19: The 48thyokozunaTaihō, winner of a record 32 tournament championships, dies aged 72.[8][9] He is generally regarded as the greatest sumo wrestler of the post-war period.[10]
FormermaegashiraBushūyama and formerkomusubiTakamisakari announce their retirements. Takamisakari will stay in sumo as a coach at hisAzumazeki stable under the name "Furiwake".[12][13]
28: The Japan Sumo Association announces the Nishonoseki stable's closure. CoachesKitajin andMinatogawa transfer to the Matsugane stable, while coachFujigane transfers to theKasugano stable, and Nishonoseki's remaining three wrestlers retire.[14]
30: The spring tournamentbanzuke organization meeting is held. Tochihiryū makes hisjūryō debut, while Oniarashi and Senshō return to the same rank frommakushita.[15]
Hakuhō at theSumiyoshi taisha shortly before the Osaka tournament in March.
22: On the 13th day of the spring tournament,yokozuna Hakuhō defeatsGōeidō to earn a 13–0 record, and his championship victory is assured whenOkinoumi is defeated. It is the fourth time that he has won a top division championship by the 13th day, a record for the 15-day tournament era that he shares withChiyonofuji.[19]
24:
Hakuhō, already determined to be the championship victor, defeats Harumafuji and wins a record ninth perfect victory.[20]
FormerōzekiMiyabiyama retires after facing demotion tomakushita. He will remain in sumo as a coach at hisFujishima stable, under the name "Futagoyama".[21]
25: TheTokyo District Court rules that the former wrestlerSōkokurai was wrongly dismissed in April 2011 over match fixing allegations. Sōkokurai says, “Let me return to the sumo ring.” The Sumo Association is considering whether to appeal the ruling.[22]
1: The Japan Sumo Federation transitions into a public juridical foundation.[23]
3: The Sumo Association announce that they will accept Sōkokurai's return, and that he will appear on the Julybanzuke atmaegashira #15, his last rank before he was thrown out of sumo.[24]
21: On the 10th day of the summer tournament, Hakuhō defeats Gōeidō and sets a record for the highest amount of consecutive double-digit winning records at 38.[26]
26: Hakuhō's 25th championship victory is claimed when Kisenosato is defeated byKotoshōgiku. Hakuhō then defeats Harumafuji and wins his tenth perfect championship.[27]
Abanzuke meeting is held in Nagoya.Seirō, Kotomisen, Endō andŌsunaarashi make theirjūryō debut. Endō reached this division in two tournaments, while Kotomisen reached it in 86, the fourth slowest climb in history.Egyptian Ōsunaarashi is the firstAfrican sumo wrestler.[29][30][31][32]
9: FormeryokozunaKitanoumi performs hiskanreki dohyō-iri at theRyōgoku Kokugikan. He is the ninth person to perform thekanreki dohyō-iri, and the fourth to do so while serving as the Japan Sumo Association's chairman.[34]
20: The Japan Sumo Association announces the retirement of stablemaster Nishonoseki, who was hospitalized in October 2012 following a stroke, and would have reached the mandatory retirement age in the upcoming November.[35]
13:Hakuhō defeatsChiyotairyū on the 7th day of the Nagoya basho, becoming the first wrestler since the Showa era to obtain a consecutive winning streak of 37.[36]
19: Hakuhō defeatsKotoōshū on the Nagoya basho's 13th day, and with a winning record of 13–0, Hakuhō's 26th championship victory is assured. This 26th victory is the third highest amount in sumo, and the highest for a foreign-born wrestler. It is also the first time since the introduction of 15-day tournaments that the victors of all divisions were decided on the 13th day.[37]
20:
Hakuhō loses to Kisenosato on the Nagoya basho's 14th day, ending his winning streak at 43.[38]
Formerjūryō Mutetsuyama, director ofToyo University's Ushiku High School Sumo Club, dies of heart failure in his home at 42.[39]
