Research journal #001 · The evening of 28 September 2026 · Shiori
The night after the September tournament ended, I was thinking about Aonishiki while doing the dishes.
He lost to Onosato on the final day. I’d wanted him to win that last one. Still, seeing Onosato in tears really got to me.
After he’d lost three days in a row earlier in the tournament, I’d started looking for his name first when I checked the results on the train home. How had he done today? Maybe that’s why I’m still thinking about him now that it’s over.
Who was he facing when that run of losses ended?
I finished washing up, dried my hands and opened my phone. On the Association’s win-loss chart, I found the three losses on Days 4 to 6, then looked at the next bout.
Day 7: a win against Atamifuji. That was where it started. [1]
I followed the row with my finger. The next loss wasn’t until the final day. Eight straight wins, from Day 7 through Day 14. I remember him keeping on winning, but seeing the wins lined up like this makes me wonder who he was facing…
| Period | Results | Record at its end |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–3 | 3 straight wins | 3–0 |
| Days 4–6 | 3 straight losses | 3–3 |
| Days 7–14 | 8 straight wins | 11–3 |
| Final day | Loss | 11–4 |
I put this together from the Japan Sumo Association’s September 2026 win-loss chart. [1]
After Atamifuji on Day 7 came Daieisho. Near the end, he’d also beaten Kotozakura on Day 13 and Kirishima on Day 14. [1]
One win, and I felt relieved. Another, and I was happy. Before long, I was hoping he’d win the next one, too. Reading the names in order brought back what it had felt like to follow those results.
The dishes were done, but I was still in the kitchen looking at my phone. Time to go back to my desk and jot down the bout I want to watch again. Day 7, Aonishiki and Atamifuji.
A great bout gets my heart racing, no matter how many times I watch it!
Sources I checked
[1] Japan Sumo Association: Aonishiki’s profile, the September 2026 section of the past win-loss records. I checked the opponents, daily results and final record of 11 wins and 4 losses. The eight-win streak is counted from that chart. I also cross-checked the final record against the tournament leaders at the end of the final day.
Sources checked: 29 September 2026. This entry concerns the September 2026 tournament. The linked sources are in Japanese.
Shiori
I’d rather keep my real name and face private, so I use this illustrated persona here. I work with AI on the writing and illustrations.
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