Japan Sumo Association
The Japan Sumo Association (Japanese: 日本相撲協会, Hepburn: Nihon Sumō Kyōkai), sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ōzumō, 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). This means concretely that the Association maintains and develops sumo traditions and integrity by holding tournaments and tours. The purposes of the Association are also to develop the means dedicated to the sport and maintain, manage and operate the facilities necessary for these activities. Therefore, the JSA operates subsidiaries such as the Kokugikan Service Company to organize its economic aspects, the Sumo School to organize training and instruction or the Sumo Museum to preserve and utilize sumo wrestling records and artefacts.
Nihon Sumō Kyōkai | |
| Predecessor | Edo-sumo Kaisho |
|---|---|
| Formation | December 28, 1925 |
| Merger of | Osaka Sumo Association |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Legal status | Public Interest Incorporated Foundation |
| Purpose | Organization of sumo tournaments and promotion of sumo culture. Maintenance and operation of sumo training schools, Ryōgoku Kokugikan and Sumo Museum. |
| Headquarters | Ryōgoku Kokugikan |
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 35.69694°N 139.79338°E |
Region served | Japan |
Membership | ~ 1 200 |
Official language | Japanese |
Chairman | Hakkaku Nobuyoshi |
| See below | |
Key people | Shibatayama Yasushi (current Operations director) Sadogatake Mitsumune (current Judging department chairman) Yamauchi Masayuki (current Chairman of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council) |
Parent organization | Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology |
| Subsidiaries | Kokugikan Service Company, Sumo Museum |
| Affiliations | Yokozuna Deliberation Council (advisory body) |
Revenue (2022) | ¥27,830,537,000 ($ 190,221,720) |
| Website | https://www.sumo.or.jp/En/ (in English) https://www.sumo.or.jp/ (in Japanese) |
Formerly called | Greater Japan Sumo Association (大日本相撲協会) |
Though professionals, such as active wrestlers, referees, hairdressers and ushers, are all on the Association's payroll, leadership positions are restricted to retired wrestlers. The organization has its headquarters in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan arena, in Sumida, Tokyo.
Following a number of scandals, the Association has implemented numerous reforms in recent decades.