24:Terunofuji (formerly Wakamishō) andChiyomaru are promoted tojūryō. Chiyomaru is the brother ofChiyoōtori, becoming the 17th pair ofsekitori brothers.[40]
2: Thebanzuke for the autumn tournament is released. Endō makes hismakuuchi debut in three tournaments, the fastest climb since the Showa era.Takayasu is promoted tokomusubi, becoming the first newsan'yaku wrestler to have been born in theHeisei era.[43]
11: FormerōzekiBaruto announces his retirement after missing the last two tournaments due to injury.[44]
12: TheTokyo District Court dismissesKotomitsuki's lawsuit against the Sumo Association for wrongful dismissal relating to his involvement in a baseball gambling ring.[45]
27: On the 13th day of the autumn tournament, Tenitsu is deemed the victor of thesandanme division. At 35 years and 10 months old, he is the oldest post-war wrestler to win a tournament under themakushita division.[46]
28:
On the 14th day of the autumn tournament, Hakuhō defeats Kisenosato and claims his 27th championship victory.[47]
Formerjūryō Toyonokuni announces his retirement.[48]
29: Terunofuji claims thejūryō title with a score of 12–3 in his division debut.
8: FormersekiwakeAran, who had transferred from the Mihogaseki stable to the Kasugano stable on the 3rd, announces his retirement due to his poor physical condition, and returns toRussia to become a businessman.[51]
31: A new discipleship inspection is conducted in Kyūshū, and five people, includingMongolian Altankhuyag Ichinnorov, pass. Ichinnorov, taking on the nameIchinojō, becomes the first foreign wrestler to debut at an elevated rank in themakushita division due to his success in amateur sumo.[52]
Kisenosato was runner-up for the fourth time in a row in November.
2: The National Student Sumo Championship is held. Kohei Ichinose of Nippon Sport Science University defeats Ryota Koyanagi ofTokyo University of Agriculture in the final match.[53]
3: A team competition of the National Student Sumo Championship is held, and Toyo University defeats Kindai University with 3 wins and 2 losses in the final match, achieving their third victory in 11 years.[54]
8: The concurrent stablemaster ofKasugayama stable, formermaegashiraHamanishiki, announces that he will file a proceeding against the preceding stablemaster, formermaegashiraKasugafuji, to hand over control of the elder stock.[55]
11: On the second day of the Kyūshū tournament, Hakuhō defeatsAminishiki, becoming the fourth wrestler to achieve 500 wins asyokozuna. Within 38 tournaments, he achieved this milestone in the shortest time. He also achieves the most wins for a wrestler in 2013.[56]
13: FormeryokozunaTakanohana steps in as acting director of theIsegahama stable due to the hospitalization of its stablemaster, formeryokozunaAsahifuji.[57]
17: On the 8th day of the Kyūshū tournament, Hakuhō defeatsTakekaze, achieving 700 total wins in the fastest time.[58]
19: On the 10th day of the Kyūshū tournament, Hakuhō defeatsTochinowaka and achieves 38 consecutive double-digit winning records asyokozuna, the highest in history.[59]
20: On the 11th day of the Kyūshū tournament, Hakuhō defeatsTochiōzan and achieves 80 wins in a year for the third time in history.[60]
24:
Harumafuji defeats Hakuhō and wins his sixthmakuuchi tournament with a 14–1 record.[61] Hakuhō's consecutive championship-winning streak is ended at four, and his consecutive Kyūshū championship-winning streak is ended at six.[62]
The Yokozuna Deliberation Council indicate that Kisenosato will have to capture the title with at least 13 wins in the next basho to earn promotion to sumo's highest rank.[63]
27: Thebanzuke meeting for the New Year tournament is held. Mongolian Sakigake makes hisjūryō debut after 62 tournaments, the third slowest climb for a foreign wrestler, and four other wrestlers return to the rank frommakushita.[64]
