yūta | Japan | | |
| 13th | 2023 | junior high | Hasegawa Kazuhirō | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | team | Komatsuryū Dōjō | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | team | Kashiwa Sumo Boy's Club | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | team | Kansai Sumo Club (K. S. C.) | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | 6th grade | Sasaki Yōki | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | 6th grade | Okayama Yūya | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | 6th grade | Toyama Hiroto | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | junior high | Ibata Yūki | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | junior high | Tamiya Aiki | Japan | | |
| 14th | 2024 | junior high | Tomiyama Hiroto | Japan | | |
| 15th | 2025 | team | Komatsuryū Dojo | Japan | | |
| 15th | 2025 | team | Mongolian delegation | Mongolia | | |
| 15th | 2025 | team | Bunkyō Harigaya Sumo Club | Japan | | |
| 15th | 2025 | 6th grade | Ryūga Umematsu | Japan | | |
| 15th | 2025 | 6th grade | Tatsuki Kaneko | Japan | | |
| 15th | 2025 | 6th grade | Yūki Kubota | Japan | | |
| 15th | 2025 | junior high | Temujin Chilgun | Mongolia | | |
| 15th | 2025 | junior high | Yasuaki Katagiri | Japan | | |
| 15th | 2025 | junior high | Ulzehishigu Hashimaragata | Mongolia | | |

## Special prizes

| | Year | Osamu Suzuki Award | Outstanding Performance prize | Technique prize | Fighting Spirit prize | Ref |
| 4th | 2014 | Kaishin Nakanishi Japan | <unknown> | <unknown> | <unknown> | |
| 5th | 2015 | <unknown> | <unknown> | <unknown> | <unknown> | <unknown> |
| 6th | 2016 | Matsumura Shogo Japan | Sosolhuu Mongolia | Matsumura Shogo Japan | Nakanishi Kaihin Japan | |
| 7th | 2017 | Nakanishi Kaishin Japan | Kenshin Nishida Japan | Koseki Takudo Japan | Javkhlantugus Mongolia | |
| 8th | 2018 | Yuki Nishijima Japan | Joichiro Fukuhara Japan | Tekkei Taikia Japan | Hirokazu Sakamoto Japan | |
| 9th | 2019 | Tsuki Takemoto Japan | Fuma Kawazoe Japan | Kōsei Motomura Japan | Dorjtseren Mongolia | |
| 10th | 2020 | Konosuke Kishida Japan | Keita Kudo Japan | Kanta Aoki Japan | Marita Kumagai Japan | |
| 11th | 2021 | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| 12th | 2022 | Daiki Nishide Japan | Yasunari Katagiri Japan | Ren Hoshiba Japan | Aki Tamiya Japan | |
| 13th | 2023 | Atsuya Shima Japan | Ulziiikhishig Khashmargad Mongolia | Kohei Tawara Japan | Sohi Kodama Japan | |
| 14th | 2024 | Ōshima Masao Japan | Toyoda Rinnosuke Japan | Hirano Yūto Japan | Tomiyama Hiroto Japan | |
| 15th | 2025 | <not awarded> | Temujin Chilgun Mongolia | Musashi Ōta Japan | Takayama Maki Japan | |