Sumo Prize and Pay Hike Set for 2027
The Japan Sumo Association has announced plans to revamp its prize structure and wrestler compensation. Starting in January 2027, the top-division championship prize will be doubled to 20 million yen, up from 10 million yen currently. The revisions also include increases in prize money for special awards recognizing outstanding performance, fighting spirit, and technique.
The monthly salaries of salaried wrestlers will rise across all divisions, with top-ranked yokozuna wrestlers set to receive 3.3 million yen per month, an increase of 300,000 yen from the previous amount. This is the first pay revision since 2019.
Ticket prices for grand tournaments will also increase, with a new SS box-seat category being introduced in Tokyo for the first and second rows. According to Fujishima, public relations official and former ozeki Musoyama, 'the changes should serve as an incentive for wrestlers' and motivate them to approach sumo with greater motivation.