Amid renewed talk of his retirement, Japanese grand champion Kisenosato announced Thursday his decision to compete from the start of the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Kisenosato's participation in the year's opening grand tournament had been in question after he became the first yokozuna in 87 years to post four straight opening losses at the Kyushu meet in November, then withdrew for a ninth time in 11 tournaments with pain in his right knee.

"I've been able to have unusually good practices up to this point, and I'm getting close to (the condition) I want to be in," Kisenosato said after training at his Tagonoura stable in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward.

"Now I just have to take on the tournament. I hope I can focus strongly day-by-day."

The 32-year-old grand champion's result in November prompted the yokozuna council to issue their dissatisfaction with his performance and revived suspicion that Kisenosato would be forced to call time on his 17-year career if he opted not to compete in Tokyo.

"His feelings are getting more positive," Kisenosato's stablemaster Tagonoura said. "If he can fight with confidence and compete at his best until the end, the results will come."

"The biggest thing is (for Kisenosato) to stay on the attack. His body is moving well."

Three days before the New Year meet kicks off on Sunday, Kisenosato, the grand champion who won a second straight top division title on his yokozuna debut in March 2017, appeared unfazed by the pressure of what will likely be the most important tournament of his career.

"I don't feel flustered," he said. "You don't know anything until you go for it, so it will be good to just focus on what I have to do."

Kisenosato did not wrestle during a Thursday training session, concentrating instead on basic exercises. His opponents for the tournament's first two bouts will be decided on Friday.

Questions regarding Kisenosato's future career had been temporarily quieted when he went 10-5 at last September's meet after withdrawing from a yokozuna-record eight straight grand tournaments.

"He's coming in from a good direction, beyond comparison to the condition he was in before," Tagonoura said. "One way or another, I want him to leave with good results.