![[Sumo Songs] Theme Songs that Excite the Dohyō and Title Tracks that Color the Story](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/Qx30R2L9xTw/maxresdefault.webp)
[Sumo Songs] Theme Songs that Excite the Dohyō and Title Tracks that Color the Story
Sumo, a traditional Japanese culture.
There are surprisingly many songs related to sumo—familiar TV broadcast theme tunes, as well as theme songs from anime, dramas, and films that feature sumo.
In this article, we’re spotlighting songs connected to sumo! From majestic pieces that make you sit up straight to melodies with a friendly, familiar feel, we’ve gathered a wide variety.
They’re sure to make watching sumo even more enjoyable and spark even greater interest in the sport, so be sure to check them out.
[Sumo Songs] Theme Songs That Fire Up the Dohyo and Opening Themes That Color the Story (1–10)
Grand Sumo Broadcast Ending Theme
Do you know that melody that plays, along with highlights from the ring, just before the final broadcast of the tournament ends? It’s an instrumental piece created as the ending theme for NHK’s “Grand Sumo Highlights” on the final day, and it has been beloved since the September 1995 tournament.
Edited to fit the short digest footage, its structure beautifully enhances the drama unique to each meet.
The sound blends the exhilaration of closing out fifteen days of fierce battles with the poignancy that follows the festival—an indispensable presence for sumo fans.
It’s a track that lets you savor the afterglow and makes you want to applaud the wrestlers as the tournament comes to an end.
Flying BAK-69
AK-69, a charismatic figure in Japan’s hip-hop scene who keeps rapping about the indomitable spirit of clawing your way up from the bottom and aiming for the top.
This track is a fiery anthem of fighting spirit, depicting his resolve to turn adversity into fuel and rise from “B-class” to soaring in the sky.
With no Auto-Tune, his rap hurls the raw cry from deep in his chest straight at you, shaking the listener’s emotions to the core.
Released as a single in February 2016, it was also included on DAWN, his first album after moving to the prestigious Def Jam Recordings.
Listen to it at the moment you steel yourself to step into the ring—like a sumo wrestler heading to the dohyo—and it’s sure to push you forward.
Sumo Jinku
In the world of sumo, Japan’s national sport, this is a traditional oral performance art that has been lovingly passed down by wrestlers.
A solo chant set to a pleasing 7-5 rhythm overlaps with the interjections of surrounding rikishi—shouts of “Hoi!” and “Dosukoi!”—creating a unique sense of exhilaration just by listening.
At events such as exhibition tours and charity sumo, it’s performed in a relaxed atmosphere different from official bouts and has become a staple that delights audiences.
The lyrics are often auspicious or humorous, so hearing them at celebrations or when you need a lift is sure to brighten your spirits.
Hakkiyoi! Grand Sumo: Hiyono-yama Counting SongNihon Sumō Kyōkai
This song was created with the wish to share the fun of professional sumo with children.
It’s a counting song that lets you enjoyably learn sumo movements and terminology in rhythm.
The melody is friendly for kids, yet it’s a warm tune that also makes adults feel nostalgic.
Released by the Japan Sumo Association in January 2012, it’s performed by the Oyakata All Stars, a group of former star wrestlers who became stablemasters.
Produced as a PR song for the official character “Hakkeyoi! Sekitori-kun,” it features a must-hear, star-studded arrangement in which ten stablemasters take turns singing in relay fashion!
RIKISHI-MANFūdanshiku
When you listen to this song, would you realize it’s a sumo song sung by idols? This single by the cross-dressing unit Fudanjuku was released in May 2013.
Remarkably, it was certified as an official song by the Japan Sumo Association, and its lyrics—peppered with sumo winning techniques—are uniquely crafted and incredibly hype! At the certification ceremony at Ryogoku Kokugikan, it was performed in front of a yokozuna, and it even reached No.
7 on the Oricon weekly chart.
Some of you may know it as the ending theme of “Mayonaka no Obaka Sawagi!” It’s an energetic track that fills you with the courage to hold your ground at the very edge of the ring.
FIRE GROUNDOfisharu Higedan Dism
FIRE GROUND is a soul-stirring rock number powered by a pulsating groove and roaring, hard-edged guitars.
Official HIGE DANDism included it on their 2018 release Stand By You EP, and it was chosen as the opening theme for the TV anime Hinomaru Sumo.
Fusing funk and rock, the track ignites a fighting spirit reminiscent of sumo wrestlers clashing fiercely in the ring.
Its large-scale music video, filmed in Los Angeles, also caused quite a stir at the time.
It’s the perfect song to play right before a make-or-break moment or whenever you need to fire yourself up.
Be the NAKEDLead
The tension feels like a gong signaling the start of battle, and it makes you sit up straight without thinking! This work by the dance and vocal unit Lead is a single released in January 2019.
It was used as the opening theme for the TV anime Hinomaru Sumo, featuring a heavy beat reminiscent of sumo wrestlers clashing fiercely in the ring, and aggressive rap woven by the members that really leaves an impression.
It carries a fiery message about baring your inner fighting spirit and aiming for the top, and just listening to it seems to draw strength from deep within your core.
It’s the perfect track for firing yourself up before a showdown you can’t lose, or for instantly boosting your motivation in a make-or-break moment.