Aonishiki Arata facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aonishiki Arata
安青錦 新大
Aonishiki in July 2025
Personal information
Born	Danylo Yavhusishyn (2004-03-23) March 23, 2004 (age 21) Vinnytsia, Vinnytska Oblast, Ukraine
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Weight	140 kg (310 lb; 22 st)
Career
Stable	Ajigawa
Current rank	see below
Debut	September 2023
Highest rank	Sekiwake (November 2025)
Championships	1 (Makuuchi) 1 (Jonidan) 1 (Jonokuchi)
Special Prizes	Fighting Spirit (2) Outstanding Performance (1) Technique (3)
Gold Stars	1 Hōshōryū
* Up to date as of November 23, 2025.

Medal record
Men's Sumo
Representing  Ukraine
World Junior Sumo Championships
Bronze	2019, Sakai (Osaka) Japan	100 kg
European Sumo Championships
Gold	2019, Tallinn, Estonia	-92 kg
Ukraine National Sumo Championship
Gold	2021, Melitopol	100 kg
Gold	2021, Melitopol	Openweight
Gold	2021, Melitopol	Team

Aonishiki Arata (born March 23, 2004, as Danylo Yavhusishyn) is a professional sumo wrestler from Ukraine. He is the second Ukrainian to become a professional sumo wrestler, following Shishi. Aonishiki wrestles for Ajigawa stable. His current and highest rank is sekiwake, which is the third-highest rank in sumo.

Aonishiki has shown amazing talent since he started. He won a top division title in his fifth tournament at that level. He also earned a special prize in each of his first five top division tournaments. He even earned a gold star (called a kinboshi) in his third tournament.

Early Life and Sumo Journey

Danylo Yavhusishyn started learning sumo when he was seven years old. He won third place at the 2019 World Junior Sumo Championships. He also trained in freestyle wrestling and judo. He became interested in sumo after seeing his older friends set up a sumo ring. He loved how fast-paced the matches were.

Danylo continued to practice sumo and won three gold medals at the Ukrainian national championships when he was 17. He was undefeated in those championships. He also finished ninth at the 2021 World Cadets Wrestling Championships. He once saw an online video of a match between two famous sumo wrestlers, Takanohana and Asashōryū. This made him think about becoming a professional sumo wrestler.

In February 2022, a difficult situation in his home country, Ukraine, led Danylo to leave. He first found safety in Germany. Then, in April of the same year, he arrived in Japan. He was helped by a friend, Arata Yamanaka, who was a sumo club captain at Kansai University. Danylo had met Arata at the 2019 World Junior Championships. In Japan, Danylo stayed with Arata's family in Kobe. They helped him feel at home and cope with being away from his family. Danylo even called them his "Japanese family."

Danylo trained with the sumo clubs at Kansai University and Hōtoku Gakuen High School. People noticed that he was already very skilled, even beating future professional wrestlers. He is still friends with the club members, who call him "Danya."

Through the university sumo clubs, Danylo met Ajigawa, a former famous sumo wrestler. In December 2022, Danylo was officially accepted into Ajigawa stable. Ajigawa was at first unsure about taking on foreign wrestlers. But Danylo's strong determination convinced him.

Becoming a Professional Wrestler

Danylo officially joined Ajigawa stable's training camp in July 2023. After getting a special work visa, he made his professional debut in September 2023. He was given a new ring name, or shikona, called Aonishiki Arata. The name "Aonishiki" combines the Japanese word for blue (青 (青)), which refers to the Ukrainian flag, with words meaning calm (安 (安)) and brocade (錦 (錦)), from his master's own ring name. He chose the first name "Arata" (error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)) to honor Arata Yamanaka, his friend who helped him in Japan. Aonishiki said, "now I feel like we're fighting together."

In his first professional tournament, Aonishiki won the lowest division, called jonokuchi. He then won his second championship in January 2024 in the jonidan division. In March 2024, he was promoted to sandanme. He had a winning streak of 20 matches before losing his last match in that tournament. For the May tournament, he was promoted to makushita and finished with a great record. In September 2024, Aonishiki continued to climb the makushita division. His excellent performance led to his promotion to the jūryō division for the November tournament.

Rising to the Jūryō Division

Aonishiki is the first wrestler from his stable to reach sekitori status, which means he reached the top two divisions. He is also the second Ukrainian wrestler to reach this high rank. His promotion was one of the fastest in sumo history.

At a press conference, Aonishiki shared that he was inspired by his country's athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics. He wanted to perform well and not disappoint. He also joked that his master was promoted to jūryō at age 21, and he wanted to make sure he didn't lose to him. In his first jūryō tournament, Aonishiki won ten matches. Even though he didn't attend Kansai University, they gave him a special ceremonial apron (a keshō-mawashi) because he trained there.

In January 2025, Aonishiki became one of the top wrestlers in the jūryō division. He even faced Shishi, the only other Ukrainian wrestler, in a historic match. Shishi won that match. Although Aonishiki didn't win the championship, his strong performance meant he was likely to be promoted to makuuchi, sumo's top division.

Reaching the Top Division: Makuuchi

A Fast Climb to the Top

Aonishiki was officially promoted to the top division for the March 2025 tournament. This was incredibly fast, making him one of the quickest wrestlers to reach the top division from their debut. With his compatriot Shishi also returning to the top division, Ukraine became the seventh foreign country to have two wrestlers in the makuuchi division.

Aonishiki remained humble about this achievement. He told reporters he was just following his master's instructions. He aimed for many wins and a special prize in his first top division tournament.

