Sumo is without a doubt, one of the most Japanese of sports, boasting a history of more than 1500 years. We bring you daily highlights from the Grand Sumo Tournament held 6 times a year. See how powerful wrestlers with an average weight of more than 160 kilos clash in the sacred ring in a bid to claim the Emperor's Cup.
Also don't miss "Sumopedia", our short introductions to sumo's profound history and fascinating trivia that airs every day after the highlight show.
Born and raised in Tokyo, Hiro spent his teenage years and then some in the United States, in Columbus, Ohio.
He is a play-by-play announcer during grand sumo tournaments, host of GRAND SUMO Preview and GRAND SUMO Highlights.
Murray Johnson was born and raised in Western Australia and has worked in many facets of broadcasting since 1975 and began working for NHK radio and television in 1991. News and sports are his main activities these days being the only horse racing/sumo commentator in the world.
Ross Mihara has lived and worked on both sides of the Pacific, and in-between. Born in Los Angeles, he grew up in Hawaii, where he was a television producer, reporter, and sports anchor. A move to Japan as an international exchange student led to opportunities at NHK, covering news, sports, and business. These days, he is one of the anchors of NHK NEWSLINE. Ross began doing the live sumo broadcast in September 1994 and is the longest-tenured of the four announcers.
Raja Pradhan was born in Kyoto and raised in Yokohama. He is a regular anchor for NHK Newsline. In his 20s, Raja had plenty of opportunities to see the world while working for a European airline. He has put that experience to good use in covering international news as a journalist. But he is also passionate about introducing the beauty of Japanese traditions and culture through sports, including sumo.
Originally from Ireland, and a former amateur sumo wrestler, John is content director of Inside Sport: Japan as well as a sumo commentator and reporter on various NHK shows.
