The Tachi Bearer and the Tsuyuharai in the Yokozuna's Ring Entry — The Sword Ritual Living in Grand Sumo

The Structure of the Yokozuna's Ring Entry — A Ritual Formed by Five People

In Grand Sumo, the ring entry (dohyō-iri) is a special ceremony permitted only to the yokozuna. Separate from the ring entry performed by all makunouchi wrestlers, the yokozuna ascends the dohyō alone and performs a distinctive form. At this moment, the yokozuna does not stand on the dohyō alone. Five people — the yobidashi, the gyōji, the tsuyuharai, the yokozuna, and the tachi bearer — enter in order, forming a procession centered on the yokozuna.

The ring entry has two forms — the Unryū style and the Shiranui style — which differ in the tying of the belt and the movement of the arms, but the procession structure with the tsuyuharai and the tachi bearer is common to both. This structure itself functions as a device that visually conveys the special nature of the yokozuna's rank.

The Division of Roles Between the Tachi Bearer and the Tsuyuharai

In the procession, the tsuyuharai walks ahead of the yokozuna while the tachi bearer follows behind. The tsuyuharai serves as the leading guide who literally purifies the dohyō, while the tachi bearer carries a tachi and follows behind the yokozuna. Even though the bearing consists of nothing more than keeping the tachi sheathed in its saya without drawing it, the very idea of accompanying the ceremony with a sword eloquently speaks to the nature of this ritual.

Both roles are typically served by makunouchi wrestlers belonging to the same stable or the same ichimon as the yokozuna. In particular, there is a custom of selecting the wrestler with the highest ranking after the yokozuna for the role of tachi bearer, making it not merely an attendant position but one that embodies the strength and prestige of the ichimon. When a stable has no prominent makunouchi wrestlers other than the yokozuna, wrestlers from stables or ichimon of a different affiliation may be selected, and the combination itself often becomes a topic that reflects the power dynamics of the sumo world.

Why Only the Yokozuna Is Accompanied by a Sword — The Connection to Samurai Prestige

It is widely known that the rank of yokozuna itself is a special title that demands not only skill but also "character" (hinkaku). One of the devices that visually expresses that character is the tachi carried by the tachi bearer.

The act of wearing a sword was originally a privilege granted to the samurai class. Behind the incorporation of a tachi into the yokozuna's ring entry lies the history of sumo developing throughout the Edo period under the patronage and observation of samurai society, with the intent of bestowing upon the highest-ranked wrestlers a prestige equivalent to that of the warrior class. It can be said that the character of the sword as a "symbol of prestige" was carried directly into the ritual of the ring entry.

If one thinks about it, the sword itself is a tool that plays no part whatsoever in the sport of sumo. Yet the fact that a tachi is presented solely at the ring entry ceremony of the highest-ranked wrestler tells us that the sword has continued to function as a "device for displaying prestige" even after departing from its role as a weapon of actual combat.

The Sacred Character of the Title of Yokozuna

The name yokozuna itself is said to derive from the thick rope (shimenawa) tied around the waist during the ring entry. It is said that in the Edo period there was a system whereby certain houses granted the license of yokozuna, and throughout history the title has been treated not merely as the highest rank in the rankings but as a special title tinged with a sacred character. The fact that the ring entry is structured not as a competitive arena for wrestlers but as a ritual accompanied by a shimenawa and a tachi is thought to reflect this character.

The True Nature of the Tachi Carried by the Tachi Bearer

So is what the tachi bearer actually carries a genuine nihontō, or is it a ceremonial replica? This point is a topic that frequently arises among sumo fans.

• There are cases where a supporters' association backing the yokozuna presents a piece specially commissioned from a gendaitō smith, or a piece with distinguished provenance fitted with new tachi koshirae.
• On the other hand, it is said that some stables use a piece exclusively for ceremonial use, with only the outer fittings (koshirae) in order, rather than a shinken intended for actual combat.
• In either case, more emphasis is placed on the significance of the piece as "tachi koshirae adorning the yokozuna's prestige" than on the blade itself.
• The birth of a new yokozuna is reported as major news, yet the provenance of the tachi unveiled on such occasions is rarely discussed — an aspect that is, surprisingly, little known.

In short, the tachi of the ring entry is notable for being treated not as a practical weapon but as a fine art sword that gives form to the honor of the recipient and the respect of the patron. When a supporters' association prepares a new piece for the birth of a new yokozuna, considerable time and expense often go into everything from selecting the blade to deciding the design of the koshirae, and that piece comes to serve as "the face of that yokozuna," displayed repeatedly at every ring entry.

Grand Sumo as Sword Culture

Swords are not a culture belonging only to the samurai; they have continued to live within the different traditional culture of sumo as well. When watching the yokozuna's ring entry, turning one's gaze to the provenance and koshirae of the tachi carried by the tachi bearer reveals the depth of sword culture living within Grand Sumo, the national sport. The character of swords as a "symbol of prestige" continues to live on unmistakably within such rituals, even today, when samurai society has long since ended.

When you have the opportunity to watch the ring entry during a televised broadcast or by attending a tournament in person, try turning your gaze not only to the wrestler's form but also to the koshirae of the tachi carried by the tachi bearer. In every detail of the saya's design and the tsuka wrapping, the feelings of the patrons supporting that yokozuna are given form.