🌐 Location: Toyooka, Hyogo prefecture
Today was the second day in Hyogo prefecture – but right on the opposite side of it than Day 4’s event. Early morning, the dohyo is already consecrated from the day before.
And… what’s this parking right in front of the entrance to the venue?
Why, it’s Ryota Hama’s Chanko Nabe bus!
While in Tokyo or Osaka honbasho you rely either on the food supply inside the venue or the regular restaurants around it, events in small towns rely on mobile stalls. So as yobidashi Hiromasa calls the townspeople with his drum, a little matsuri is being set up around the venue.
And early-bird Hama got the most lucrative location, right at the entrance! Mmmm… chanko!
But not yet, the stalls are just being set up. First, it’s time to shake hands with some favorite rikishi. For example, Hyogo local Terutsuyoshi.
Ah, the contrast between the beautiful kimono of those ladies gathering around him, and his own ratty yukata…
Yokozuna in the house!
Low-ranking rikishi practice on the dohyo, while around it some sekitori are starting to stretch and exercise:
Very entertaining squats on the left side there.
On the sidelines, Sadanoumi practices his oshi:
Ando is doing suri-ashi:
And so does Aoiyama, though in a totally different style:
It’s time for the Juryo rikishi’s practice on the dohyo. We have Kyokushuho with Wakamotoharu, then Kyokushuho with Azumaryu:
And in the session’s closure, Takakeisho gives butsukari to Wakamotoharu:
Then Makuuchi gets into the picture. Aoiyama faces Meisei, then Okinoumi, then Asanoyama, then the latter takes over and faces Ryuden.
This is not the end of the road for Ryuden, who later gets Mitakeumi (for some reason this bout appears twice in this video). Then we can see Mitakeumi vs. Tochinoshin:
Practice time is over, and we can relax and enjoy Shokkiri. Here is the full performance.
Apparently, in this Jungyo, the gyoji is getting creative. When the two performers fall down together, he leaves the dohyo, and consults with some spectator – preferably a child: “I should call that dotai, right?”.
“Dotai” is when both rikishi touch ground at the same time. In a normal bout, the gyoji doesn’t call it – the gyoji always has to point the gunbai one side or the other – and this is settled with a monoii and a torinaoshi. In shokkiri, of course, the gyoji makes all the decisions himself. Or with the help of a child, as it turns out.
Next up is the Jinku performance. And once again I have the full version:
But hey, aren’t you hungry? It’s nearly noon and we haven’t tasted that chanko, yet!
Apparently they also serve Udon. But who cares? Chanko!
There is also a mobile Takoyaki stall if you’re tired of Chanko, as some rikishi are
Both lunch and Jinku over, it’s time for the Juryo dohyo-iri. And Sokokurai is arguing some point with Gagamaru:
Skipping the Makuuchi and Yokozuna dohyo-iri, right before Makuuchi, Takakeisho, the local hero, receives a bale of rice as a gift – and apparently, a large amount of beef.
The area of Toyooka is known for its stork-friendly rice. Apparently, Japanese storks have been on the decline, and the city of Toyooka is making an effort to bring them back, by raising rice that coexists with the creatures that storks feed on to sustain themselves. So Takakeisho got a bale of stork-friendly rice. I don’t know how stork-friendly the beef is, though.
So let’s see some bouts! Here we have a series of bouts from Juryo:
- Daiseido-Kiribayama
- Kyokushuho-Azumaryu
- Daishomaru-Tokushoryu
- Daiamami-Chiyomaru
- Shimanoumi-Kotoyuki
This is followed by bouts from Makuuchi:
- Ishiura-Yutakayama
- Kotoeko-Toyonoshima
- Tomokaze-Kagayaki
- Shohozan-Yago
- Sadanoumi-Terutsuyoshi
- Aoiyama-Asanoyama
- Chiyotairyu-Okinoumi
- Kaisei-Nishikigi
Tochiozan vs. Endo:
Sanyaku-soroi-bumi, and Mitakeumi vs. Tamawashi
Tamawashi’s killer nodowa does it again.
Takakeisho vs. Tochinoshin:
I think Tochinoshin forgot that he was supposed to let the local boy win.
Finally, Musubi-no-ichiban, Kakuryu vs. Goeido.
I think I have yet to see Kakuryu win a bout this basho.
Finishing with our pin-up… How about Nishikigi for a change?
Watching Takakeisho give butsukari to Wakamotoharu really shows off how short are the new ozeki’s arms and how small his hands. For him to succeed as he has with that equipment is remarkable.
Totally the little rikishi that could.
There are some fine voices in the Sumo world, that’s for sure. Everyone seems coordinated for Jinku which makes me wonder how much they rehearse these numbers.
Thanks for the coverage, Herouth. “The next best thing to being there”!
Fantastic work on these newsreels!
One of these days, I will look up translations for the songs they sing during these things. Are any of our sekitori favorites alumni of either the comedy sketch or the singing crew? (I believe I’ve read Ikioi did the latter?)
The Taka twins did Shokkiri. Ikioi did jinku. Onosho is also very good at jinku though I don’t know if he did it on actual Jungyo.
Will be in Tokyo this week – hoping to get to Hachioji on the 10th to get my sumo fix. Fingers crossed!
Thanks Herouth! I so look forward to these reports. Do you think we can be cautiously optimistic about Tochinosin or am I deluding myself?
He seems to be improving, though Jungyo bouts are not a real indication. It’s best to pay attention to his mobility when he practices and his ability to channel power through his legs.
Speaking of the ability to channel power through one’s legs, there doesn’t seem to be any improvement for Yutakayama. I sure would like to know what has happened to him.
I’m very happy to see the mobile food stalls get coverage…! I found when I went to jungyo that the people setting up and selling food were extremely grateful and gracious for the support of both locals and visitors. It made it a very warm welcome.