# How Japan’s cherished sumo has embraced foreign talent

*By Simon | May 12, 2025*

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![Asashōryū and Hakuhō Shō](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/asashoryu.jpg)

## 󠀁[How Japan’s cherished sumo has embraced foreign talent](https://globalkeirin.com/2025/05/how-japans-cherished-sumo-has-embraced-foreign-talent/)󠁿

12 May 2025

Japanese keirin is a sport guided by history and tradition; but Japan’s sumo
wrestling measures its history in centuries rather than decades. The first
written mentions of sumo go as far back as the year 712; it became a
professionalised spectator sport in the 1600s.

As Sam Ellis explains in a recent video for
[Search Party](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7KbIaEOuY7H2j-cvhJ3mYA), his
YouTube channel which often examines the intersection of sports and geopolitics,
the recent history of Japanese sumo has been dominated by wrestlers from
overseas – and specifically, Mongolia.

![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/0KBcNYlRzNA/maxresdefault.jpg)

He describes how, as Japan became wealthier, sumo went looking internationally
for wrestlers prepared to commit to the sport’s demanding lifestyle.

Mongolia’s native wrestling style made transition relatively easy; and with the
country’s economy shrinking following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a move
to Japan became an appealing proposition.

By 2003, Mongolia had its first Yokozuna, the top rank in the sport. By 2016,
they made up 25% of the top division, and almost 100% of the champions. And out
of the 10 Yokozuna in the last 25 years, six are Mongolians – including the only
Yokozuna currently active.

In [_War On Wheels_](https://amzn.to/4ddoaRZ), his excellent book on Japanese
keirin, Justin McCurry observed that sumo audiences were initially ambivalent
towards foreign wrestlers – but that resistance was ‘weakening’. Ellis notes
that there had been cultural differences – in a more aggressive fighting style,
and celebration of victories – which was at odds with Japanese tradition.

Japanese keirin has invited international riders to compete in the past; and
initiatives like the current
[Keirin Advance series](https://globalkeirin.com/2025/01/japanese-keirin-to-trial-international-style-racing/)
show it remains open to change. But foreign participation has been deliberately
restricted: McCurry explains that international guest riders were ‘not allowed
to pit themselves against the nine elite SS-class riders – surely the most
accurate test of both groups’ ability.’

McCurry reminds us that Japanese keirin’s _raison d’être_ is as a gambling
business: and international competition challenges the predictability of
Japanese racing. When Japan hosted Korean riders in 2015, he observes, betting
receipts fell ‘dramatically’.

‘Keirin’s survival depends on convincing punters that the man and woman in whom
they are investing their cash are in no doubt about the rules,’ McCurry writes.
‘”The rules (in South Korea and Japan) are different, so no one really knows who
or what they’re betting on when there are riders from both countries in the same
race,” one JKA official told me. “The risk of a rider making a mistake and
causing a crash, or of breaking a rule and getting disqualified, is too high.”

‘Despite the cautious embrace of riders like Truman, Hoy, Büchli and Bos,
fortress keirin remains practically impenetrable.’

**Categories:** Original
**Tags:** japan