Yusho (優勝) means "victory" or "championship" — specifically, winning a Grand Sumo tournament. It is the pinnacle of achievement in any single basho and the primary metric by which a wrestler's career greatness is measured. The wrestler with the best win-loss record after 15 days is crowned the yusho winner and receives the Emperor's Cup.
The Emperor's Cup and Prize Money
The winner receives the Emperor's Cup (天覧賜盃), a large silver trophy presented on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. The cup is returned after the ceremony but a smaller replica is kept by the winner. The champion also receives approximately ¥10,000,000 (~$67,000) in prize money, plus the Yomiuri Trophy, the Cabinet Minister's Cup, and other prestigious awards from sponsors and government officials.
Additional prize money comes from kensho (懸賞) — cash-filled envelopes sponsored by companies and displayed before high-profile bouts. In January 2026, a record 3,469 kensho envelopes were registered for the tournament.
How the Champion is Determined
Over 15 days, every Makuuchi wrestler competes once per day. The wrestler with the most wins at the end of day 15 wins the yusho. In most tournaments, the champion finishes 13–2 or 12–3. A perfect 15–0 record — called zensho yusho (全勝優勝) — is extraordinarily rare and celebrated as a demonstration of total dominance.
Playoffs (Kettei-sen)
When two or more wrestlers share the best record after 15 days, a sudden-death playoff (kettei-sen) is held immediately after the final day's bouts. If two wrestlers are tied, they face each other; if three or more are tied, a mini-tournament determines the winner. The playoff is conducted on the main dohyo with the full audience present, creating some of sumo's most dramatic moments.
Aonishiki won his January 2026 yusho via a playoff against Atamifuji — both finished 12–3. Aonishiki's previous November 2025 victory was also decided in a playoff against Atamifuji, the same opponent in consecutive finals.
Special Prizes (Sansho)
Beyond the yusho, three special prizes are awarded each tournament:
- Shukun-sho (殊勲賞) — Outstanding Performance: awarded to a non-champion who defeated a Yokozuna
- Kanto-sho (敢闘賞) — Fighting Spirit: awarded to a wrestler who showed exceptional grit
- Gino-sho (技能賞) — Technique: awarded for displaying superior technical skill
Each sansho carries ¥2,000,000 in prize money. A wrestler can win multiple sansho in one tournament and cannot win the same prize multiple times in a career without building a consistent record.
Yusho Records — The All-Time Champions
- Hakuho — 45 yusho (2006–2021) — the all-time record by a margin of 16
- Taiho — 32 yusho (1960–1971)
- Chiyonofuji — 31 yusho (1981–1989)
- Kitanoumi — 24 yusho (1974–1985)
- Asashoryu — 25 yusho (2002–2010)
- Aonishiki — 4 yusho (2025–2026), with his back-to-back wins as a newly promoted Ozeki making him the first in 89 years to achieve such a feat
Zensho Yusho — The Perfect Tournament
Winning all 15 bouts in a tournament — a zensho yusho — has occurred 86 times in recorded history, with Hakuho accounting for 16 of those. A 15-0 record is considered a near-automatic trigger for Yokozuna promotion consideration when achieved as an Ozeki.