[sumo] Fwd: [Sumo news] - Sumo etiquette-what do you call an ex-Ozeki who has lost his rank?

[Jeff A]

Moti


Best regards,
Gaijingai

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these:
It might have been.
- John Greenleaf Whittier

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Moti Dichne <niramiai at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Sep 12, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Subject: [Sumo news] - Sumo etiquette-what do you call an ex-Ozeki who has
lost his rank?
To: Sumo Newsletter2 <sumo-newsletter2 at googlegroups.com>


Aonishiki's tsukebitos and the junior rikishi at Ajigawa beya faced a bit
of a dilemma as the July  tournament approached. Aonishiki, formerly an
Ozeki, had been demoted to Sekiwake starting with the Nagoya tournament.
What should they call him? How could they address him without being
disrespectful? One rikishi remarked, "The younger guys often ask me, 'What
should we call him?' Since he intends to make a comeback, I suppose 'Ozeki'
is fine." In the sumo world, once a rikishi is promoted to Juryo or higher,
he is respectfully addressed as "Sekitori" or "[Name]-zeki." While this
title remains the same even upon promotion to Sanyaku of as Komusubi or
Sekiwake, the situation changes at the Ozeki level and above; rikishi are
addressed by their specific titles, such as "Ozeki" or "Yokozuna." This is
customary and serves as a mark of respect for their rank. While a Yokozuna
cannot be demoted, an Ozeki can drop to Sekiwake or lower depending on
performance. It feels awkward to suddenly switch from calling a rikishi
"Ozeki" to "Sekitori" right after the new rankings are announced -
especially for rikishi living under the same roof. Yet, calling a former
Ozeki and now a Sekiwake "Ozeki" also feels questionable. It is easy to
understand the confusion felt by the junior rikishi around Aonishiki.

Incidentally, rikishi at Takasago beya still call the former Ozeki
Asanoyama "Ozeki." One of Asanoyama’s tsukebito explains, "We thought he’d
return to the rank right away, and we still believe he will." That
sentiment is admirable; Asanoyama remains the heya's marquee rikishi.

Kirishima was promoted to Ozeki at the 2023 Nagoya tournament but was
demoted after six tournaments. Back at the heya, he was addressed as
"Ozeki" for a while. One junior rikishi recounted, "I kept calling him
'Ozeki,' but at one point he told me, 'Don't call me Ozeki. I'm not an
Ozeki anymore." Kirishima managed to return to the rank of Ozeki over the
course of eleven tournaments following his demotion.

During the Nagoya tournament, it seems Aonishiki was almost always
addressed as "Ozeki" within Ajigawa beya. Not only did he secure his return
to Ozeki by winning ten bouts, but he also claimed his third yusho.
Needless to say, the heya's junior rikishi who had been fretting over the
issue of how to address him—breathed a sigh of relief. I asked Aonishiki
about this during the summer tour: "Did it bother you at all to be called
'Ozeki' even after dropping to Sekiwake?" "Not at all. I fully intended to
make it back, after all," he replied with a cool, unruffled air. This
mental strength is what makes one anticipate the day he will be called a
Yokozuna. For now, the Aki basho will begin with him as an Ozeki.  [Ichiro
Sasaki]

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