Basho — Tournament
A basho (場所, literally "place") is a professional sumo tournament. The Japan Sumo Association holds six official basho per year, each lasting 15 days:
| Month | Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| January | Hatsu Basho | Tokyo (Ryogoku Kokugikan) |
| March | Haru Basho | Osaka (Edion Arena) |
| May | Natsu Basho | Tokyo (Ryogoku Kokugikan) |
| July | Nagoya Basho | Nagoya (Dolphins Arena) |
| September | Aki Basho | Tokyo (Ryogoku Kokugikan) |
| November | Kyushu Basho | Fukuoka (Fukuoka Kokusai Center) |
Each wrestler in the top two divisions (Makuuchi and Juryo) fights once per day for 15 consecutive days. The wrestler with the most wins at the end earns the yusho (tournament championship). In the event of a tie, a playoff is held on the final day.
A wrestler needs at least 8 wins (kachi-koshi) in 15 bouts to maintain or improve their rank. Fewer than 8 wins (make-koshi) results in demotion for the following tournament.