Sanshō (sumo)

{{Short description|Awards in sumo wrestling}} {{Italic title|reason=:Category:Japanese words and phrases}} {{Other uses|Sanshō (disambiguation){{!}}Sanshō}} thumb|right|The Fighting Spirit {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} prize in May 2023 {{nihongo|'''{{tlit|ja|Sanshō}}'''|三賞||lit: three prizes}} are the three special prizes awarded to top ({{tlit|ja|Makuuchi}}) division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo {{tlit|ja|honbasho}} or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.

==Criteria== All wrestlers in the top division below the rank of {{tlit|ja|ōzeki}} are eligible. In order to be considered for a special prize, a rikishi must make a {{tlit|ja|kachi-koshi}} or majority of wins during the tournament. Among eligible rikishi, the prize winners are decided by a panel which includes press writers covering the tournament. There is no requirement that the prizes must be awarded, and it sometimes happens that one or more of the {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} are not given. It is also common for an award to be awarded to more than one wrestler.

The three prizes are *{{nihongo|{{tlit|ja|Shukun-shō}}|殊勲賞}}, Outstanding Performance prize *{{nihongo|{{tlit|ja|Kantō-shō}}|敢闘賞}}, Fighting Spirit prize *{{nihongo|{{tlit|ja|Ginō-shō}}|技能賞}}, Technique prize

Typically, the {{tlit|ja|Ginō-shō}} is awarded to a wrestler or wrestlers who display the most skillful {{tlit|ja|kimarite}}, or techniques; the {{tlit|ja|Shukun-shō}} is awarded to a wrestler who defeats the {{tlit|ja|yokozuna}} or the eventual tournament winner, or who otherwise displays outstanding performance relative to his rank; and the {{tlit|ja|Kantō-shō}} to a wrestler who has most clearly fought tenaciously and to the best of his abilities. The {{tlit|ja|Ginō-shō}} is considered the most prestigious, and is also the prize most often not awarded at all: in 1988, it was withheld for five consecutive tournaments.<ref name="Sharnoff">{{Cite book |author=Sharnoff, Lora |title=Grand Sumo|publisher=Weatherhill |year=1993 |page=98|isbn=0-8348-0283-X}}</ref> However, each award is worth the same amount of money, two million yen.

It is a ''de facto'' standard that a newly promoted {{tlit|ja|makuuchi}} wrestler who manages a {{Win-loss record|w=10|l=5}} or better record in his first tournament will be awarded a {{tlit|ja|sanshō}}, normally the Fighting Spirit prize. Similarly, a wrestler newly promoted to the {{tlit|ja|san'yaku}} ranks above {{tlit|ja|maegashira}} who achieves a {{Win-loss record|w=10|l=5}} record can expect a prize for his efforts. thumb|right|The three additional {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} plaques (on the front) awarded by the Tokyo Shimbun in 2009. There is no minimum or maximum limit to the number of {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} that may be given. It is not uncommon for more than one wrestler to be awarded the same prize, and similarly there are occasions when one of the three {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} titles is not awarded at all. For example, it is unlikely that the {{tlit|ja|Shukun-shō}} will be awarded if the tournament is won {{Win-loss record|w=15|l=0}} by a lone {{tlit|ja|yokozuna}}.{{Citation needed|date=August 2007}}

Sanshō are announced before the final day's matches, sometimes with a condition that the wrestler must win their last bout to receive the prize. For example, Wakatakakage received the Technique Prize in March 2022 unconditionally but had to win his last match and take the championship with a {{Win-loss record|w=12|l=2}} record to also receive the Outstanding Performance prize.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202203270000531.html|title=【三賞】殊勲賞13勝２敗で優勝すれば若隆景敢闘賞は高安と琴ノ若技能賞は若隆景 (Special Prizes: Outstanding Performance award to Wakatakage with 13 wins and 2 losses, Fighting Spirit award to Takayasu and Kotonowaka, Technique Award to Wakatakakage)|date=27 March 2022|work=Nikkan Sports|language=Japanese|access-date=28 March 2022}}</ref> He lost the match, and even though he went on to win the championship in a playoff shortly afterwards, was not given the Shukun-shō.

