Yago Takanori

Yago Takanori - 矢後太規 (born July 8, 1994) is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Memuro, Hokkaido. He made his debut in May 2017 and currently wrestles for Oshiogawa stable. He reached the makuuchi division in January 2019. His highest rank as of 2025 is maegashira 10.

Early Life[]

Takanori Yago was born on July 8, 1994, in Memuro, Hokkaido, the second of three children. This was also the hometown of yokozuna Onokuni. He started swimming from kindergarten, and also did judo.^[1]

Sum17020310000001-p1 — Yago celebrates a collegiate-level championship (c. 2016)

Yago started participating in local sumo tournaments during the the fifth grade of elementary school. He was already 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) and 120 kilograms (260 lb) upon graduation from elementary school.^[1]

At Memuro junior high he won the Hokkaido Junior High School Championships three years running, he suffered major cruciate ligament injuries in his knee, and was praised by the director of his high school sumo club for working hard at rehabilitation from the injury without complaining. He enrolled at Saitama Sakae High School, known for its prowess in sumo with ozeki Goeido among its alumni. He left his parents house at this time and lived in a dormitory with other students. After graduating from high school he entered the law department of Chuo University and was the captain of the sumo club by his fourth year. He finished in the top 8 at the National Student Sumo Championships, and in 2016 won the Amateur Yokozuna title, the first from Chuo University to achieve this since Kurimoto in 1990.^[1]

Career[]

Early Career[]

Because of his amateur achievements, Yago was allowed to enter professional sumo in the third highest makushita division, leap-frogging the lower divisions. He joined Oguruma stable, recruited by the former ozeki Kotokaze. He made his debut in May 2017 at the rank of makushita tsukedashi 15, and earned a 5–2 record. In his next tournament he won the makushita divisional championship or yusho with a perfect 7–0 record, which guaranteed him promotion to the second highest juryo division and elite sekitori status.^[2]

Juryo Career[]

Two losing records of seven wins against eight losses saw him drop back down to makushita in January 2018, but he made an immediate return to juryo with a 5–2 score. He progressed steadily up the juryo division in 2018, recording four consecutive winning records, and entered the top makuuchi division in January 2019.^[2]

Makuuchi Career[]

He scored nine wins against six losses in his top division debut, which saw him promoted to his highest rank to date of maegashira 10 for the March 2019 tournament. However, three straight losing records saw him demoted to juryo for the September 2019 tournament.^[2]

Later Career[]

He managed an 8–7 record in September 2019, but then three straight scores of only four wins against eleven losses saw him demoted to the makushita division for the (cancelled) Natsu tournament in May 2020. Following the cancellation, he had surgery on his knees.^[3] He returned to the juryo division in January 2021. In January 2022, he finished with a strong 11-4 record, but missed out on the juryo yusho after losing to Kotoshoho in a playoff. Following the closure of his stable, he moved to Oshiogawa stable in February 2022.^[4] After two consecutive 4-11 records, Yago was demoted back down to makushita for the September 2022 tournament.^[2]

Starting in July 2024, Yago sat out three consecutive tournaments. When Yago returned to action in January 2025, he had fallen to the lowest jonidan division, where he won the jonidan yusho with a perfect 7-0 record.^[2]

Personal Life[]

Yago is close friends with former stablemate Tomokaze.^[5]
Yago's hobby is watching sports, his favorite foods are chankonabe and jingisukan (grilled mutton dish), and his favorite artist is B'z.^[6]

Fighting Style[]

Yago is a yotsu-sumo wrestler, who prefers fighting on the mawashi to pushing or thrusting at his opponents. His favorite grip is hidari-yotsu, a right hand outside and left hand inside position.^[7] His most common winning kimarite is a straightforward yorikiri or force out. He also regularly employs oshidashi (push out), hatakikomi (slap down), and uwatenage (overarm throw).^[8]