The following were the events in professional sumo during 2017.
Tournaments Hatsu basho Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 January – 22 January 2017 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest5-6-4øKakuryūYøHarumafuji4-3-811-4-0HakuhōY14-1-0KisenosatoOøGōeidō8-5-24-11-0TerunofujiOKotoshōgiku5-10-09-6-0TamawashiSShōdai7-8-011-4-0TakayasuKøTochinoshin0-6-96-9-0TakarafujiM1Mitakeumi11-4-07-8-0ShōhōzanM2Arawashi6-9-04-11-0OkinoumiM3Ikioi8-7-03-12-0TochiōzanM4Endō7-8-010-5-0TakekazeM5Yoshikaze8-7-07-8-0ChiyoshōmaM6Kotoyūki6-9-04-11-0MyōgiryūM7Aoiyama8-7-09-6-0HokutofujiM8Chiyonokuni9-6-08-7-0KaiseiM9Ishiura6-9-011-4-0TakanoiwaM10Sōkokurai12-3-08-7-0KagayakiM11Nishikigi5-10-07-8-0TakakeishōM12Daishōmaru7-8-05-10-0GagamaruM13Ichinojō11-4-06-9-0ChiyoōtoriM14Chiyotairyū6-9-07-8-0ChiyooM15Sadanoumi8-7-04-11-0ŌsunaarashiM16 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Haru basho Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 12 March – 26 March 2017 Haru basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest2-3-10øHakuhōYKakuryū10-5-010-5-0HarumafujiYKisenosato13-2-01-5-9øGōeidōOTerunofuji13-2-08-7-0TamawashiSTakayasu12-3-09-6-0KotoshōgikuSø0-0-09-6-0MitakeumiKShōdai4-11-05-10-0TakekazeM1Ikioi5-10-04-11-0SōkokuraiM2Takanoiwa6-9-05-10-0ShōhōzanM3Takarafuji7-8-08-7-0YoshikazeM4øArawashi3-10-28-7-0EndōM5Hokutofuji7-8-09-6-0ChiyonokuniM6Aoiyama8-7-06-9-0IchinojōM7Chiyoshōma9-6-03-7-5øKaiseiM8Okinoumi10-5-07-8-0KagayakiM9Kotoyūki5-10-07-8-0TochinoshinM10Tochiōzan10-5-011-4-0DaieishōM11Ishiura7-8-04-11-0SadanoumiM12Ura8-7-011-4-0TakakeishōM13Daishōmaru7-8-06-9-0MyōgiryūM14Kyokushūhō5-10-03-8-4øChiyooM15Tokushōryū8-7-05-10-0NishikigiM16ø0-0-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Natsu basho Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 14 May – 28 May 2017 Natsu basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest6-5-4øKisenosatoYøKakuryū1-4-1011-4-0HarumafujiYHakuhō15-0-012-3-0TerunofujiOGōeidō9-6-010-5-0TamawashiSTakayasu11-4-07-8-0KotoshōgikuSø0-0-08-7-0MitakeumiKYoshikaze8-7-02-13-0ChiyonokuniM1Endō6-9-03-12-0OkinoumiM2Chiyoshōma5-10-04-11-0DaieishōM3Aoiyama4-11-06-9-0TochiōzanM4Takarafuji3-12-05-7-3øTakanoiwaM5Shōdai10-5-04-11-0TakekazeM6Ikioi9-6-010-5-0HokutofujiM7Takakeishō11-4-06-9-0ShōhōzanM8Sōkokurai5-10-08-7-0IchinojōM9Kagayaki9-6-012-3-0TochinoshinM10Ura11-4-07-8-0ArawashiM11Ishiura8-7-08-7-0TokushōryūM12Kotoyūki6-9-04-11-0ToyohibikiM13Daishōmaru8-7-010-5-0ŌnoshōM14Chiyotairyū9-6-04-11-0MyōgiryūM15Kaisei7-8-04-11-0YutakayamaM16ø0-0-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Nagoya basho Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 9 July – 23 July 2017 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest14-1-0HakuhōYHarumafuji11-4-02-4-9øKisenosatoYøKakuryū2-2-111-5-9øTerunofujiOGōeidō7-8-09-6-0TakayasuOø--7-8-0TamawashiSMitakeumi9-6-09-6-0YoshikazeKKotoshōgiku7-8-05-10-0ShōdaiM1Takakeishō5-10-09-6-0TochinoshinM2Hokutofuji8-7-04-11-0IkioiM3øEndō2-3-107-8-0UraM4Kagayaki5-10-5-10-0ChiyoshōmaM5Tochiōzan12-3-07-8-0IchinojōM6Ōnoshō10-5-06-9-0TakanoiwaM7Daieishō5-10-013-2-0AoiyamaM8Ishiura7-8-04-11-0TokushōryūM9Okinoumi5-10-010-5-0ChiyotairyūM10Shōhōzan10-5-08-7-0ChiyonokuniM11Daishōmaru7-8-08-7-0ArawashiM12Takekaze8-7-09-6-0TakarafujiM13Sōkokurai6-9-08-7-0SadanoumiM14Kotoyūki4-11-08-7-0NishikigiM15Chiyomaru9-6-03-12-0GagamaruM16ø0-0-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Aki basho Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 September – 24 September 2017 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest0-0-15øHakuhōYHarumafuji11-4-00-0-15øKisenosatoYøKakuryū0-0-151-2-12øTakayasuOGōeidō11-4-01-5-9øTerunofujiOø--8-7-0MitakeumiSYoshikaze8-7-07-8-0TamawashiKTochiōzan6-9-04-11-0TochinoshinM1Kotoshōgiku10-5-07-8-0HokutofujiM2øAoiyama3-5-710-5-0ŌnoshōM3Chiyotairyū8-7-08-7-0ShōhōzanM4øUra1-2-126-9-0ShōdaiM5Takakeishō9-6-08-7-0IchinojōM6Kagayaki4-11-09-6-0ChiyonokuniM7Ikioi6-9-08-7-0ChiyoshōmaM8Takarafuji9-6-08-7-0TakanoiwaM9Arawashi9-6-03-12-0IshiuraM10Takekaze6-9-08-7-0DaieishōM11Chiyomaru9-6-010-5-0DaishōmaruM12øSadanoumi2-8-56-9-0NishikigiM13Kaisei9-6-010-5-0EndōM14Okinoumi8-7-04-11-0TokushōryūM15Yutakayama4-11-010-5-0AsanoyamaM16ø0-0-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
