Year: 2024

Sumo News Update 2024.06.17

Andy Japanese Culture , , , , ,

There were a couple of items on the sumo calendar over the past week. The first item was the Kickoff of Konishiki’s Sumo+Sushi tour in the United States! He hosted several shows over the weekend in New York City and will stay there for next weekend as well. Due to the success, several shows have been added there, next weekend. From NYC, the troupe will head down to DC for shows June 28-30, Nashville on July 12-14 and up to Chicago on July 19-21. Click here to re-read my rundown of last year’s experience. Getting up on the dohyo was absolutely amazing, as was my sudden barrel roll across it. I was probably very lucky their dais was not made of Arakita clay.

Some of you may be questioning whether this is news worthy. Well, aside from the fact that Konishiki is bringing a sumo experience to the States, this event includes real sumo wrestlers. To me, that is news worthy of itself. While the participation of former Makuuchi wrestlers Takagenji and Daikiho’s was announced ahead of time, Otani’s role was a surprise. He may have been a last-minute stand-in for Chiyonoshin but others from last year’s crew (including Tooyama) are not on this tour. Thanks to Chanko_Mattun on Twitter for the screen grab above because Otani’s appearance over here seems to have made the news over there, too.

And back in Japan, the Kyokai participated in another PR event. In last week’s update, we saw the Fukuoka PR event. This time, five wrestlers (Atamifuji, Midorifuji, Abi, Onosato, and Tobizaru) traveled over to Nagoya for a Sports-themed expo of sorts. Watch the entire two-hour show here on the Kyokai’s YouTube channel.

This event was shared with the Dolphins basketball team. I kind of think a chance was missed here for a three-on-three tournament with the fans or h-o-r-s-e with the pros. If you ever watch a sumo “match day” from the start, you will recognize the Radio Taiso routine here. There was a bit of a shoot-around but the big event was the dance off that featured Atamifuji and Midorifuji busting a move…without music. The video here doesn’t have rights to the music, so you don’t hear the music here. Wow, the Kyokai takes this rights stuff seriously, no?

Sumo News Update 2024.06.10

Andy Chiyonokuni (千代の国)

Despite no Jungyo, there were a few news items of note over the weekend.

Chiyonokuni Danpatsushiki

Chiyonokuni marked his retirement from active sumo and new career as a coach, Sanoyama, on Saturday at Kokugikan. Along with the customary jinku, hair-styling demonstration and shokkiri, we got his final butsukari keiko with Kokonoe-beya stablemates, Chiyonoo, Chiyosakae, Chiyomaru and Chiyoshoma.

The butsukari was done instead of the planned final bout with his older brother, former Makushita-ranked Chiyonoshin. A touching moment there as the name of his brother, Sawada Kensho, was called over the PA system to applause from the gathered audience, and tears of Chiyonokuni. Sawada had taken ill in April and remains hospitalized in serious condition. There was a performance by singer and hip-hop act, SEAMO, as well as food sales in support of the Ishikawa earthquake survivors. Chiyooga (guinea-pig for the hair-style demonstration) closed things out with the bow-twirling ceremony.

Kyushu Basho PR Event

Footage of the PR event is available at the Kyokai’s YouTube channel. The event featured Q&A from five fan faves: Hiradoumi, Shodai, Ura, Ichiyamamoto and — checks notes, Sadanoumi. After about an hour of patiently waiting the crowd was released, in a single file line, to sate their need to rub the sumo wrestler’s Buddha bellies.

Kotoshoho Wedding

Kotoshoho got married and the reception turned into a high-school reunion, of sorts. Rikishi (and several oyakata) of the Saitama-Sakae Sumo Club got together and posed for a great picture. We have guys from Sakae O.G. Shikoroyama-oyakata (Homosho), through Takakeisho, to Goeido, Kotozakura, and younger brother Kototebakari up on the dais.

Sumo News Update 2024.06.02

Andy Akiseyama, Ishiura (石浦), promotion, Stables (Heya) , ,

Natsu Basho ended last weekend. We have to wait until July for the next tournament. Once we get the Juryo promotions, we’re Gone Till November July, right? Well, the Kyokai’s usual board meeting had a full agenda so we have had a bunch of sumo-related news this week.

Juryo Promotions Announced

We will have three promotions from Makushita to Juryo for Nagoya. Kayo and Nabatame earned their first sekitori promotions and Fujiseiun will return to Juryo for the first time since he fell out of the division in September.

Kayo is one of Nakamura-oyakata’s recruits from Nippon Sports Science University, aka Nittaidai. The university has developed a number of top sumo wrestlers, including sekitori stablemates* Onosato and Shirokuma, as well as up-and-comers like Onokatsu and veterans like Myogiryu. Kayo earned a sandanme tsukedashi but has spent much of the last two years in Makushita. A spot in the massive playoff at Aki last year seems to have lit a spark under him and he has been on the radar for promotion to Juryo since.

Nabatame started his sumo career after high school, just before the pandemic hit. He was definitely one of our highlighted up-and-comers during those quiet tournaments. I have quietly been following his rise since he featured in one of the early maezumo cohorts that I followed during the pandemic. (How many of you remember Taiyo and his maezumo henka? One of the PowerBall goals of Tachiai is to have the resources to cover each division and better profiles of the younguns in maezumo, along with deeper features about the fascinating cultural tangents I find myself learning about.) But I would bring back that maezumo coverage in a heartbeat. Nice to re-read those articles and catch myself back up on his entry to the sport. Nabatame has since been grinding it out in Makushita, slowly but steadily climbing to the top of the division. We are happy to see that he has finally earned his promotion to sekitori.

