Sokokurai is the most successful Chinese sumo wrestler
This is a list of all sumo wrestlers who are from the People's Republic of China, Republic of China (Taiwan), and Hong Kong.
Taiwanese-born Yiyue Zhou joined Hanakago stable in May 1940, but he retired in November 1946. The first Chinese sekitori, was Kiyonohana from Fujian, who reached juryo in July 1974. In September 2010, ethnic Mongolian but Chinese national, Sokokurai, became the first Chinese to reach the top makuuchi division. Sokokurai is the only Chinese national to reach the top division.
Tohakuryu is the most successful rikishi of Taiwanese descent
As of 2025, there have been 13 sumo wrestlers to list their birthplace as China, 12 to list their birthplace as Taiwan and 1 to list their birthplace as Hong Kong. Of the 13 Chinese sumo wrestlers, 4 have reached the elite sekitori ranks, and of the 12 Taiwanese sumo wrestlers, only 1 has reached sekitori. No Hong Kong wrestlers have reached the sekitori ranks.
This page also includes a separate list of Japanese sumo wrestlers of Chinese descent.
Chinese Sumo Wrestlers[]
- Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler.
- Green row indicates wrestler reached the elite sekitori ranks.
| Ring Name | Real Name | Hometown | Debut | Highest Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiyonohana | Zhang Lihua | Fujian | 1968.05 | Juryo 5 |
| Kaiho | Pan Yi | Shanghai | 1990.11 | Jonidan 79 |
| Takao | Yu Wang | Shanghai | 1991.07 | Sandanme 41 |
| Kanoyama | Ye Chengyue | - | 1991.09 | Jonokuchi 22 |
| Kotoo | Wang Shidong | Shandong | 1992.05 | Sandanme 9 |
| Nakanokuni | Lu Chao | Shunyi District, Beijing | 2002.07 | Juryo 12 |
| Sokokurai | Enkhtuvshin | Chifeng, Inner Mongolia | 2003.09 | Maegashira 2 |
| Kosei | Gao Shiqiang | Liaoning | 2003.11 | Makushita 14 |
| Chiyohakuryu | Bai Guangdou | Inner Mongolia | 2004.01 | Sandanme 22 |
| Manazuru | Cheng Songsong | Beijing | 2004.03 | Sandanme 13 |
| Ryutei | Li Weifu | Laiyang, Shandong | 2004.03 | Sandanme 3 |
| Wakashoji | Zhao Yanxu | Jilin | 2010.03 | Jonokuchi 22 |
| Daiseizan | Altan-Ochir Asgakhad | Hohhot, Inner Mongolia | 2021.11 | Juryo 6 |
Taiwanese Sumo Wrestlers[]
- Green row indicates wrestler reached the elite sekitori ranks.
| Ring Name | Real Name | Hometown | Debut | Highest Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shintakayama | Zhuo Yiyue | Taichung | 1940.05 | Makushita 15 |
| Gyokuzan | Huang Kengming | Taipei | 1966.11 | Sandanme 75 |
| Tochinohana | Liu Zhaohui | Taipei | 1980.05 | Juryo 4 |
| Eigayama | Zeng Zhimin | Taipei | 1986.09 | Makushita 32 |
| Maedaiko | Xu Haolun | New Taipei City | 1988.05 | Sandanme 16 |
| Tominohana | Ding Jiawei | Keelung City | 1988.05 | Jonidan 31 |
| Shu | Zhou Jianyan | Taipei | 1988.11 | Jonidan 5 |
| Maenoumi | Liao Jiancheng | Yunlin County | 1989.01 | Sandanme 36 |
| Tatsunohana | Chen Lirong | New Taipei City | 1989.01 | Makushita 45 |
| Kaho | Chen Pengwen | Changhua County | 1989.05 | Jonidan 55 |
| Ohayama | Xie Kunfang | Hsinchu County | 1990.03 | Makushita 53 |
| Rakoten | Zhen Qigang | New Taipei City | 1990.09 | Jonidan 106 |
Hong Kong Sumo Wrestlers[]
| Ring Name | Real Name | Hometown | Debut | Highest Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seiko | Gu Zhenbang | Hong Kong | 1987.07 | Jonidan 88 |
Japanese Wrestlers of Chinese Descent[]
- Names in bold indicate a still active wrestler.
| Ring Name | Real Name | Listed Birthplace | Debut | Highest Rank | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kotonoumi | Satoshi Ishii (born Chen Shisou) | Hachioji, Tokyo | 1997.03 | Sandanme 37 | Originally from Shanghai, moved to Japan at age 15. |
| Takamisato | Daikichi Li | Misato, Saitama | 2000.03 | Sandanme 28 | Ethnic Chinese, naturalized prior to joining sumo. |
| Daishiyama | Kazuo Yamada (born Ku Hainan) | Shibushi, Kagoshima | 2002.03 | Sandanme 93 | Ethnic Chinese, naturalized prior to joining sumo. |
| Shokiryu | Shou Tani (born Gu Xiaoyu) | Fukuoka, Fukuoka | 2003.03 | Sandanme 84 | Ethnic Chinese, naturalized prior to joining sumo. |
| Tsuya | Sekko Cho (born Zhang Shiguang) | Kitaakita, Akita | 2008.03 | Sandanme 79 | Ethnic Chinese, naturalized prior to joining sumo. |
| Tohakuryu | Masahito Shiraishi | Adachi, Tokyo | 2019.05 | Maegashira 15 | Born in Tokyo to a Japanese father and Taiwanese mother. His mother was born in Kaohsiung. |
| Kokiryu | Haiko Chin (born Chen Peihuang) | Osaka, Osaka | 2022.09 | Jonidan 27 | Originally from Fuqing, Fujian. |