Hōshōryū Tomokatsu
A Mongolian force of nature who conquered sumo's sacred mountain, becoming the sport's newest and most dynamic yokozuna.
Born 1999 (age 27)·Mongolian sumo wrestler·Birthday: May 22·Generation Z
Biography
Hōshōryū Tomokatsu, born Mönkhbatyn Davaajargal in Ulaanbaatar, arrived in Japan as a teenager carrying the weight of a wrestling dynasty; his uncle is the legendary former yokozuna Asashōryū. Entering the Tatsunami stable, he traded the jacket and boots of Mongolian wrestling for the mawashi and strict tradition of sumo. His rise was meteoric but not effortless, marked by a relentless work ethic and a technical arsenal that blended raw power with startling agility. While many Mongolian rikishi excel at throws, Hōshōryū's style felt uniquely inventive and assertive. His breakthrough came in 2023, where a dominant tournament victory, achieved with a spectacular last-day win, propelled him to the sport's highest rank. As yokozuna, he represents a new chapter—a champion whose athleticism and fighting spirit are reshaping the ancient sport's modern aesthetic.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Hōshōryū was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Hōshōryū Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Hōshōryū's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Promoted to the 74th yokozuna in sumo history in September 2023 after winning the July 2023 tournament.
- Won his first top-division championship (yūshō) in the July 2023 tournament with a 14-1 record.
- Achieved a special prize for Outstanding Performance (Kantō-shō) in his first top-division tournament in 2021.
- Rapidly ascended through the ranks, reaching the top makuuchi division just three years after his professional debut.
Did You Know?
He is the nephew of Asashōryū, the 68th yokozuna and another Mongolian great.
Before sumo, he was a skilled Mongolian wrestler, winning a national championship as a boy.
His shikona (ring name) Hōshōryū incorporates part of his uncle's name, meaning 'Fragrant Blue Dragon.'
“My uncle showed the way, but the dohyō is where I write my own name.”
