Overview
- The 15-day New Year tournament began Jan. 11 at Ryogoku Kokugikan following a dohyō matsuri on Jan. 10 attended by JSA chairman Hakkaku and judges to pray for safety.
- Tickets sold out early, and a full house is expected for all 15 days.
- The Imperial Household Agency confirmed the Emperor will attend on Day 8 (Jan. 18), the first imperial viewing in six years.
- Both yokozuna are managing injuries—Ono no Sato with left shoulder pain and Hōshōryū with a left knee issue—injecting uncertainty into the title race.
- Spotlight falls on 21-year-old new ozeki An-seikin, a Ukraine-born rising force.