1909 to 1957 edit
The following tables list the champions before the introduction of the current tournament system. The system was less regularized between years, with a different number of tournaments held at different times and in different venues, and often with a changing number of bouts fought in each tournament.
| January | March | May | September | November | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Osaka | Tokyo | Tokyo | Kyushu | |
| 1957 | Chiyonoyama (6) | Asashio III (2) | Annenyama | Tochinishiki (6) | Tamanoumi I (1) |
| New Year | Spring | Summer | Autumn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Osaka | Tokyo | Tokyo | |
| 1956 | Kagamisato (3) | Asashio III (1) | Wakanohana I (1) | Kagamisato (4) |
| 1955 | Chiyonoyama (4) | Chiyonoyama (5) | Tochinishiki (5) | Kagamisato (2) |
| 1954 | Yoshibayama | Mitsuneyama | Tochinishiki (3) | Tochinishiki (4) |
| 1953 | Kagamisato (1) | Tochinishiki (2) | Tokitsuyama | Azumafuji (6) |
| Spring | Summer | Autumn | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Tokyo | Tokyo | |
| 1952 | Haguroyama (7) | Azumafuji (5) | Tochinishiki (1) |
| 1951 | Terukuni (2) | Chiyonoyama (3) | Azumafuji (4) |
| 1950 | Chiyonoyama (2) | Azumafuji (3) | Terukuni (1) |
| 1949 | Azumafuji (2) | Masuiyama (2) | Chiyonoyama (1) |
| 1948 | no tournament | Azumafuji (1) | Masuiyama (1) |
| 1947 | no tournament | Haguroyama (5) | Haguroyama (6) |
| 1946 | no tournament | no tournament | Haguroyama (4) |
| 1945 | no tournament | Bishūyama | Haguroyama (3) |
| 1944 | Saganohana | Haguroyama (2) | Maedayama |
| 1943 | Futabayama (11) | Futabayama (12) | no tournament |
| 1942 | Futabayama (9) | Futabayama (10) | no tournament |
| 1941 | Futabayama (8) | Haguroyama (1) | no tournament |
| 1940 | Futabayama (7) | Akinoumi | no tournament |
| 1939 | Dewaminato (1) | Futabayama (6) | no tournament |
| 1938 | Futabayama (4) | Futabayama (5) | no tournament |
| 1937 | Futabayama (2) | Futabayama (3) | no tournament |
| 1936 | Tamanishiki (9) | Futabayama (1) | no tournament |
| 1935 | Tamanishiki (7) | Tamanishiki (8) | no tournament |
| 1934 | Minanogawa (2) | Shimizugawa (3) | no tournament |
| 1933 | Asashio** (1) | Tamanishiki (6) | no tournament |
| Spring | March | Summer | October | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | varied | Tokyo | varied | |
| 1932 | Shimizugawa (1) | Okitsuumi | Tamanishiki (5) | Shimizugawa (2) |
| 1931 | Tamanishiki (3) | Tamanishiki (4) | Musashiyama | Ayazakura |
| 1930 | Toyokuni (2) | Tsunenohana (10) | Yamanishiki | Tamanishiki (2) |
| 1929 | Tamanishiki (1) | Toyokuni (1) | Tsunenohana (8) | Tsunenohana* (9) |
| 1928 | Hitachiiwa | Noshirogata | Tsunenohana (7) | Miyagiyama (2) |
| 1927 | Miyagiyama (1) | Tsunenohana (4) | Tsunenohana (5) | Tsunenohana (6) |
[1] *tournament held in September
| Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Tsunenohana (3) | Orochiyama |
| 1925 | Tochigiyama (9) | Nishinoumi III (1) |
| 1924 | Tochigiyama (7) | Tochigiyama (8) |
| 1923 | Tochigiyama (6) | Tsunenohana (2) |
| 1922 | Tsurugahama | Ōnishiki (5) |
| 1921 | Ōnishiki (4) | Tsunenohana (1) |
| 1920 | Ōnishiki (2) | Ōnishiki (3) |
| 1919 | Tochigiyama (4) | Tochigiyama (5) |
| 1918 | Tochigiyama (2) | Tochigiyama (3) |
| 1917 | Ōnishiki (1) | Tochigiyama (1) |
| 1916 | Nishinoumi II (1) | Tachiyama (9) |
| 1915 | Ōtori (2) | Tachiyama (8) |
| 1914 | Tachiyama (7) | Ryōgoku |
| 1913 | Ōtori (1) | Tachiyama (6) |
| 1912 | Tachiyama (4) | Tachiyama (5) |
| 1911 | Tachiyama (2) | Tachiyama (3) |
| 1910 | Hitachiyama (1) | Tachiyama (1) |
| 1909 | see below* | Takamiyama I |
*A yūshō system giving the wrestler with the best tournament record a prize was introduced by the Mainichi newspaper in the second half of 1909, and this was officially integrated by the JSA in 1926. All tournaments predating the second tournament of 1909 did not recognize or award a championship. As a consequence of this, yokozuna Hitachiyama had seven pre-1909 mathematical "championship" equivalents that are uncounted here, and yokozuna Tachiyama had two.
**Asashio would later become Minanogawa Tōzō
- ^ "The Sumo Record Book". Nihon Sumo Kyokai. Archived from the original on 2007-05-24. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
- ^ "Sumo Reference Database". Sumo Reference Database. Retrieved 2011-07-20.