In July 2023, eight {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} were awarded in total, the most ever, while at others only one has been presented (most recently in September 2023). The September 2018 tournament marked the first time since the introduction of {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} in 1947 that none of the three prizes were awarded at all.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180923/p2g/00m/0sp/038000c|title=Sumo: Grand champion Hakuho wins Autumn meet with perfect record|date=23 September 2018|publisher=The Mainichi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924142410/https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20180923/p2g/00m/0sp/038000c|archive-date=24 September 2018}}</ref>

=={{tlit|ja|Sanshō}} sweeps==

On a few rare occasions, one wrestler has been awarded all three prizes simultaneously for his performance. This accolade has been given on only six separate occasions to six different wrestlers.

{| class="wikitable" |- !Tournament!!Wrestler!!Rank!!Record |- |July 1973||Daiju Hisateru||{{tlit|ja|Sekiwake}}||{{Win-loss record|w=13|l=2}} |- |Sept 1973||Ōnishiki Ittetsu||{{tlit|ja|Maegashira}} 11||{{Win-loss record|w=11|l=4}} |- |Jan 1992||Takanohana Kōji||{{tlit|ja|Maegashira}} 2||'''{{Win-loss record|w=14|l=1}}''' |- |July 1999||Dejima Takeharu||{{tlit|ja|Sekiwake}}||'''{{Win-loss record|w=13|l=2}}''' |- |Nov 2000||Kotomitsuki Keiji||{{tlit|ja|Maegashira}} 9||{{Win-loss record|w=13|l=2}} |- |March 2024||Takerufuji Mikiya||{{tlit|ja|Maegashira}} 17||'''{{Win-loss record|w=13|l=2}}''' |} ''*record in bold indicates wrestler also took championship''

In September 2001, Kotomitsuki, in his championship tournament, came very close to being the only wrestler to receive all three prizes twice, but the Fighting Spirit prize went to then {{tlit|ja|maegashira}} Asashōryū.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Banzuke.aspx|title=Banzuke Information|work=Sumo Reference|author=Doitsuyama |access-date=2009-03-31}}</ref>

==Active special prize winners== This is a running list of the number and type of all {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} earned by all currently active wrestlers. Dates for a wrestler's professional debut, as well as their first and latest special prize earned are given.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Sansho.aspx|title =All Sansho Winners}}</ref>

The table is up to date as of the end of the '''May 2026''' tournament.

