Yusho — Tournament Championship
The yusho (優勝) is the tournament championship — awarded to the wrestler with the most wins at the end of a 15-day basho. Winning a yusho is one of the greatest achievements in sumo and is the primary factor in promotion decisions.
If two or more wrestlers are tied for the lead after Day 15, a playoff (kettei-sen) is held. In a two-way tie, the wrestlers face each other directly. In a three-way or larger tie, a round-robin or elimination format is used.
The yusho winner receives the Emperor's Cup (天皇賜杯) — the most prestigious trophy in sumo — along with numerous other prizes from sponsors, foreign governments, and organizations. Awards commonly include the Czech crystal cup, the NHK gold cup, and various food prizes (a year's supply of mushrooms from Oita Prefecture is a perennial favorite).
A wrestler's yusho count is a key measure of career greatness. Hakuho holds the all-time record with 45 tournament championships. Winning consecutive yusho (renzoku yusho) is the traditional benchmark for yokozuna promotion.