-A day in the life of a rikishi-

The life of a rikishi is not as easy as one may think. For most lower ranked rikishi, the day starts anywhere around 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., when they wake up. Then, they head down to the keikoba (practice area) to start their strenuous training, which you can read about in the other part of this section.

After practice is over, and lunch has been served, the lower ranked rikishi start their chores. All rikishi in that stable must start cleaning the stable. This includes: Sweeping the floors, taking out the trash, cleaning the bathrooms, and straightening up the bedroom areas. After these chores are completed, they then start on the laundry. The lower-ranked rikishi have their laundry, and the upper-ranked rikishi's laundry as well.

After those chores are completed, the rikishi are free for the rest of the day. Some rikishi will go to a large communal room in the stable, or they will go take a nap. Other things they like to do in their free time are: play pachinko, video games, read comics, or going to nightclubs. Around 4:30, the rikishi assigned to kitchen duty will begin preparations for dinner.

One thing that many people do not know is that rikishi that are in the ranks from Makushita down have to be servants for the upper-ranked rikishi. They have to be at their beck and call day in and day out. They have to cook for them, clean for them, and they have to do pretty much whatever the upper ranked rikishi wants the Tsukebito (name for attendant) to do.

All rikishi are required to live in the stable every day. Rikishi cannot get married or move out of the stable unless they are at Juryo rank or higher.

The pay in Sumo is almost nonexistent until you get into the Juryo rank and higher. Here is a chart depicting how much rikishi get paid (gross) per year. I remind you, this is for being a servant day in and day out for the upper ranked rikishi, cooking, cleaning, and for practicing every single day. The lower ranked rikishi are in red, the professional ranks are in white.

Upper ranked rikishi can make extra cash by making public appearances, starring in commercials (The Japan Sumo Association Takes a rather large cut out of these, though...about 70%) Or, they can win the prize money from the prize envelopes in matched that are sponsored.