During the March tournament, Aonishiki proved to be a very strong competitor. He won seven matches in a row at one point. On Day 6, he beat his compatriot Shishi in the first makuuchi match between two Ukrainians. On the final day, Aonishiki won his eleventh match, earning him the Fighting Spirit prize. This made him one of the fastest wrestlers to win such an award.

In the May 2025 tournament, Aonishiki continued to impress. He had a great start, winning many matches. He faced some of the highest-ranked wrestlers, and even though he lost to a few, he still finished with eleven wins. He earned his second Fighting Spirit special prize. His strong performances made people wonder if he would soon be promoted to the san'yaku ranks, which are the highest ranks below yokozuna. He just missed out, instead being promoted to the highest maegashira rank for July.

During the July 2025 tournament, Aonishiki achieved his first ever kinboshi (gold star) by defeating the top-ranked yokozuna Hōshōryū. This was a new record for how quickly a wrestler earned their first gold star. He was close to winning the tournament, finishing as a runner-up in a five-way tie. He also earned the Technique prize for his skills.

In September 2025, Aonishiki was promoted to the rank of komusubi. This made him the first Ukrainian to reach the san'yaku ranks and the first for his stable. His promotion to komusubi was also a new record for speed. He also reached his 100th professional victory in this tournament, another record for speed. Aonishiki finished the tournament with eleven wins, earning him the Technique Prize again.

Winning a Top-Division Championship and Ōzeki Recommendation

Aonishiki was promoted to the rank of sekiwake for the November 2025 tournament. This was another historic achievement. He became the first sekiwake from his stable and from Ukraine. His promotion to sekiwake in just 13 tournaments was the fastest in modern sumo history. He also became the first new sekiwake in many years to have a winning record in every tournament since starting at the very bottom. Aonishiki said he was surprised but wanted to aim even higher.

With his fourth consecutive tournament of eleven wins, many people started talking about him being promoted to the rank of ōzeki, which is the second-highest rank in sumo. Judges noted his consistent wins and his victory over a yokozuna.

During the November tournament, Aonishiki won his ninth match against Tamawashi, the oldest wrestler in the top division. This match had the biggest age difference between competitors since World War II. Aonishiki continued to win, reaching ten victories and staying among the tournament leaders. On Day 13, he faced yokozuna Ōnosato. There was a small disagreement about the outcome of the match, but the judges decided Ōnosato was the winner. Aonishiki bounced back the next day, defeating yokozuna Hōshōryū for the third time. This gave him his eleventh win, reaching the 33 wins over three tournaments often needed for an ōzeki promotion. On the final day, Aonishiki defeated ōzeki Kotozakura. This led to a playoff against yokozuna Hōshōryū, which Aonishiki won using a clever wrestling move.

Aonishiki, at 21 years and 8 months old, became the fourth youngest wrestler in sumo history to win a makuuchi tournament. Ukraine became the sixth foreign country to have a top division champion. With only fourteen tournaments since his debut, Aonishiki is also the second fastest wrestler to win a top division trophy. For his amazing performance, Aonishiki received the Outstanding Performance and Technique prizes.

Expected Promotion to Ōzeki

After Aonishiki's victory in the November tournament, it was announced that the Sumo Association's Judging Department formally recommended him for promotion to ōzeki. The Sumo Association board is scheduled to meet on November 26 to discuss and approve this promotion. When asked about this, Aonishiki said he was happy but remembered that there is "one more rank above ōzeki," meaning he aims to become a yokozuna.

If the promotion is approved, Aonishiki's journey from debut to ōzeki in 14 tournaments would be the fastest in modern sumo history. He would also be one of the youngest wrestlers to reach this rank. What's more, he would be only the third wrestler in sumo history to earn promotion without ever having more losses than wins since his debut. This promotion would also make him the first wrestler in 89 years to be directly promoted to ōzeki after winning his first makuuchi tournament as a newly promoted sekiwake.

A Champion's Style

Aonishiki's most common winning move, or kimarite, is oshi-dashi (a frontal push out). He prefers to grip his opponent's belt (called a mawashi) with his left hand outside and right hand inside.

Aonishiki is not the biggest wrestler, but he makes up for it with his amazing technical skills. He is very good at using his arm positions, which sets him apart from other European wrestlers who often rely on their size. He is also known for his fast, direct attacks. He has excellent balance, allowing him to stay low and gain an advantage over his opponents. Since his amateur days, Aonishiki has studied the styles of wrestlers with a similar build to his own, including his master. He is also inspired by another wrestler, Wakatakakage, who helped him train.

Thanks to his technical abilities, Aonishiki often wins his fights using rare techniques. For example, in the January 2025 tournament, he used moves like kirikaeshi (a twisting backward knee trip) and uchimusō (an inner thigh propping twist down). Aonishiki also works hard to gain weight and trains his strength, lifting heavy weights.

After Aonishiki's third straight tournament with eleven wins in July 2025, other sumo experts praised his style. They compared him to famous past wrestlers, noting his excellent strength, technique, and dedication to improving.

Life Outside the Ring

Aonishiki has an older brother. His family found safety in Düsseldorf, Germany, where they now run a dry cleaning shop. When Aonishiki decided to move to Japan, his parents fully supported him.

Aonishiki speaks Ukrainian and Russian fluently. He also speaks English quite well. When he became a professional wrestler, people noticed he had already become fluent in Japanese, which he learned after arriving in Japan.

Career record

See also

• Glossary of sumo terms
• List of active sumo wrestlers
• List of non-Japanese sumo wrestlers
• List of sumo record holders
• List of sumo tournament top division runners-up
• List of active special prize winners
• List of sekiwake