In November 2016 Kotoshōgiku did not have the best tournament managing only five wins which put him in kadoban status for the January 2017 tournament, the seventh time in his career. Kotoshōgiku did not perform well in the January 2017 tournament and was only able to get a 5–10 record, but was able to give Kisenosato, who ended up winning the tournament, his only defeat. Since Kotoshōgiku was kadoban and failed to get the necessary 8 wins he was demoted to sekiwake after 32 tournaments at ōzeki.
Kotoshōgiku's November 2016 performance was lackluster, resulting in five wins that led to his kadoban status for the January 2017 tournament, a milestone he had achieved seven times. In the January 2017 tournament, Kotoshōgiku struggled, achieving a 5–10 record but managing to best Kisenosato, who ultimately won the tournament, securing his only loss. As a result of not meeting the eight-win requirement, Kotoshōgiku was demoted from ōzeki to sekiwake after 32 tournaments.