On day 15 of the Haru Basho, eight rikishi were tied for the makushita division championship on a
score of 6-1 and a grand play-off was in prospect. Play-offs are common in the lower divisions,
but an eight way play-off is quite unusual, taking the form of a knockout quarter-finals stage,
followed by semi-finals and a final.
The deserving winner with a dominating performance was Tokushinho.