Day 15

🌐 Location: Takasaki, Gunma prefecture
Kiddie sumo – Abi purifies a scalp:
Trust Abi to be more childish than his child rival.
Shodai had to go kyujo due to an inflammation. This meant Kakuryu was a tachimochi short. So, for the first time in his life, Yutakayama bore the sword for the Yokozuna dohyo-iri.
In his bout with Tochinoshin, Mitakeumi had a wardrobe malfunction:
まわし待った!#高崎場所 #高崎巡業 pic.twitter.com/qi8DUTSnw1
— しだまさ (@E7780t5P2hlWjtN) April 15, 2018
You can see the two in a mawashi-matta. Explanation to newcomers: if a mawashi knot comes undone and reveals the wrestler’s family jewels, he loses immediately by disqualification. For this reason, if the gyoji or someone around the ring spots an undone knot, the gyoji calls a “mawashi-matta”, signals the rikishi to freeze, ties back the naughty knot, then slaps the backs of both rikishi to signal them to continue from the same position.
The only bout I have is actually Takayasu vs. Goeido, but I warn you in advance that you probably want to silence your speakers. This was shot by a very enthusiastic Philipino patriot who seems bent on embarrassing Takayasu very loudly:
The Gunma prefecture locals who came to watch this day’s event got a rare treat – they got to see Satonofuji perform the yumitori-shiki again. Satonofuji is a Gunma native.
地元ということもあり、めっちゃ写真とサイン攻めにあってた聡ノ富士さんでした。#高崎巡業#春巡業 pic.twitter.com/npCXCFOcY9
— Jun_patty (@JJ73081673) April 15, 2018
Satonofuji also got many requests for photographs and autographs from his enthusiastic neighbors.
Day 16

🌐 Location: Yasukuni shrine, Tokyo
Today’s honozumo event (a sumo event performed in the precincts of a shrine) marked the rikishi’s return to Tokyo after a very long while – those who participate in the Jungyo have been on the road since before the Haru basho.
Here come the entire Makuuchi – gathering at the main yard for a purification ceremony.
靖国神社奉納相撲⛩
神様が次々と…
神々しい✨ pic.twitter.com/0QEC5jv4ag— mie (@bryan_mie) April 16, 2018
It’s really hard to have an elegant walk in a kesho-mawashi, isn’t it? Myogiryu manages it quite well, though.
This event marked the return of Hakuho to the Jungyo. The Yokozuna reported to the NSK board and expressed his appreciation for receiving permission to participate in his father’s funeral.
#大相撲 で春巡業 靖国神社 🌸 Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo #白鵬 #Hakuho returns to spring tour [every.] pic.twitter.com/jzXZuSYY4j
— inhashi (@inhashi_) April 16, 2018
I’m not really sure what that new adornment to his right ankle is supposed to mean.
The main event took place at an outdoors, permanent dohyo by the side of the shrine. As usual, they started with some keiko. Enho got lots of wedgies practice.
Especially from this guy:
炎鵬、てるるにもて遊ばれ、捨てられる⬅もとい、投げられる
∩∩∧_∧ ドサッ…
⊂と(´+ω+)⊃#sumo #靖国神社奉納大相撲 #照ノ富士 #炎鵬 pic.twitter.com/KH8dXPnYel— わ~ちゃん (@wakya33) April 16, 2018
Looks like despite his recent kyujo, Terunofuji is gaining some of his physical strength back. Aminishiki, by the way, is still MIA.
Kakuryu performed his dohyo-iri accompanied by a mini-yokozuna with a perfect little Unryu-style rope. The little tyke was none other than Kakuryu’s own son. Pay attention to Nishikigi-mama.
Please excuse the quality. The video shows the dohyo-iri of all three Yokozuna. I think both Hakuho and Kisenosato improved their shiko recently.
This has been Kisenosato’s first dohyo-iri at Yasukuni shrine.
This time I have several bouts to show you.
A few seconds of Enho vs. Akiseyama:
パンの山さんvs炎鵬さん #靖国神社奉納大相撲 #明瀬山 #炎鵬 pic.twitter.com/1FHLVTeNDp
— わ~ちゃん (@wakya33) April 17, 2018
I guess all that practice pays.
Here – with a couple of glitches – is the Ichinojo-Tochinoshin bout, followed by the san-yaku soroi-bumi (synchronized shiko stomps – though the west side is a little disappointing):
Here is the Kisenosato-Goeido bout. What is Goeido doing there, exactly?
2018.4.6靖国神社 奉納相撲、稀勢の里と豪栄道の取組。 pic.twitter.com/kYP4hBgWhB
— 唐揚 (@takeharu_maiami) April 16, 2018
And here is the full Hakuho vs. Kakuryu bout.
Note how Hakuho, fresh off the dohyo, immediately switches to fansa mode.
Looks like Goeido is practicing Takakeisho’s patented wave-action tsupari :lol:
It’s amazing how Goeido alternates between looking very competent at sumo and looking like an amateur who has never seen a dohyo before. He’s like a box of chocolates.
Perhaps Hakuho is wearing that black adornment on his leg in the same way someone would wear a mourning band on their arm.
It’s actually red. Most guesses are that it’s something to do with his father.
Darn. That makes total sense. I was thinking maybe The Great Sumo Cat had decided to put a bell on him to hear him coming. Or a reminder, like Sensei used to say to me: “No! Your OTHER right foot!”.
Thanks for the great Jungyo Newsreel, Herouth.
“The Great Sumo Cat has decided to put a bell on him to hear him coming”.
That’s pure gold. 😹😹😹
I do like the Kesi mawashi stroll with their little gift bags🛍
I have seen a couple of youtube videos were a mawashi came undone during a match.