Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card decks

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Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card decks

Missing just a few minor variations, this is my collection of Japanese "Trump" sumo playing card decks from the Heisei Era (1989-2019). Also included are a few decks from the previous Showa Era (1926-1989), as well as all the decks from the current Reiwa Era (2020-date). Beginning in 1973, the Nihon Sumo Kyokai (NSK),also known as the Japan Sumo Association (JSA)-- has normally released at least one, (sometimes with an additional 2, or even 3 updated decks) of these sumo trump playing card decks per year. These trump decks were sold at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan (Sumo Arena) in Tokyo. As my interest in sumo did not begin until the late 90's, I decided to concentrate on decks which contained sumo wrestlers I was familiar with---with the goal to collect all of the decks issued from 1989 (the beginning of the Reiwa Era) forward.
The decks themselves roughly approximate the Banzuke (Sumo rankings chart) of the month/year they were produced. The King cards are comprised of the highest rankers (the Ozeki and Yokozuna), while the Junior Sanyaku ranks (Sekiwake and Komusubi) as well as some of the top Maegashira ranks occupy the remainder of the "face" cards. The lower ranked Maegashira and even some top Juryo (2nd division) wrestlers fill out the rest of the numerical cards in the deck, in descending order (the higher the rank, the higher the card number). The Gyoji (referee) usually is depicted as the Joker card in the deck. Long time sumo wrestlers may have only a few different photos used on the cards over their careers..as it is not uncommon for the same photo of a rikishi to be reused in subsequent decks. I have included scans of the top 9 cards in each deck which largely distinguish it from other year's Trump decks.
"Orange" sided cardboard boxes, with sumo artwork on the front (as well as the backs), are used to house current Trump issues beginning in 2008 (barcodes were added to the backs beginning in 2020). Previously the same box, but with "green" sides was used from 2002-2007. Going back further; completely Green boxes (front/back) were used from 1991-3 to 2001, while Orange (front/w/light green back) boxes were used from 1989 to 1991-2. From 1985-1 to 1986-2 they used green boxes with a little window. Prior to 1985 white boxes were used.....images of the boxes that came with my decks appear at the bottom of the page.

Album by Michael Ford. 1 - 63 of 63 Total. 2325 Visits.

1 1975-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (Showa Era/Debut Chiyonofuji)	2 1978-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Showa Era)	3 1979-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Showa Era)	4 1989-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Heisei Era begins)	5 1989-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $40 (Debuts of Takahanada & Wakahanada)	6 1990-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Akebono)
7 1990-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Asahifuji as Yokozuna)	8 1991-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Final appearance of Chiyonofuji)	9 1991-3 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Takanonami)	10 1992-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Musashimaru)	11 1992-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25	12 1993-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (updated w/extra KH,QH) Approx value: $25 (Debut of Kaio)
13 1993-4 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (updated w/extra QS) Approx value: $25 (Debut of Akebono as Yokozuna)	14 1993-5 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Musoyama)	15 1994-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Two different Akebono cards)	16 1994-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25	17 1995 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Takanohana as Yokozuna)	18 1996 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25
19 1997 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Chiyotaikai)	20 1998-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25	21 1998-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (updated w/extra KD Wakanohana as Yokozuna) Approx value: $25	22 1999-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (updated w/extra KC,9S) Approx value: $30 (Debut of Musashimaru as Yokozuna)	23 2000 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx. value: $100 (Four different Yokozuna cards: final cards of Akebono, Wakanohana)	24 2001 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $30 (Debut of Asashoryu)
25 2002 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx. value: $30	26 2003 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $35 (final appearances of Musashimaru & Takanohana (as Joker) as well as debut of Asahoryu as Yokozuna)	27 2004 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $40 (Debut of Hakuho)	28 2005 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx. value: $30 (Debuts: Ama, Kisenosato, Kotooshu, Kotoshogiku)	29 2006 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $30	30 2007 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $30 (Debut of Kakuryu)
31 2007 Mongolian Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx. value: $100	32 2008-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $30 (Debut of Tochinoshin/ Hakuho as Yokozuna)	33 2009 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $30 (Ama becomes Harumafuji)	34 2010 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Final appearance of Asashoryu)	35 2012 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (no 2011 deck was issued due to match fixing scandal)	36 2013 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Harumafuji as Yokozuna)
37 2014 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut: Terunofuji)	38 2015 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Kakuryu as Yokozuna)	39 2016 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25	40 2017-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (updated w/extra KC) Approx value: $25 (Debut of Kisenosato as Yokozuna and Takakeisho)	41 2017-3 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Final appearance of Harumafuji)	42 2018 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Asanoyama)
43 2019-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (updated w/extra Joker) Approx value: $25 (End of Heisei Era)	44 2020 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Reiwa Era begins/Debut of Hoshoryu)	45 2021 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (Debut of Terunofuji as Yokozuna)	46 2023 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (no 2022 deck was issued due to Covid-19)	47 2024-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (debut: Onosato)	48 2024-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25 (debut: Takerafuji)
49 2024-3 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Approx value: $25	50 2025-1 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (w/xtra Joker) Approx value: $25	51 2025-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (w/final Terunofuji) Approx value: $25	52 WANTED: 2008-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (with 5 extra updated cards)	53 WANTED: 2025-3 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck (w/debut of Hoshoryu as Yokozuna) Approx value: $25	54 WANTED: 2025-4 Kokugikan Trump sumo playing card deck (w/debut of Onosato as Yokozuna) approx value: $25
55 1973-1984 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck White cardboard box type	56 1985-1 to 1986-2 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Green cardboard box w/window type	57 1989 to 1991 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Orange cardboard box type	58 1987-88, and 1992-2001 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck Green cardboard box type	59 2002-2007 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck cardboard box type (green sides)	60 2008-2019 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck cardboard box type (orange sides/ no bar code on back)
61 2020-2025 Kokugikan Trump Sumo playing card deck cardboard box type (orange sides/bar code on back)	62 My favorite...the King of the Ring! (appeared in the 2001-2010 decks)	63 Yokozuna Hakuho would appear in Trump decks from 2004-2021

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Thank you for sharing the decks. I recently got into collecting Showa Retro playing cards and took great interest in the sumo ones. Thanks to your album, referencing the years become easier
- Tia Oguri, Sun, 21 Dec 2025 12:31PM

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