The Foreigner who Forced the JSA to Swallow its Punishment: Sokokurai

Sokokurai (Sōkokurai, 蒼国来) is one of the most unique foreign rikishi stories in modern sumo. Born as Enhetubuxin in Inner Mongolia, he climbed the ranks in Japan, fought through Jūryō and Makuuchi, and became known not just for his sumo, but for the storm that followed him inside the Japan Sumo Association (JSA). After the 2011 match-fixing (yaocho) scandal, Sokokurai was expelled, and the JSA handed down one of its harshest punishments. But instead of disappearing, he pushed back with a lawsuit that led to a Tokyo District Court battle, forcing the JSA to face serious questions about fairness, evidence, and how punishments are decided in professional sumo. In this SumoSpirit deep dive, we break down who Sokokurai really was, what happened during the scandal, why his case became so explosive, and how his reinstatement changed the conversation around foreign rikishi, corruption, and JSA power. Like and subscribe for more sumo stories on SumoSpirit.