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! scope="col" | {{abbr|Total|Career total of special prizes earned}} !Name ! scope="col" | {{abbr|F|Fighting Spirit}} ! scope="col" | {{abbr|O|Outstanding Performance}} ! scope="col" | {{abbr|T|Technique}} ! scope="col" | {{abbr|Debut|First tournament in professional sumo}} ! scope="col" | {{abbr|First|First tournament in which a special prize was earned}} ! scope="col" | {{abbr|Latest|Latest tournament in which a special prize was earned}} |- ! 13 | Takayasu ||6 ||4 ||3 || 2005-3 || 2013-1 || 2025-3 |- ! 10 | Mitakeumi ||1 ||6 ||3 || 2015-3 || 2016-5 || 2022-1 |- ! rowspan=1|9 | Kirishima ||4 ||1 ||4 || 2015-3 || 2020-1 || 2026-3 |- ! rowspan=2|8 | Ōnosato ||3 ||2 ||3 || 2023-5 || 2024-1 || 2024-9 |- | Wakatakakage ||0 ||1 ||7 || 2017-3 || 2021-3 || 2026-5 |- ! rowspan=2|7 | Daieishō ||0 ||5 ||2 || 2012-1 || 2019-11 ||2023-3 |- | Shōdai ||6 ||1 ||0 || 2014-3 || 2016-1 || 2020-9 |- ! rowspan=4|6 | Aonishiki ||2 ||1 || 3 || 2023-9 ||2025-3 || 2025-11 |- | Asanoyama ||3 ||2 ||1 || 2016-3 || 2017-9 || 2019-11 |- | Kotozakura ||5 ||0 ||1 || 2015-11 || 2021-7 || 2024-1 |- | Yoshinofuji ||2 ||1 ||2 || 2024-5 || 2025-7 || 2026-5 |- ! rowspan=3|5 | Abi ||4 ||1 ||0 || 2013-5 || 2018-1 || 2022-11 |- | Takanoshō ||4 ||1 ||0 || 2010-3 || 2020-3 || 2025-9 |- | Tamawashi ||1 ||3 ||1 || 2004-1 || 2016-11 || 2025-7 |- ! rowspan=2|4 | Hakunofuji ||2 ||1 ||1 || 2023-1 || 2023-7 || 2026-5 |- | Kotoshōhō ||3 ||1 ||0 || 2017-11 || 2023-1 || 2026-3 |- ! rowspan=4|3 | Atamifuji ||3 ||0 ||0 || 2020-11 || 2023-9 || 2026-1 |- | Hōshōryū ||1 ||0 ||2 || 2018-1 || 2021-7 || 2023-7 |- | Sadanoumi ||3 ||0 ||0 || 2003-3 || 2014-5 || 2025-5 |- | Takerufuji ||1 ||1 ||1 || 2022-9 || 2024-3 || 2024-3 |- ! rowspan=9|2 | Fujinokawa ||1 ||0 ||1 || 2023-1 || 2025-7 || 2026-3 |- | Ichiyamamoto ||2 ||0 ||0 || 2017-1 || 2023-11 || 2025-11 |- | Kinbōzan ||2 ||0 ||0 || 2021-11 || 2023-3 || 2025-1 |- | Meisei ||1 ||1 ||0 || 2011-5 || 2021-3 || 2023-5 |- | Nishikigi ||1 ||1 ||0 || 2006-3 || 2023-7 || 2024-9 |- | Ryūden ||1 ||0 ||1 || 2006-3 || 2018-1 || 2019-5 |- | Shimanoumi ||2 ||0 ||0 || 2012-7 || 2019-5 || 2020-11 |- | Tobizaru ||1 ||1 ||0 || 2015-1 || 2020-9|| 2022-9 |- | Wakamotoharu ||0 ||1 ||1 || 2011-11 || 2023-5 || 2024-1 |- ! rowspan=12|1 | Churanoumi ||1 ||0 ||0 || 2016-3 || 2025-3 || 2025-3 |- | Enhō ||0 ||0 ||1 || 2017-3 || 2019-7 || 2019-7 |- | Gōnoyama ||1 ||0 ||0 || 2021-3 || 2023-7 || 2023-7 |- | Hiradoumi ||0 ||0 ||1 || 2016-3 || 2024-7 || 2024-7 |- | Midorifuji ||0 ||0 ||1 || 2016-9 || 2021-1 || 2021-1 |- | Nishikifuji ||1 ||0 ||0 || 2016-9 || 2022-7 || 2022-7 |- | Ōhō ||0 ||0 ||1 || 2018-1 || 2025-1 || 2025-1 |- | Ōshōma ||1 ||0 ||0 || 2021-11 || 2024-5 || 2024-5 |- | Shōnannoumi ||1 ||0 ||0 || 2014-3 || 2023-7 || 2023-7 |- | Tomokaze ||0 ||1 ||0 || 2017-5 || 2019-7 || 2019-7 |- | Ura ||0 ||0 ||1 || 2015-5 || 2021-11 || 2021-11 |- | {{interlanguage link|Fujiseiun Tatsuki|ja|3=藤青雲龍輝|lt=Fujiseiun}} ||1 ||0 ||0 || 2021-3 || 2026-3 || 2026-3 |- |}

==Exhibition tournaments== Prizes inspired by {{tlit|ja|sanshō}} may be awarded outside of a 15-day grand sumo tournament. For the 2025 London tournament at the Royal Albert Hall, four special prizes were awarded at the end of the five-day competition: Takayasu won the Fighting Spirit prize, Tobizaru won the Outstanding Performance prize, and Ura won the Technique prize. Additionally, Ura won a unique Audience award for popularity determined by an online vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/wrestlers-bid-farewell-london-after-hoshoryu-claims-trophy-2025-10-19/|title=Wrestlers bid farewell to London after Hoshoryu claims trophy|last=Lawson|first=Hugh|date=19 October 2025|publisher=Reuters|access-date=19 October 2025}}</ref>

The Japan Grand Sumo Tournament, a one-day tournament held annually for professional sumo wrestlers at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, besides awarding a trophy to the winner, awards a Fighting Spirit prize as well. For its 50th edition in 2026 the Special Prize recipient was {{translit|ja|maegashira}} Hiradoumi, who had only lost in semi-finals to eventual tournament champion {{translit|ja|yokozuna}} Hōshōryū.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202602080001180.html|title=豊昇龍が２大会ぶり２度目Ｖ、賞金250万円獲得準Ｖは阿炎、敢闘賞は平戸海|date=8 February 2026|publisher=Nikkan Sports|access-date=8 February 2026|language=ja}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Sansho.aspx Complete list of sanshō winners]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sansho (sumo)}} Category:Sumo terminology Category:Awards established in 1947 Category:Japanese awards Category:Japanese sports trophies and awards Category:Lists of sumo wrestlers