List of non Japanese sumo wrestlers

This is a list of foreign-born professional sumo wrestlers by country and/or ethnicity of origin, along with original name, years active in sumo wrestling, and highest rank attained. Names in bold indicate a still-active wrestler.

Contents

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• China
• Czech Republic
• Egypt
• Estonia
• Georgia
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Indonesia
• Japanese born rikishi of non Japanese or mixed ethnicity
• Kazakhstan
• Korea North
• Korea South
• Mongolia
• Paraguay
• Philippines
• Poland
• Russia
• Samoa
• Sri Lanka
• Taiwan
• Tonga
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• United States
• References

There are 186 wrestlers who have listed a foreign country as their place of birth on the banzuke or official ranking sheets. The first foreign born wrestler to reach the top makuuchi division was the Hawaiian born Takamiyama in January 1968, who was also the first to win a top division tournament championship or yusho in 1972. He was followed by fellow Hawaiians Konishiki who was the first foreigner to reach the second highest ozeki rank in 1987, and Akebono who became the first foreign yokozuna, the highest rank, in 1993. In 1992, following the entry of six Mongolians to Oshima stable, there was an unofficial ban (called enryo or "restraint") instigated by the Japan Sumo Association's head Dewanoumi on any more foreign recruitment. In 1998 this ban was relaxed but there was also the first official restrictions, a cap of 40 foreigners in professional sumo as a whole, not counting those who had obtained Japanese citizenship. In 2002 this was changed to one foreigner per heya or training stable. Despite these restrictions, foreigners began to dominate the highest levels of the sport. By 2013, foreign born wrestlers made up just seven percent of the 613 wrestlers active in professional sumo, yet occupied one third of the 42 spots in the top division. No Japanese wrestler won a top division tournament between Tochiazuma in January 2006 and Kotoshogiku in January 2016, with 56 of the 58 tournaments held in that period won by Mongolians.