Soul

Sumo is a centuries-old Japanese sport with deep Shinto roots. It began as ritual performance connected to prayer and harvest festivals, later developed as martial practice, and eventually became a professional spectator sport during the Edo period.

Today, sumo still preserves ceremonial elements: the roof above the ring resembles a shrine, the referee wears traditional court-style robes, and salt is thrown before bouts to symbolically purify the dohyō. It is a battle of dignity, balance, and explosive power.

The Great Pyramid of Professional Sumo

Makuuchi

Top 42 wrestlers. The "Major Leagues." Broadcast daily on NHK.

Jūryō

The stepping stone to the top division.

Sekitori Line

Wrestlers in the top two divisions are called Sekitori. They receive a salary, have supporters, and wear colorful silk aprons. Everyone below is an apprentice.

Why Sumo Bento?

The Hook

Caught my first live sumo at LA Sumo + Sushi in 2023. Mind = blown. Started watching every tournament on NHK World in 2024. Haven't missed one since.

The Build

Found sumo-api.com in November 2025 and thought "this would be fun to build.". Basho results and banzuke data going back to 1958. If you dig the data, buy the API folks a coffee on their website please.

The Product

No sign-ins. No accounts. Just favorite your rikishi(s) and they'll highlight across the banzuke and basho pages. I personally want to see where the higher ranked rikishi are because it helps me to understand their tournament performance. But you might have your favorites and it is fun to see how they are doing through the tournament. Want to support? Just drop anonymous feedback. I want to know if anyone's actually using this thing. ;-)

横綱 Yokozuna

The pinnacle of sumo

A Yokozuna is often viewed as a living embodiment of sumo itself: part elite athlete, part cultural symbol, and part ceremonial figure. It is the highest and rarest active rank in professional sumo.

The Yokozuna wears the sacred tsuna, a massive white rope weighing 25-35 pounds, handwoven from hemp and adorned with zigzag paper strips (shide) like those found at Shinto shrines. Before each tournament, he performs the dohyo-iri, a ritual ring-entering ceremony that purifies the arena and demonstrates his dignity.

Unlike every other rank, a Yokozuna cannot be demoted. But with this privilege comes an impossible standard: he must win, or come close, every tournament. A Yokozuna who struggles is expected to retire voluntarily, to preserve the honor of the rank. There is no graceful decline. Only glory or exit.

Climb to Yokozuna

Understanding the Ranking System

Every two months, a new ranking sheet called the Banzuke is released. Your rank depends entirely on your performance in the previous tournament. Most wrestlers enter as teenagers and spend years climbing through six divisions, living in communal stables.