Tachimochi

: sword carrier) is one of the two attendants that accompany a yokozuna when he performs his dohyō-iri, or ring entrance ceremony.

After the yokozuna has completed his ceremonial dance, the tachimochi will once again follow him off the dohyō.

The tachimochi must be a makuuchi ranked sumo wrestler (or rikishi) and is, if possible, from the same training stable (or heya) as the yokozuna.

A wrestler who is scheduled to fight the yokozuna on a particular day of a honbasho (or tournament) will not act as his tachimochi.

An ōzeki can act as a tachimochi during a wrestler's very first dohyō-iri, held at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.

Asasekiryū (left) acts as tachimochi during his stablemate Asashōryū 's dohyō-iri in January 2008.
An example of a yokozuna acting as a tachimochi , at Minanogawa 's retirement ceremony at the Yasukuni Shrine in 1942.