Cheeky Chanko February 2026

Happy new year to everyone! What an amazing January tournament to start the year. Great sumo. Great matches. Great new rikishi. I can’t wait for 2026. This month we delve into Hatsu basho stars Aonishiki and Atamifuji, take a quick look at this month’s US Sumo events, and delve into the history behind sumo’s Emperor’s Cup!

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We’ve been teaming up with Sumo Kaboom since last spring, and honestly? Watching all the wildly creative BINGO cards roll in each basho has been a highlight. If you’re looking for a fun (and mildly competitive) way to cheer on your favorite rikishi next tournament, Sumo Kaboom’s BINGO is the move.

Break out the markers, go all out, and you could snag the Most Creative BINGO Card prize—sponsored by yours truly, Cheeky Sumo.

Big congrats to Nathalie, our Hatsu Basho Most Creative BINGO Card winner!

Hatsu Basho 26

Aonishiki with his second yusho! I have to wonder if he would have done it with two healthy yokozuna, but that’s the sport. (Ura totally had Onosato day 3 and it was spectacular as only Ura can do.) I was very happy to see Aonishiki win a second and now we come to the very exciting part where we all see if he can climb one step higher!

I was very impressed with some other performances as well. Atamifuji went 12-3 from his M7 spot and looked good out there. It was great for him to be in the yusho running and to see him looking confident and in control before his bouts. Fujinokawa comes off the tachiai like an absolute bullet. It’s incredible and I love it. Oshoumi may have looked a little out of his depth at the last basho but he certainly figured it out this basho. We should be seeing him in the top division for a little while.

US Sumo

*Photo: @unitedstatessumofederation Instagram*

The Hakuho Cup is going down in Japan on February 7–8, and this isn’t just any tournament. Founded by former yokozuna Hakuho, it’s one of the most prestigious youth sumo competitions in the world.

This year, Team USA is sending four standout youth rikishi to Japan to test themselves on the global stage—and we couldn’t be more excited to cheer them on.

Even better? Cheeky Sumo made the Team USA hoodies they’ll be wearing. Wishing these athletes the best of luck as they step into the ring and represent the U.S.!

The SoCal Open is being held in Southern California on Feb 14th. It is a sumo tournament as well as a Japanese cultural event being held at the Japanese American Cultural Center in Vista, CA. We partnered with Honu Sumo to make some official SoCal open gear and we will be there with our very first booth! Come by and try on a shirt, hat, or even one of our mawashi! Cheeky Sumo also designed the shirts the gyoji will be wearing and we will have limited supply available for purchase at the event. Very cool!

If you are interested in watching some awesome sumo and saying hi to us in person here is the link for tickets! We hope to see you there!

Finally, Mighty Eagle sumo will be holding their METT event in San Antonio, TX on Feb 21. Check it out here! Registration to compete is open till Feb 17 for regular prices and till Feb 21 for late prices!

The Emperor’s Cup

It’s Hakuho, with a cup. *Photo: asahi.com*

The Emperor’s Cup is the first of many many trophies awarded to a rikishi when they win a top division yusho. It is given to him by the JSA Chairman. The trophy itself is silver, weighing 64lbs and stands 3ft 6.5in tall. It has a chrysanthemum and the kanji for shihai carved into the cup. Phoenixes are carved as the handles. (very awesome) The base is covered with plaques of the past 78 wrestler’s names to win the cup. When the base fills up, the plaques are removed and added to exhibit boards in the Kokugikan. The Emperor’s Cup was first awarded for sumo to Yokozuna Tsunenohana in 1926 after the merging of all the independent sumo associations in Japan. It was originally known as the “Prince Regent Cup” as the Emperor Showa granted the trophy first during his regency.

There are other Emperor’s Cups in Japan as well. There is one awarded to the winner of The JFA Emperor’s Cup soccer tournament, the Emperor’s Cup and Empress’ Cup All Japan Volleyball Tournament, and the Japan Emperor Cup Basketball tournament. All Emperor’s Cups today are bestowed by Japan’s Imperial Household Agency to organizations that manage competitions to serve as proof of imperial recognition and authority of the events.

Sumo Trivia

Last month: What year did the Kyushu tour become an official tournament (honbasho)?

Answer: 1957. Before then, there were only 5 honbasho a year.

February 2026 Cheeky Chanko Trivia Question:

What does the kanji for shihai stand for?

Till next time!

This March marks Cheeky Sumo’s 1-year anniversary, and honestly? What a year it’s been! In our first 12 months, we sponsored club events, designed and printed Florida Sumo’s Big Palm merch, gave back to US Sumo with donated mawashi for youth events, and dropped 24 designs for grand sumo fans across a whole lineup of products. Not bad for year one—and we’re nowhere near done.

This year, it’s us… IRL!

This winter, we will have booths at the SoCal Open and the US Sumo National Championships. Nationals is extra special for us—it was our very first event sponsorship, and we’re beyond excited to sponsor it again this year. If you’re there, come say hi!

We’ve also partnered with Black Cat Sumo Club to design their merch and host it on CheekySumo.com, with a portion of every sale going right back to the club. On top of that, we’ve been working closely with Honu Sumo behind the scenes on SoCal Open merch, and we’re hyped to see it all come together. And we’re just getting warmed up. We’d love to partner with even more sumo clubs—designing and printing merch that actually feels right, supports the athletes, and helps get more people out there reppin’ sumo. Because let’s be real: the more sumo in the wild, the better.

Plus, even more fun grand sumo designs coming out every basho all year long! Have a favorite rikishi you want to see featured? Let us know!

To everyone who’s visited the site, followed along, liked a post, or grabbed some gear—thank you. Your support means everything. Heading into year two, we’re locked in on bringing you fresh designs, great gear, and—always—the best mawashi this side of Japan.

Hatsu Basho Delivers Thrilling Sumo and a Repeat Champion as US Sumo Gears Up for Tournament Season