A strong 13-2 title winning performance in the September tournament was enough to convince the Japan Sumo Association¡¯s judging department to make Shodai the sport¡¯s 251st ozeki.
Although he could still climb one more rank, the Kumamoto native has now reached what was, for much of sumo¡¯s history, the sport¡¯s highest peak.
As many fans know, yokozuna was initially a kind of honorary title ¡ª generally bestowed on ozeki with powerful patrons ¡ª before officially morphing into sumo¡¯s highest rank only in the early 1900s.
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