Danilo Yavushishyn left war-torn Ukraine in pursuit of a dream: to become a professional sumo wrestler in Japan. At just 21 years old, he is already making waves in the age-old game.
As a teenager, he competed in the World Junior Sumo Championships. But when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, he had no choice but to leave his homeland.
Two months later, he reached Japan. His career progressed rapidly – within a year he had reached the upper ranks of sumo. By July, he was fighting for his first championship title and even managed to defeat one of the current yokozuna twice along the way.
Now competing under the ring name "Aonishiki Arata", he speaks fluent Japanese and aims high. At a press conference in Tokyo on 9 October, he said he hoped to become the first European to reach sumo's highest rank.
He admitted, "When I first entered the world of sumo, I believed I could reach the top rank, but I never thought it would happen so quickly." "I'm surprised too. My goal now is to become yokozuna."
Born in central Ukraine, Yavushishyn began practicing sumo at the age of seven and became national champion at the age of 17.
When the war broke out, his age exempted him from the Ukrainian draft for men 18 years of age and older. Before going to Japan, he first took refuge in Germany.
His parents lived in Germany, and when they first arrived in Japan, they did not speak a word of Japanese.
He has now settled into his new life, although he admits he still misses Ukraine. Since leaving, he has not been able to return.
He said, "Of course, I want to go back. This is where I was born and raised, and I still have a lot of friends and family there." "If I could, I'd love to walk those streets again and see everyone."
Yavushishin debuted in July 2023 and became the second Ukraine-born professional sumo wrestler, known as Shishi in the ring, after Serhiy Sokolovsky.
Sokolowski had moved to Japan before the fight, ht and the two now faced each other as rivals in the ring.
“Shishi gave me some advice at first, but now we are competitors, so I don't want to get too close,” Yavushishin explained. "We don't talk much, but maybe when we both retire, I'll try to be friends with him."
His rapid rise through the ranks has been remarkable – he is the fifth-fastest player since Japan introduced the six-tournament system in 1958.
In his 12th tournament, he defeated Yokozuna and has won every match so far.
He has the talent for a long and successful career in sumo. Still, he admits the journey is not always easy.
"Every person has moments of weakness, times when you feel tired or frustrated. But I know my goal, and I keep it in mind," he said. "Even when things get tough, I still have to keep going."
