Chiyonofuji's kanreki dohyo-iri in 2015.
In sumo wrestling, a kanreki dohyo-iri (Japanese: 還暦土俵入り) is a ring-entering ceremony (dohyo-iri) performed by a former yokozuna in celebration of his 60th birthday (called kanreki in Japanese). If he is a toshiyori (a sumo elder), the ceremony is usually held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the main sumo hall in Tokyo. Those who are not current members of the Japan Sumo Association must hold it at another location. A special red tsuna is created and worn, instead of the usual white tsuna. Reaching your 60th birthday is an important occasion in Japan and is celebrated by wearing a red item. This is commonly known as an akatsuna (赤綱) but this term is unofficial. If the dew-sweeper or sword-bearer is a former yokozuna, he wears his own tsuna.
Kanreki performed at Kokugikan[]
Wrestlers are listed using their ring name, followed by their then toshiyori name in brackets if they were retired at the time of the ceremony.
| Year | Wrestler | Dew-Sweeper | Sword Bearer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Tochigiyama Moriya (Kasugano) | Akinoumi Setsuo (Fujishima) | Haguroyama Masaji (active) |
| 1956 | Tsunenohana Kan'ichi (Dewanoumi) | Chiyonoyama Masanobu (active) | Futabayama Sadaji (Tokitsukaze) |
| 1985 | Tochinishiki Kiyotaka (Kasugano) | Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (Dewanoumi) | Wakanohana Kanji I (Futagoyama) |
| 1988 | Wakanohana Kanji I (Futagoyama) | Takanosato Toshihide (Naruto) | Wakanohana Kanji II (Magaki) |
| 2000 | Taiho Koki (special toshiyori) | Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Kokonoe) | Kitanoumi Toshimitsu (special toshiyori) |
| 2013 | Kitanoumi Toshimitsu (special toshiyori) | Takanohana Koji (special toshiyori) | Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Kokonoe) |
| 2015 | Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Kokonoe) | Harumafuji Kohei (active) | Hakuho Sho (active) |
| 2021 | Asahifuji Seiya (Isegahama) | Aminishiki Ryuji (Ajigawa) | Harumafuji Kohei (No longer in Sumo Association) |
| 2023 | Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi (Hakkaku) | Hokutofuji Daiki (active) | Okinoumi Ayumi (Kimigahama) |
Kanreki Performed at Other Locations[]
| Year | Wrestler | Dew-sweeper | Sword-bearer | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Tachiyama Mineemon | Tachinoumi Namiemon (Kise) | Tachihikari Denemon (Naruto) | Ueno Seiyoken |
| 2002 | Kitanofuji Katsuaki | Hokutoumi Nobuyoshi (Hakkaku) | Chiyonofuji Mitsugu (Kokonoe) | Hakkaku stable and Hotel East 21 |
| 2007 | Mienoumi Tsuyoshi (Musashigawa) | Miyabiyama Tetsushi (active) | Dejima Takeharu (active) | Hotel Grand Pacific Meridian |
Other Eligible Yokozuna[]
Minanogawa Tozo, Akinoumi Setsuo and Wajima Hiroshi also reached the age of sixty years whilst retired, but did not perform a kanreki dohyo-iri (all three had left the sumo world many years before). Kagamisato Kiyoji (Tatsutagawa), Tochinoumi Teruyoshi (Kasugano), Sadanoyama Shinmatsu (Sakaigawa) and Kotozakura Masakatsu (Sadogatake) received red tsuna but did not perform dohyo-iri. Kagamisato and Kotozakura did not perform due to poor health. Similarly Tochinoumi did not perform due to muscle problems in his right arm dating back to his active days. Sadanoyama declined because at the time he had just lost the chairmanship of the Sumo Association in controversial circumstances. Asashio Taro (Takasago) had a red tsuna made, but died aged 58 without performing the ceremony.
Asahifuji was scheduled to perform the kanreki ceremony on 30 May 2020 but the event was postponed owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic. It was eventually held on 3 October 2021 at the Kokugikan.
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