Endo has retired

[Akinomaki 41,839]

On 27/10/2025 at 08:37, Akinomaki said:

Kitajin (Tenkaiho) has retired from the NSK as of the 26th https://www.jiji.com/sp/article?k=2025102700593&g=spo#:~:text=相撲

- the Endo of career for the makushita dropped owner is near 

The papers now report that Endo has decided to retire. The NSK will announce the retirement soon, so the related people say.  o

Edited November 1 by Akinomaki

[Morning 99]

I guess that means there's no chance for a revival of the butt pillow

[Kintamayama 47,284]

Official. Was the most popular rikishi in the 2010s, was destined for greatness but injuries and lack of treatment thereof were his downfall, although he trudged on for many years with no knees. He dropped to Makushita this basho, after finally having surgery on both knees and that was it for him. He was a real idol for young female sumo fans for a while. 12 and a half years in sumo,  Turned 35 years old last week..

[Calamityama 27]

For female sumo fans or all ages: my mom, who died this year aged 90, was a great fan of his, said she would have been proud of having such a cute and healthy baby !

[Bunbukuchagama 978]

11 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

The papers now report that Endo has decided to retire.

But not before taking a precious Makushita joi spot from someone who could actually use it. 

[Akinomaki 41,839]

54 minutes ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

But not before taking a precious Makushita joi spot from someone who could actually use it. 

With the present rush of underdemotions, he may have thought they'd let him stay in juryo, and then waited till it was real.

(Only if he had retired with Takarafuji, the spot would be available)

Edited October 27 by Akinomaki

[shumitto 419]

4 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Official. Was the most popular rikishi in the 2010s, was destined for greatness but injuries and lack of treatment thereof were his downfall, although he trudged on for many years with no knees. He dropped to Makushita this basho, after finally having surgery on both knees and that was it for him. He was a real idol for young female sumo fans for a while. 12 and a half years in sumo,  Turned 35 years old last week..

Do you really believe he was destined for greatness? I don’t mean to quibble, but I think he had exactly the career that was expected of him. I remember some excitement when he first entered Juryo and won 14-1 with a Yusho, but for an accomplished amateur, that alone wasn’t enough to set him on a path to real success. That’s just my two cents, though.

 

[Koorifuu 1,120]

I agree with Kintamayama; he never got back to the level he displayed on his first year or so in ozumo. Injury mismanagement is a long-discussed topic when it comes to him.

[Kishinoyama 625]

I wish him a long and happy career as an oyakata.
 

I really wish that he had not gotten injured. I wanted to see if he really was “destined for greatness” as Kintamayama alluded to. We will never know. 

[Akinomaki 41,839]

I wonder if the salary for sekitori/oyakata has something to do with the timing. Endo had the juryo salary for this month. He'll get the plain toshiyori salary, once he's Kitajin (not announced yet by the NSK, he is still makushita Endo). It should be no difference, if he hands in the papers today, or on the 31st, I don't think they deduct from the sekitori pay of the last month or pay oyakata salary for the last days of the month.

[Kintamayama 47,284]

8 hours ago, shumitto said:

Do you really believe he was destined for greatness? I don’t mean to quibble, but I think he had exactly the career that was expected of him. I remember some excitement when he first entered Juryo and won 14-1 with a Yusho, but for an accomplished amateur, that alone wasn’t enough to set him on a path to real success. That’s just my two cents, though.

 

Many observers were of that belief back then, yes. I personally couldn't tell because he was in Makuuchi 4 bashos after his debut so it was hard to make any personal observations, but he was definitely hyped as the "real thing" at least at the start . He got injured pretty seriously, so we'll never know what could have been.. I thought back then he had  great potential, yes. 

[Kintamayama 47,284]

10 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

With the present rush of underdemotions, he may have thought they'd let him stay in juryo, and then waited till it was real.

(Only if he had retired with Takarafuji, the spot would be available)

I think he knew his new rank earlier than the general public.. We've heard in the past that that information leaks.

[Akinomaki 41,839]

Endo's local Kanazawa TV about the news that he will retire (he hasn't yet, but the media practically have retired him)

with career overview and local reactions

[Obana 375]

Endo must have been Daimon's favorite rikishi.