Kyushu basho Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Kyushu, 12 November – 26 November 2017 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi DivisionEastRankWest0-3-12øHarumafujiYHakuhō14-1-04-6-5øKisenosatoYøKakuryū0-0-159-6-0GōeidōOøTakayasu8-5-29-6-0MitakeumiSYoshikaze6-9-00-5-10øTerunofujiSø--6-9-0KotoshōgikuKŌnoshō8-7-011-4-0TamawashiM1Takakeishō11-4-07-8-0ChiyotairyūM2Tochiōzan4-11-03-12-0ShōhōzanM3Hokutofuji11-4-06-9-0ChiyonokuniM4Ichinojō10-5-07-8-0TakarafujiM5Arawashi8-7-07-8-0ChiyoshōmaM6Tochinoshin9-6-04-11-0DaishōmaruM7Shōdai9-6-00-0-15øTakanoiwaM8Chiyomaru7-8-09-6-0EndōM9Daieishō5-10-08-7-0KaiseiM10Ikioi9-6-03-8-4øAoiyamaM11Asanoyama5-10-011-4-0OkinoumiM12Kagayaki7-8-07-8-0TakekazeM13Aminishiki8-7-08-7-0KotoyūkiM14Daiamami6-9-07-8-0NishikigiM15øMyōgiryū6-8-10-0-15øUraM16ø0-0-0 ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rankwinning record in boldYusho Winner
News January
6: The three Mongolian yokozuna Hakuhō, Kakuryū and Harumafuji attend a New Year ceremony at the Meiji Shrine, and perform the dohyo-iri. 21: Ōzeki Kisenosato wins his first yūshō or top division championship, after seeing Hakuhō fall to maegashira Takanoiwa. Kisenosato, at 13–1, is two wins ahead of Hakuhō who drops to 11–3, with only one day to go. Kisenosato had been a runner-up on twelve previous occasions. 22: On the final day of the Hatsu basho, Kisenosato wraps up his first championship by defeating Hakuhō in the last bout of the day to finish with a 14–1 record. Hakuho, on 11–4, has gone four tournaments without winning a championship for the first time in his ten-year yokozuna career. The runner-up is rank-and-file maegashira Sokokurai on 12–3, who wins his first special prize (for Technique) at the age of 33. He shares the award with Mitakeumi, whose 11–4 record gives him a strong case for promotion back to the sanyaku ranks. The Outstanding Performance Award goes to Takanoiwa (11–4) for his win over Hakuhō. Takayasu wins his fourth Fighting Spirit prize. Ōzeki Terunofuji and Kotoshōgiku both finish with poor 5–10 records. It is Kotoshōgiku's second losing score in a row and he will be demoted to sekiwake for the following tournament. The jūryō division championship is won by Daieishō. 22: The process to promote Kisenosato to yokozuna begins as the judges division of the Japan Sumo Association asks chairman Hakkaku Oyakata to hold an extraordinary meeting of its directors, and he agrees. 23: Hakkaku asks the Yokozuna Deliberation Council about whether Kisenosato is deserving of promotion to yokozuna. The council decide that he is suitable. Speaking at a press conference, Kisenosato recalls the words of his late stablemaster Takanosato who was also a yokozuna. "He said that 'being a yokozuna is lonely'. I don’t know its meaning yet. But I will make efforts so that I will be able to understand the meaning." 25: Kisenosato's yokozuna promotion is confirmed by the Sumo Association's board of directors in a unanimous decision. Kasugano and Takadagawa convey the message to Kisenosato and his stablemaster Tagonoura at a hotel in Tokyo's Chiyoda ward. Kisenosato says "I am honoured to accept the decision. I will do my best not to tarnish the title of yokozuna." 27: Kisenosato performs the yokozuna ring-entering ceremony (dohyo-iri) for the first time in public in front of a crowd of 18000 at the Meiji Shrine. 31: Magaki Oyakata, former komusubi Tokitenkū, dies of malignant lymphoma at the age of 37. He had retired only last August. His fellow Mongolian Hakuhō pays tribute by saying "I’m in my 30s too, it came too early. He was full of fight when I first faced him, I struggled to see eye to eye. I always had to be careful about his good footwork."
