If he had entered professional sumo in either of those years he would have started as a makushita tsukedashi and skipped the lower divisions, but his parents wanted him to complete his education.

He rose up the ranks quickly, winning the yūshō or tournament championships in the jonidan and sandanme divisions with perfect 7-0 records.

In the July 2017 tournament he earned a kinboshi or gold star in his first ever match against a yokozuna, defeating Kakuryū,[1] and finished with eight wins.

[3] In January 2018 he won a fourth straight kinboshi by defeating Hakuhō on Day 3,[4] but he finished the tournament with only four wins against eleven losses.

Commenting on his performance, he expressed his desire to break his record for makuuchi wins with a twelfth victory over one of the other wrestlers competing for the title, the newly promoted Hakuōhō.

[15] In September, Hokutofuji revealed he injured his right calf during a training session prior to the sixth day of the tournament.

[17] In an editorial for Sports Nippon, Tamanoi-oyakata praised Hokutofuji and his "veteran skills" and for overcoming his neck and knee injuries.

[20] At the start of the January 2025 tournament it was announced that Hokutofuji underwent knee surgery and had also developed a herniated disc, resulting in his withdrawal.

[21] Hokutofuji's performances to date suggest that he is an oshi-sumo specialist who favours pushing techniques to fighting on the mawashi or belt.

The wedding reception was officially held on 17 February 2024 at a hotel in Tokyo with about 600 attendees, including his stablemaster and Sumo Association president Hakkaku.

[23] Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi Terunofuji (retired) Kotozakura Hōshōryū Ōnosato Wakamotoharu Daieishō Abi Wakatakakage Takanoshō Kirishima Tobizaru Atamifuji Gōnoyama Ōhō Shōdai Ura Hiradoumi Chiyoshōma Takayasu Ichiyamamoto Endō Mitakeumi Rōga Takarafuji Churanoumi Ōshōma Tamawashi Meisei Midorifuji Takerufuji Nishikigi Ōnokatsu Shōnannoumi Kotoshōhō Hokutofuji Kinbōzan Hakuōhō Kitanowaka Tamashōhō Kagayaki Nishikifuji Tokihayate