Fujiseiun returns to the Juryo ranks after an injury forced him to drop after just a single tournament fighting in Juryo (his second tournament was kyujo). It is always hard to see these up-and-comers hit major obstacles. He had hit the scene and steamrolled through the lower divisions in 2021, winning his first 21 bouts and claiming two of the three yusho, only losing the Jonidan yusho in a playoff to his peer, Osanai. So it is great to see that he will don his kesho mawashi yet again.

While we are talking about these banzuke placements for July, I should also note here that two Makushita tsukedashi were approved by the Kyokai. Ishizaki Ryoma (23) and Kawabuchi Kazuma (22) will begin their professional sumo careers this summer. Ishizaki will join his older brother, Asakoryu, at Takasago-beya having claimed third place at last year’s National Sumo Championships. Kawabuchi claimed the adult division yusho at a separate athletic tournament last year and he joins Kise-beya.

Nakamura Beya Opens

The little asterisk there in Kayo’s promotion report had to do with his sekitori stablemates because they are not his stablemates any longer. Mid-week, Kayo celebrated his promotion to Juryo with photo-ops and press conferences joined by Kisenosato. However, during this week’s board meeting the Kyokai approved Nakamura’s independence bid, setting June 1 for when Nakamura would split away from Nishonoseki. So, by the end of the week Kayo was moving into new digs at his new heya with his new master — without Onosato and Shirokuma.

I believe the new stable is at the location vacated by Michinoku-beya, just on the other side of the tracks from Kokugikan in Ryokoku. Nakamura-oyakata (ex-Yoshikaze) is now a stable master in his own right. There is a great new website, nakamurabeya.jp, with details of the occupants: eight wrestlers, the Yobidashi Rokuro, and hairdresser Tokokasumi. There is also a great little personalized note from Yoshikaze about each of them.

Mini-Jungyo Sumo Events

I will get to the retirement events in a moment but I thought June was going to be pretty chill, event-wise. The Kyokai has decided to participate in two more promotional events in June.

The first will be a PR event for the Kyusho Basho next Sunday, June 9 in Fukuoka. Four top-division wrestlers will be there. Top billing goes to Hiradoumi (his rise has been quite something). Ura, Shodai, and Sadanoumi will also be there. Shodai and Sadanoumi are both from Kumamoto.

Secondly, the Kyokai will also participate in a Sports Expo at the Dolphins Arena in Nagoya on June 16. Next year, the Arena is slated to be replaced by a new IG Arena. (Oh, God, please tell me there’s air conditioning.) In celebration of the new, refrigerated digs the Kyokai will host a crossover event with the Dolphins basketball team. Aside from the hoopsters, Onosato, Tobizaru, Midorifuji, Atamifuji, and Abi will participate.

So, if you are in Fukuoka or Nagoya this month, you have a chance to pop by and meet some of your favorite sumo wrestlers — or even Shodai.

Ishiura Danpatsushiki

On Saturday, June 1, the Kokugikan hosted Ishiura’s retirement and name change event, since he carries on as a coach, Magaki-oyakata, in the Association. Hakuoho made waves by singing the jinku (traditional folk singing) portion and Enho closed things with the bow-twirling ceremony.

Takerufuji, mounted the dohyo and faced off against Meisei in one of the exhibition bouts. Usually these exhibition events are not big news makers on the dohyo but the fact that Takerufuji was healthy enough to participate in the feature bouts is a good sign for July.

Given the closure of Miyagino-beya, Hakuho was robbed of the privilege of taking the final cut of Ishiura’s topknot but he did get to use the scissors and take a snip. Isegahama-oyakata got the honor of taking the final cut.

Akiseyama Danpatsushiki

And on Sunday, June 2, the Kokugikan opened its doors again for Akiseyama’s retirement ceremony. The Kise-beya affair celebrated the big man’s career and shared stories of his camaraderie with fellow wrestlers. In particular they shared a story involving Goeido.

Though Goeido entered the sumo world a few years earlier than Akiseyama, the former Ozeki was actually Akiseyama’s junior schoolmate while they attended Saitama Sakae high school. Goeido went straight into a sumo career while Akiseyama attended Nihon Daigaku. Goeido had given Akiseyama some encouragement when Akiseyama had been thinking of retirement. Akiseyama took the encouragement to heart and earned another promotion to Juryo.

Looking Ahead

I will keep an eye on the sumo news, as always, but I anticipate my next post will be next weekend after Chiyonokuni’s retirement ceremony and the Fukuoka PR event.

New Juryo for Nagoya

lksumo Aki Basho 2022

After the banzuke meeting, held earlier today, the Juryo promotions were announced. As expected, there are three. Two are making their sekitori debuts: Kayo (Ms1w, 5-2) from Nishonoseki-beya, and Nabatame (Ms2w, 5-2) from Futagoyama-beya. Returning to Juryo after an injury-related demotion is the third-division champion, Fujiseiun (Ms11e, 7-0) from Fujishima-beya. With limited openings in Juryo, four rikishi who had winning records in the Ms1-Ms5 promotion zone missed out, led by Ms3e Kiryuko (5-2), whose rank and record would normally guarantee promotion.

While the corresponding demotions are not announced, we can infer that they are J13w Chiyomaru (4-11), J13e Oshoumi (5-10), and J14w Kazekeno (7-8). Fan favorite Chiyomaru was a sekitori for over a decade before falling to Makushita in March and mounting an immediate comeback that sadly lasted only one basho. Oshoumi’s first stint in Juryo ends after 3 basho, while Kazekeno’s sekitori debut after his Makushita yusho in March was even more short-lived.