2. Prize money

(figures are thousand Yen)

Kensho

Kensho are sponsor prizes for Makunouchi bouts only.
The sponsors pay 60 000 yen for each Kensho to get their sponsor banner shown.
Kensho banner are carried around the Dohyo by Yobidashi while the Rikishi are announced - in plain Japanese by the Gyoji on hall announcement duty.
The sponsors are named by him too, but NHK turns the hall sound down and the commentators talk over it.
Before that the two competing Rikishi were called (in a singing voice) onto the Dohyo by a Yobidashi and presented there (in a singing voice) to the audience by the Gyoji on the Dohyo.

55 000  Yen the winner of the bout gets for each Kensho.
30 000 Yen in an envelope at once (they get bundled and handed over by the
Gyoji during the ceremony for announcing the winner),
25 000 Yen are used to pay the Rikishi's taxes and go into a savings account under the name of the Rikishi as a pension fund.
The rest of 5000 Yen the Sumo Kyokai uses for administrative purposes:
Producing the daily list of fights (Torikumi), the hall announcements, and the Yobidashi who carried the Kensho.

The top 10 Kensho winners of the Osaka Basho 1999.
33 Musashimaru
33 Takanonami
31 Takanohana
29 Wakanohana
22 Tokitsuumi
19 Takatoriki
16 Kaio
15 Miyabiyama
14 Chiyotenzan
13 Tochiazuma
 

The most Kensho are usually for the last days.

Musashimaru, the tournament winner, had 13 wins to collect his Kensho.
For Wakanohana only 5 till day 9. Takanohana had 8 wins till day 10, Takanonami 12 wins and lost on the last day to Musashimaru.
 

For comparison, the top from the Aki Basho 1998:
76 Wakanohana
67 Takanohana
40 Musashimaru
39 Chiyotaikai
30 Akebono
26 Takanonami
22 Terao
19 Tochiazuma
19 Tokitsuumi
15 Takatoriki
15 Dejima
15 Kotonowaka

Takanohana won the title there.

Prize Money has doubled in 1994 (figures are thousand Yen)

Makunouchi Yusho (Yuushoo): 10000

Sansho: 2000 each for every Rikishi getting one (winning all three: 6000)

• Kanto-sho (fighting spirit)
• Shukun-sho (winning against Yokozuna and Ozeki - especially those winning the Basho)
• Gino-sho (good winning technique)

The data for the other divisions Yusho:
1993
Juryo: 1000, Makushita: 300, Sandanme: 200 Jonidan: 200, Jonokuchi: 100

since 1994
Juryo: 2000, Makushita: 500, Sandanme: 300 Jonidan: 200, Jonokuchi: 100

The biggest are the Tanimachi and the Kooenkai, the sponsor groups. They exist for an individual Rikishi, often from his birthplace, and for one Heya, i. e. the Oyakata.

Others are Jungyo tournaments in the provinces, the 2 day tournaments, goods like hand prints and signs.
The newest addition is an award of 1 million Yen for the Makunouchi Rikishi ranked below Ozeki, who has the combined best results in the Jungyo tour.
This measure aims to make the local tournaments more competitive.

Income from commercial ads etc. was allowed again in 1995, on the condition that the company has to be a sponsor for the Jungyo tour.