A portrait taken right after practice. The gaze conveys the trust of a photographer who "shares the same aspirations" as a man who pursues the path of sumo. It was three years since they met, and this shot was only possible because Hakuho approached Ogata, who is not allowed to approach the ring because she is a woman. At Miyagino stable in 2010.

The dohyo-iri ceremony at the Nagoya Tournament in 2010. The tournament was in jeopardy due to a baseball gambling scandal, and 31 people involved were suspended. Despite the decline in attendance and the lack of live broadcasts, he managed to win three tournaments in a row with no losses. This was the first such feat since the 1949 Summer Tournament, when the 15-day tournament format was established.

A scene of the makuuchi wrestlers' ring-entering ceremony at the September 2007 tournament. All the wrestlers from maegashira to ozeki line up wearing their kesho mawashi. They clap their hands, raise their right hands, grab their kesho mawashi, and raise both hands in a series of movements. The formal beauty of sumo takes shape in time and space. At the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall.

This photo was taken in 2007, when he had just started attending the stable. Before it moved to its current location, Miyagino stable was a "very modest" space, Ogata recalls. In that space, he lowered his hips and took slow steps, one by one, as if to feel the feel of the soil. He valued daily training more than anyone else.

A practice match filmed at the closest distance possible. Sumo cannot exist without harmony. The wrestlers fight to the point of exhaustion, syncing their movements and breathing with their opponents and refusing to give in. The wrestlers learn from the yokozuna and synchronize their breathing to master the techniques. At Miyagino stable in 2009.

Even in fierce matches, the tournament is enveloped in the elegance that comes from its formality. In stark contrast to this special occasion are the daily practice sessions. This is Ogata's "most emotional" moment in his pursuit of sumo. He is hit and knocked back, covered in mud. Monochrome is quietly excited. At Miyagino stable in 2009.

The entire stable joined together to weave the rope, and the ceremony took place to the sound of beating drums. Because of the tradition that Yokozuna should not show pain, the image of Yokozuna's face distorted in pain was kept secret. The intention to "record forever the image of Hakuho as a human being who becomes a god" was understood, and the public viewing was permitted. At Miyagino stable in 2007.

He appears to let out a roar right after training. In a world where politeness is valued, his behavior born from overflowing emotion has often caused controversy. His humanity that everyone loves, and those emotional moments are burned into my memory. This is also the reason why Ogata takes photographs. At Miyagino stable in 2007.

A shot of him practicing his Yokozuna dohyo-iri in his brand new mawashi. This is the start of history, breaking the jinx of the sumo world that the "Shiranui-gata" style was short-lived. This is a rare shot that will never be seen in the world, as he is training in his stable and his hairstyle is a topknot instead of the standard large ginkgo. At Miyagino stable in 2007.

"I will keep my spirit together and devote myself to sumo so as not to tarnish the title of Yokozuna," was his speech when he was promoted to Yokozuna. When he came to Japan, he was 175cm tall and weighed just over 60kg. He valued the basic exercises of shiko, suriashi, and teppo above all else, and practiced them more diligently than anyone else. In 2007, he joined the Miyagino stable.

Hakuho has been a hot topic on social media for stamping his handprints on 1,500 pieces of colored paper in a day. He is always smiling and eager to please, and is always ready to offer his services. This is evident in the playful way he points his blackened hand towards the camera. At Miyagino stable in 2007.

The 14th day of the 2010 Summer Tournament. After the scene in the work "Yokozuna Hakuho XIII", he wrestled with Ozeki Kotosho. After an unusual change of mawashi, he won all 14 matches in a ring where he could not afford to lose, extending his winning streak since the first tournament to 31. He vowed to enter his own golden age with the color of his mawashi.

Before the match on the 14th day of the 2010 Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. The mawashi, which had been brown until then, was changed to gold on this day. It is unusual to change mawashi during a tournament. The day before, Hakuho had won his 14th championship, tying the record of former yokozuna Wajima, whom he idolized. He dedicated the golden mawashi, which symbolizes Wajima.

During the ring-entering procession for the annual spring festival at Yasukuni Shrine. Just as Ogata described his first impression of Hakuho as "a beautiful sumo wrestler with cherry-pink skin that radiates a warm glow," Hakuho seems to be absorbing the gentle spring sunlight and the fragrance of the cherry blossoms. Yasukuni Shrine, 2008.

This is a dedication sumo tournament that began to console the spirits of Yasukuni Shrine. In the sumo arena that has been there since the shrine was first built, in addition to the bouts, there are also events that are not seen in the main tournament, such as the first cut, sumo chants, and the beating of yagura taiko drums. The 2008 Yokozuna Dohyo-iri. The Shiranui style that will be performed is the same style as Yokozuna Yoshibayama, a senior in the stable.

At a sumo dedication ceremony at Yasukuni Shrine in 2008, the yokozuna makes his way to the ring accompanied by his sword bearer and dew sweeper. Many fans look forward to this spring spectacle where they can feel the power of the yokozuna up close. It's been a year since they met. You can tell that Ogata finds joy in capturing "the sight of him shining ever brighter" in photographs.

Hakuho's father, a Mongolian sumo champion and Olympic silver medalist in wrestling, is a hero to him. He endured tough days of training in a world of different languages and cultures. Even when he wanted to run away, he endured because he knew he must not smear his father's reputation. His family remained the nucleus. At Miyagino stable with his parents and older sister in 2010.

Ogata says that "the sky suits him well" because when he was struggling during his early years, he would often look up at the night sky that his parents would be looking at in his hometown. It is as if the night sky is beginning to dye Hakuho's yukata. At an event on a houseboat where he interacted with fans in 2010.

Yokozuna dohyo-iri at the September 2010 tournament. Asashoryu retired that year, and he became the only Yokozuna from the March tournament. It was the first time in history that a Shiranui-style Yokozuna was the only Yokozuna in the rankings. In the November tournament, his winning streak came to an end at 63, and he commented to the press, "I guess this is a loss." It was a year of records and memories.

Filmed from an angle suggested by Hakuho. They decide on their foot positions, bend their hips, lower their arms, glare at each other, and stand up. Their backs and hips are straight and parallel to the ground, low and in a straight line. This is the formal beauty of sumo, and the aesthetics of a yokozuna standing to receive his opponent. At Miyagino stable in 2010.

The sumo ring after practice at Miyagino stable. Sand is piled up in the center of the ring, tamped down with boards, and after placing a gohei (sacred wrestler's wrestling stick), purified salt is scattered on three sides from the tokutawara (sacred wrestler's wrestling sack). It is a prayer and gratitude for the place where daily training takes place. Ogata's monochrome work invites us deeper into the sacredness that resides in the ring. At Miyagino stable in 2010.