Kotoshōhō Yoshinari
A sumo wrestler who rocketed to the top division in under three years, becoming a symbol of explosive potential in Japan's ancient sport.
Born 1999 (age 27)·Japanese sumo wrestler·Birthday: August 26·Generation Z
Biography
Born Yoshinari Kotoshōhō in Kashiwa, Chiba, he entered the sumo world in 2017, joining the prestigious Sadogatake stable. His rise was remarkably swift; by May 2020, he had already fought his way into the makuuchi division, sumo's top tier, a testament to his raw power and focused training. Wrestling with a straightforward, pushing-thrusting style, he quickly established himself as a formidable presence on the dohyō. While his highest rank has been maegashira 3, his career represents the modern sumo path—fast, media-savvy, and built on athletic prowess. He remains a figure watched for his next breakthrough, carrying the hopes of his stable in a sport where youth and momentum are everything.
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.
Kotoshōhō 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 Kotoshōhō Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Kotoshōhō'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
- Achieved promotion to sumo's top makuuchi division in May 2020, just two and a half years after his professional debut.
- Reached a career-high rank of maegashira 3, placing him among the upper echelon of sumo wrestlers.
- Earned multiple special prizes (kanto-sho) for his fighting spirit in top-division tournaments.
Did You Know?
His shikona (ring name) Kotoshōhō can be interpreted to mean 'this year's soaring phoenix.'
Before becoming a sumo wrestler, he was a competitive swimmer in junior high school.
He is known for having a particularly intense pre-bout staring ceremony (shikiri).
“In sumo, you push forward every day, or you are pushed aside.”