February
3: Kisenosato and Hakuho throw soy beans at the Narita-san temple in Narita, Chiba Prefecture as part of the annual festival to celebrate Setsubun. 5: The 41st Fuji TV Grand Sumo Tournament takes place at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. Yokozuna Kisenosato performs his dohyo-iri in the Kokugikan for the first time. The event is a knock-out format. In the makuuchi competition, the top eight men on the Hatsu tournament banzuke are seeded (except for Harumafuji and Goeido who are injured and do not take part) – Kakuryu (1), Hakuho (2), Kisenosato (3), Terunofuji (4), Kotoshogiku (5), Tamawashi (6), Shodai (7) and Takayasu (8). Kisenosato wins the tournament, defeating Takanoiwa in the final. The juryo tournament is won by Kyokutaisei who defeats Seiro. 11:The 50th NHK Charity Sumo Tournament takes place, also at the Kokugikan. This time Harumafuji attends along with the other three yokozuna. Several wrestlers take part in a singing competition with partners or groups: Hakuho with Rimi Natsukawa, Harumafuji with Natsuko Godai, Kakuryu with Midori Oka, Terunofuji with Team Syachihoko, Takayasu with Ai Nishida and Ikioi with Yoshimi Tendo. 27: The banzuke for the March tournament is released. Kisenosato is listed on the west side at yokozuna rank, the first Japanese born wrestler since Takanohana in 2003 to be yokozuna on the banzuke. There are three sekiwake following Kotoshogiku's demotion from ozeki. It is the first time since 1949 that there has been a promotion of a yokozuna and a demotion of an ozeki in the same tournament. The only newcomer to the top division is Ura. He is the first former student of Kwansei Gakuin University to reach the top division. Making his juryo debut is Takasago stable's Asanoyama, the first sekitori from Toyama Prefecture since Kotogaume in 1997. His promotion means Takasago stable has a sekitori again after they had none in the previous tournament for the first time in their history.
March 12: The Osaka tournament begins with four yokozuna competing in a honbasho for the first time in 17 years. 17: Hakuho withdraws from the tournament because of toe and thigh injuries. 24: Having compiled a perfect 12–0 record thus far, Kisenosato loses for the first time as a yokozuna on Day 13, defeated by Harumafuji. He is injured during the match and leaves the arena with his arm in a sling, but does not withdraw from the tournament. 26: In a remarkable final day's action, Kisenosato comes from behind to win the tournament by defeating Terunofuji twice – once in their regulation match and again in a playoff. He finishes on 13–2, his only two defeats in the tournament being to his fellow yokozuna Harumafuji and Kakuryu (who both finish with mediocre 10–5 records). He is the first yokozuna to win his debut tournament since Takanohana in January 1995. Terunofuji, seemingly recovered from the knee problems that dogged him throughout 2016, not only saves his ozeki rank but has his first runner-up performance since September 2015. Kisenosato's stablemate Takayasu was the only other wrestler to defeat Terunofuji and finishes with a fine 12–3 record and his third Outstanding Performance Award. Takakeisho receives the Fighting Spirit Prize after winning eleven in only his second top division tournament. Sekiwake Kotoshogiku fails in his bid to return immediately to the ozeki rank, finishing on 9–6, one win short of his minimum target of ten. His sixth defeat on Day 14 saw the crowd boo his opponent, Terunofuji, after Kotoshogiku fell victim to the henka manoeuvre. The juryo division championship is won by veteran Toyohibiki for the third time after a three-way playoff. Down in the jonokuchi division the 46 year-old announces his retirement after 31 years and 186 tournaments in sumo, leaving Hanakaze (who made his debut alongside Hokutoryu in March 1986) as the last active wrestler from the Shōwa era.
April
1: Naruto Oyakata, the former ozeki Kotooshu, branches out from Sadogatake stable and opens his own Naruto stable. The spring regional tour visits the following locations: