Satonofuji Hisashi has been a career sumo wrestler since 1996. He is no champion wrestler—in fact, he is far from it. His highest attained rank was in the Makushita division in 2005, the third highest of six sumo divisions. Traditionally, the most elite wrestlers sat in a curtained area at the arena—makushita did not and the name thus translates to “below the curtain.” The current salary of makushita is about $800 U.S. per month.¹ If you enter the Isegahama stable today, you might find Satonofuji diligently training, but you will also find him performing lower-ranked sumo duties such as simmering chanko nabe or “sumo stew” for others, sweeping the communal living areas, cleaning the bathrooms, or carrying the higher ranked sekitori sumo’s belongings during tournament days. Now 47, he is currently ranked Jonokuchi, the lowest division, and unlikely to ever achieve Makushita again.

One may ask, “Why doesn’t he retire?” or think, “Clearly, he chose the wrong profession…” However, Satonofuji continues because he has uncovered his ikigai in sumo. Ikigai is a Japanese concept of “reason to being.” It can be defined by an overlap of four pillars:^2,3

• Passion – what makes you excited
• Mission – what makes a difference in the world
• Profession – what you can make a living on
• Vocation – what you’re good at

Another broader definition of ikigai is a “sense of purpose” or “what we wake up in the morning for” or “makes the time fly by.” It is as narrowly or broadly as we define it.

Satonofuji found his ikigai in sumo, but even more specifically, in the yumitori-shiki, or bow-twirling ceremony. He performs this short ritual, spinning, twirling, and sweeping a six-foot bamboo bow artfully above his head, across his body, and toward his feet. This custom is at the end of all the day’s sumo matches, oftentimes to an emptying stadium echoing the shuffling feet and distracted chatter of leaving spectators. But it’s no bother to Satonofuji. He’s “in the zone,” looking upwards to the sky or down toward the ground and without regard for a lack of an audience. His ikigai in the yumitori-shiki is not dependent on the spectators or what others define as a “good” sumo wrestler, but moreso on his own derivations of significance. In a 2022 interview about his performance of the yumitori-shiki, Satonofuji said, “Every single gesture has a meaning, so I put my heart into it.”