Sumo champion Takanohana performs a ring entrance ceremony on the first day of the autumn tournament. (Jiji)

Sumo champion Takanohana recently returned from a knee injury to take part in the autumn basho (tournament) after an absence from the ring of one year and four months, rekindling interest in the sport, which had been the doldrums. Takanohana leads all active wrestlers in the makuuchi division (upper division), having won 22 tournaments. The autumn basho this year began on September 8 and lasted for 15 days. While Takanohana did not win, he posted an impressive record of 12 wins and 3 losses, announcing to the world that he was back. Kokugikan, the sumo wrestling stadium in Tokyo's Ryogoku district, was packed every day with fans shouting their support, and when Takanohana went up against fellow yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru on the final day of the tournament, the TV rating was an astounding 38.8%. Although he did not finish in first place, this was clearly Takanohana's basho.

Fighting for His Career
Sumo wrestlers vie for supremacy in the six basho that are held annually. Each basho lasts for 15 days, and the wrestlers have one match each day. Takanohana is a yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo. Other sumo wrestlers may be promoted or demoted depending on their performance, but once a wrestler becomes a yokozuna, he keeps that rank for the rest of his career. If he cannot perform at a high level and compete for championships, however, he is expected to retire. Takanohana had been absent from the previous seven basho due to injury, so this time his career was on the line when he stepped into the ring. The Yokozuna Deliberation Council met before the autumn basho and issued an unusual notification that this would be the case. But Takanohana undertook almost no practice matches before the basho, and many observers wondered whether he would even be able to take his place in the ring.

Center of Attention
When the basho got underway, though, there was a sense of tension and excitement that had long been missing in the world of sumo. By the middle stages, Takanohana was piling up victories, and he competed for the title at the end. And it was not just die-hard sumo fans who were following the action; how Takanohana did in that day's match was a common topic all over Japan during those 15 days. He stole the limelight from the other wrestlers and had center stage to himself. Kokugikan was sold out for the opening day of the autumn basho for the first time in five years, and there were long lines of people hoping to get tickets that day. Vendors inside the stadium reported that Takanohana-related merchandise, such as tea cups, bath towels, and mobile-phone straps, were enjoying brisk sales. Said one vendor, "Things are jumping now. We just needed Takanohana to show up."

Mission Accomplished
During the 15 days while the basho was taking place, Takanohana hardly ever commented publicly. After the basho came to an end, however, and Takanohana had quelled pressure for his retirement, he broke his silence, saying, "I honestly, wasn't thinking of winning the tournament. I just wanted to get through all 15 days." Tsuneo Watanabe, the chairman of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, had praise for Takanohana: "Takanohana is an important yokozuna who will long be remembered in the annals of sumo. He is indispensable." The world of sumo still needs Takanohana.