Do hometown rikishi really perform better?

Conclusion

There is no broad home advantage in this sample. Rikishi from the Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka regions won 47.3% at their local basho, compared with 47.9% elsewhere. Individual venue records can stand out in small samples, but the overall data is not a prediction signal.

Methodology

Period

2000 Hatsu Basho～2026 Natsu Basho

Sample

Makuuchi Kuniorikishi from Osaka/Nagoya/Fukuoka area

Sample size

4,042 people at the local venue, 20,502 people at other venues

Calculation

Local Basho 47.3%, other venues 47.9%

Reference

48.8% from Tokyo (7,861 bouts total) and 50.6% from regional areas (7,804 bouts total)

How to read this

This is a summary of birthplaces in a wide area. Individual differences and opponent strength were not adjusted.