The streaming service ABEMA has unveiled a new key visual ahead of the Grand Sumo March Tournament 2026 (Haru Basho), scheduled to take place at EDION Arena Osaka (Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) from March 8 through March 22, 2026.
The visual prominently features two wrestlers: ozeki Yashoairiki and Atamifuji, both of whom made headlines during the January tournament with a tense championship playoff. Yashoairiki is entering his second tournament as an ozeki and has the opportunity to meet the conditions for yokozuna promotion — which require winning two consecutive tournaments at the ozeki rank, or an equivalent level of performance. Atamifuji, meanwhile, has been promoted to his first-ever san'yaku position (one of sumo's top three ranks) going into this tournament, building on the impressive fighting strength he showed in January.
The design places the two wrestlers side by side against a backdrop that features the uguisu (Japanese bush warbler) and cherry blossoms. The uguisu, whose first calls of the year are typically heard across Japan from late February onward, has long been celebrated as the "spring-announcing bird" (haratsugadori) and is associated with good fortune and new beginnings — a fitting symbol for two wrestlers on the rise. Overlaid on the image are the words "A RIOT OF COLORS," a translation of the four-character Japanese idiom 百花繚乱 (hyakka ryoran), which literally describes flowers blooming in vivid profusion and figuratively speaks to numerous talented individuals flourishing at the same time. The design conveys hopes that Yashoairiki, Atamifuji, and other wrestlers will bring their skills fully to bear in the ring this tournament.
Following the visual's release, comments flooded the ABEMA Sumo official X (formerly Twitter) account, with fans writing things like "The two who fought in the championship!" and "This gives me chills — go make history!" and "Yokozuna challenger and new san'yaku." The pairing of the two wrestlers who faced each other in January's decisive playoff clearly resonated with fans.
ABEMA will broadcast the March Tournament in its entirety for free, covering every bout from the lowest division all the way through to the day's final match (musubi no ichiban), with commentary from sumo analysts.
Grand Sumo March Tournament 2026 on ABEMA
Period: March 8 (Sun) – March 22 (Sun), 2026
