Welcome back to the Jungyo reports, which, as usual, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to do on a day-by-day basis, but I’ll do my best.
For those of you who are new here, here is a post explaining what the Jungyo is and how it works.
Let’s start with a refresher on the list of absentees from the Jungyo: Takayasu – re-injured his elbow ligament by participating in the Meiji Jingu dedication tournament. Takakeisho – tore pectoral muscle on senshuraku, hopes to join the jungyo on Day 11. Ichinojo dislocated his shoulder last basho. Tomokaze tore his internal oblique muscle. Toyonoshima has an inflammation in and around the Achilles tendon. In Juryo, I don’t have a list of their medical conditions, but Chiyonoumi, Chiyoshoma, Kyokushuho and Seiro are missing, in addition to the AWOL Takanofuji. Note that Seiro has been absent since last basho, and although his problem was initially reported as a gastric issue, it turned out to be Aseptic Meningitis, which would explain the prolonged kyujo.
So let’s get on with the business of the day!
🌐 Location: Nanao, Ishikawa prefecture
Ishikawa prefecture boasts no less than three active sekitori who originate in it. One of them, however, comes from the very town of Nanao. It’s this guy:
This is Kagayaki’s first Jungyo event in his home town. Accordingly, he arrived a couple of days earlier than the rest of the Jungyo, and had a Q&A session – with some fun – with the local children.
- Q:
- How many children’s weight do you weigh?
- A:
- 163kg
- Q:
- How much food/rice do you eat?
- A:
- When I just started out as a sumo wrestler, I would eat five bowls of rice every day.
Children: “Awww! Ooooh!” etc.
The next day, the actual jungyo event took place. Rikishi (other than Yokozuna/Ozeki) arrive by bus:
If you have sharp eyes, you may notice that Enho is wearing an Enho yukata. This may not strike you as something extraordinary (though it’s considered a sumo fashion faux-pas. You’re supposed to wear somebody else’s yukata). However, a rikishi is only allowed to have a yukata stamped with his shikona when he is in Makuuchi. Enho has been in Makuuchi only three basho, so this design is basically fresh out of the oven. Let’s take a closer look:
Waves, winds, and… rabbits? And caution signs? Wait a second. Those rabbits are… doing the nasty! In fact, it can’t be seen in this sample, but this is stamped with #FR2 which stands for the Japanese brand “Fxxking Rabbits”. The copulating rabbits are an actual designer logo. 😮
O…K… then… And now for something completely different…
So everybody is arriving. What usually happens is the sekitori wear their mawashi, and then some of them stand in line to shake hands, and the rest start warming up inside the arena.
Before they go out there, there’s a roll call, with the Jungyo Master (Kasugano oyakata) bringing people up to speed. On day 1 they usually get instructions like “don’t beat up your tsukebito” and that sort of thing. This time, however, they held a moment of silence in memory of the late Izutsu oyakata, who was vice Jungyo Master before his death.
Kakuryu said a few words, and vowed to keep following his late shisho’s words.
After this, the sekitori get down to work. Shodai is weight-lifting with the help of his tsukebito for this Jungyo, Wakayutaka:
Lucky for him he didn’t bring his regular, Hakuomaru (Asakura), then. Ryuden, for example, has to deal with Shonannoumi, who is a bit heavier:
On the dohyo, we have the Juryo moshi-ai:
And the Makuuchi moshi-ai (reminder: moshi-ai is a practice session in which the winner gets to pick his next opponent. Hence you see, at the end of each bout, the awaiting rikishi swooping in to beg the winner for the privilege).
We have here Asanoyama vs. Kagayaki, Shodai vs. Okinoumi, and Yutakayama vs. Onosho.
I don’t have any “official” bouts for you today. Note, though, that everybody was participating in those – including Tochinoshin, Kakuryu, Hakuho etc., who are all in various states of injury.
So here is today’s full Jinku in lieu of matches:
With this we conclude the action of Day 1, not before we introduce our pin-up boy of the day, Ichiyamamoto:
Thanks HerouthI I was starting the cold sweats…..
me too! hehehehe
Rabbits. That’s hilarious. I’m going to need to see if I can find that in Harajuku.
So where could a fella who speaks or reads no Japanese get himself one of those Enho yukatas? I assume it’s hopeless but I do need a new summer-weight robe.
You have to be able to communicate. I don’t think you can find it online. There is a chance that Mikeo’s kimono shop in Sumida carries some of the fabric still.
Thanks very much for this entertaining report, Herouth. I hadn’t heard about Takayasu reinjuring that elbow. Good grief, what was he thinking? His career depends upon that elbow healing properly. What’s his current prognosis?
He needs another month’s rest according to his certificate, and the papers say this puts his participation in Kyushu in question.
Nice that Kagayaki can get some limelight, considering the star power of Ishikawa’s other two makuuchi rikishi.
Seriously. The En[d/h]o machine can be overwhelming.
Forgot to mention, for some reason, Ichiyamamoto reminds me of Abi.
Ichiyamamoto is an Abi clone. He does the same kind of sumo, and laughs incessantly when he is off-dohyo.
Fantastic report! Thanks Herouth for helping out with our sumo withdrawals!
Ah, Herouth’s Jungyo reports! Blissful relief for a needy a sumo addict….
I read about Toyonoshima’s inflammation. I would assume problems with the Achilles tendon is common in Jungyo….?
Why? The inflammation didn’t start in Jungyo.