As Chiyotaikai retires, will the next Japanese sumo star please step forward

Chiyotaikai, the former ozeki has decided to call it quits having lost his final bout against Kaio. Chiyotaikai had been demoted to sekiwake for the New Year Basho, currently underway in Tokyo, and having lost all of his opening bouts, his chances of securing ten wins - thereby ensuring he would regain his ozeki status - were looking increasingly slim. His retirement, however, only adds to more weight the question being asked with increasing regularity: where are the next Japanese sumo stars?

A quick look at the top ranks of sumo, yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake and komusubi, paints a less than pleasing picture for Japanese fans looking to restore some national pride to their ancient national sport: both yokozuna are Mongolian, only two of the four ozeki are Japanese (Harumafuji is Mongolian and Kotooshu is Bulgarian), Estonian Baruto is currently the sole sekiwake and another Mongolian, Kakuryu, is one of the two komusubi. The last Japanese yokozuna was Takanohana, who retired in 2003, and the latest Japanese wrestler to win a tournament was Tochiazuma back in November 2006. With interest in the sport waning as the domination of Asashoryu and Hakuho continues, many are asking which of the current crop of Japanese wrestlers can challenge them.

Ozeki Kaio, it has to be said, is not likely to be one of them. Rumours of his imminent retirement have been circulating for the last couple of years and, at 37 years old, he surely can't have many more tournaments left in him. He lifted his last Emperor's Cup in 2004 and, as he has recently surpassed legendary yokozuna Chiyonofuji's record of 807 victories in the elite makuuchi division, his motivation to stay active may not be so strong.

He is a brilliant wrestler, but he is surely in the twilight of his career. The other Japanese ozeki, Kotomitsuki (apparently Princess Aiko's favourite) last won a tournament way back in 2001 when he was ranked at maegashira. Although a very powerful wrestler, at 33-years-old, he may have missed his chance to step up to yokozuna.

Current komusubi Kotoshogiku shows some promise and, at 25-years-old, still has the chance to make the grade. He needs to put together a few solid performances in order to stake his claim to a permanent position amongst the elite, however, and starting this tournament with three consecutive losses is not the best way to go about it. A name that frequently pops up when discussing the 'next big thing' is Ibaraki native Kisenosato. He certainly is not lacking in either confidence nor power, yet he also seems to blow hot and cold, having made it to sekiwake yet never quite doing enough to make it to ozeki. Still, at 23-years-old, he still has time to prove himself. Another 23-year-old who continues to cause ripples is Osaka bruiser Goeido, who recently dealt Asashoryu his first loss of the tournament. Here, yet again, is a wrestler who seems to be imperious one day and staggeringly lacklustre the next, however. If these wrestlers really want to be up there challenging the top wrestlers on a regular basis, which they are both capable of and should be doing, they really need to be more consistent. Toyonoshima is another wrestler capable of causing an upset, but rarely looks as if he could take the title. Although a popular wrestler, Homasho just doesn't seem to be able to put it together when it counts. At 28-years-old, he is running out of time to prove his worth. One very new name being bandied around as a possible future prospect is Myogiryu, who has unfortunately withdrawn from the New Year Basho where he was ranked in the juryo division for the first time, having debuted in May 2009. Testament to how rapid his rise been so far is the fact that his hair is not yet long enough to tie into the chonmage top-knot.

Whether or not any of these - or other - wrestlers make the grade, one thing is certain: unless a Japanese wrestler can start challenging the foreigners on a regular basis, the first banzuke in history in which none of the top-ranked wrestlers are Japanese may not be far away.

As Chiyotaikai retires, will the next Japanese sumo star please step forward

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