A web page of Daimon's portraits of Endo as well as a few photo cutouts and a couple of miscellaneous items.

https://tommycrouch.com/sumo/endo.htm

(I am having difficulty with the "post from a URL' function on the Forum.)

 

 

 

[Kaninoyama 1,880]

I wonder if he'll be similar to Nishonoseki in transforming from a reticent stoic warrior to a chatty, affable character in his post-sumo life? 

[Gurowake 4,153]

While the hype behind Endo was real given that he was a Ms10 entrant and only spent one basho in Juryo, once he hit Makuuchi, things weren't quite as rosy as they were for recent phenoms like Onosato and Aonishiki.  He had an MK before he hit the joi, and didn't stick in the joi once there either even before his major knee injury.  After that injury, it was impressive that he managed to hang on in Makuuchi and even make sanyaku on a few occasions, but it was pretty clear that's all he was going to be.

So early on he was hyped, and I recall someone saying on this forum that a Japanese friend of his who didn't really follow sumo knew about Endo, but didn't know about recently-promoted Yokozuna Kakuryu.  That's the level of hype and media coverage that he had - a random maegashira became covered more than a Yokozuna.  That hype led to increased expectations, but a few basho into Makuuchi it was fairly clear he wasn't going to be a mega star, since someone his age who was going to be such a star would have done much better first starting out in Makuuchi. 

[Akinomaki 41,839]

more local news - Ishikawa TV

 

[Akinomaki 41,839]

Looks like Endo is going for a record of time between reported as retiring and actually retiring.

Nothing has yet been reported as coming from the man himself. Endo is keeping his private life a secret, maybe we'll get to see photos of his wife for the first time at his danpatsushiki.

The heya and all others are now in Kyushu, he has no reason to be there. The retirement press conference with the oyakata may be held at the heya in Saitama.

---

An article today mentions that rumour of Endo intai has been heard in Saitama since 2 years ago. He has been seen walking around, apparently looking for a suitable place for a heya. Oitekaze beya premises are a 15 minutes walk away from the nearest train station and small.

https://smart-flash.jp/sports/374488/#:~:text=相撲

Edited October 29 by Akinomaki

[Koorifuu 1,120]

Career-high komusubi able to bide his time and choose the right place & time to retire and start his own heya - must be nice being popular. 

I'm starting to think his recent surgery didn't come about due to any aggravation, but moreso that he'd finally decided to retire so banzuke concerns weren't a consideration anymore, therefore removing that impediment to getting his knees sorted.

Edited October 29 by Koorifuu

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,291]

One of the best on the belt, his knee injury really hampered his mobility and therefore ability to get the initial grip, especially in the recent years. It’s a bit woeful that Oitekaze chose this treatment plan.

I wonder how the koenkai reformation will go for his heya.

[Akinomaki 41,839]

On 28/10/2025 at 08:08, Akinomaki said:

I wonder if the salary for sekitori/oyakata has something to do with the timing. Endo had the juryo salary for this month. He'll get the plain toshiyori salary, once he's Kitajin (not announced yet by the NSK, he is still makushita Endo). It should be no difference, if he hands in the papers today, or on the 31st, I don't think they deduct from the sekitori pay of the last month or pay oyakata salary for the last days of the month.

He will get the full salary also if he hands in the papers as of Nov. 1st, but I don't know what would be deducted if on a later date.

Now the tabloids have articles, no longer the proper papers.

Endo is called the no.1 of the non-talkers in the sumo world https://www.dailyshincho.jp/article/2025/10310602/?all=1

And he lives up to that also now

[Koorifuu 1,120]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but he can't walk back on this one anymore, right?

[RabidJohn 2,071]

51 minutes ago, Koorifuu said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but he can't walk back on this one anymore, right?

Why not? This appears to be nothing but media speculation prompted by circumstance and his kabu becoming available. It's suggestive of intai, but it's not official until the papers are handed in. 

Yes, I know it's possible to be forcibly retired after injudiciously discussing your plans with the press, but Endo is known for being tight-lipped, isn't he?

[Akinomaki 41,839]

https://sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokaiInformation/detail?id=723

The rijikai today acknowledged the intai and Kitajin succession.

- Just in time for a full salary 

Edited November 1 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 41,839]

Endo's career, from the NSK

- nothing yet about an intai press conference of the man who won't talk

Edited Tuesday at 10:40 by Akinomaki