This is the second sumo news update between the Hatsu and Haru tournaments. Catch up on the earlier update here. There was a full slate of sumo activity this weekend, so let’s get to it.
NHK Charity Event
The 58th Interation of the NHK’s Annual charity sumo event (福祉大相撲) took place this Saturday at Kokugikan. It’s always an interesting event, half Variety Show, half sumo jungyo event. Past coverage of this event include informative posts from Herouth, Bruce, and myself. There’s shokkiri, and jinku, and bouts…but there is also a slate of celebrities joining the wrestlers on stage, including pop groups and enka singers.
This year’s talents included 18-year-old enka star, Umetani Kokoro. Interestingly, she is from the Hakata district of Fukuoka, which hosts the November sumo tournament each year — and is also home of the makers of the hakata-ori belts (obi) you often see worn with kimono “off-dohyo,” like those in the image below. She performed a duet with Hakunofuji. Atamifuji performed with pop group STU48 and Hiradoumi did his duet with Arai Maju.
FujiTV Sumo Tournament
On Sunday, Kokugikan again hosted the Annual FujiTV sumo tournament. This features two bracket-style tournaments — one for Juryo and one for Makuuchi. The Makuuchi bracket is below.
The winner of the Makuuchi division competition was Hoshoryu, who defeated Abi for the title and the 2500000-yen purse. Hiradoumi was awarded a fighting spirit prize.
Shonannoumi won the Juryo competition in a playoff between Hakuyozan and Kagayaki.
I always like seeing the intermission bouts. The Sumo Association gets some of the retirees to dust off the old sagari and strap on the old shimekomi for some exhibition bouts. This year, Aoiyama took on Hokutofuji and Kotoyuki battled Kotoeko.
Hakuho Cup
At the same time as the two Kokugikan events, the Toyota Arena in Odaiba hosted the Sixteenth Hakuho Cup. The Hakuho Cup is an amateur sumo tournament for boys and girls with the goal of fostering the sport of sumo among the next generation. 1,700 kids from 20 countries participated this year and former deshi Hakunofuji and Yoshinofuji came by to say, “Hi” to their former master.
Full results and videos of the action are available at the Hakuho Cup website. I’m eager to hear from any viewers or participants in the Hakuho Cup (or the other tournaments). They seem like a great way to spend a winter day in Tokyo.
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Thanks! Nice to see Kotoeko again, I always liked him.
Yeah, some of the other old-timers seem to fade into the background. I’d love to see Ikioi up there.
“Shonannoumi won the Juryo competition in a playoff between Hakuyozan and Kagayaki.”
Hakuyozan and Kagayaki faced against each other in the playoff, but they are both so unpopular that the winner was denied the yusho and it was instead handed to Shonannoumi? lol.
The mini-tournament Hoshoryu won – did they go 100% or was it 50 to 75% in terms of efforts and physicality? [I know such tournaments have their advantages for the fans, but I much prefer seeing athletes actually give it their heart and soul]. Am I right in thinking they did not go all out to prevent injuries? For such a large purse/prize, one would think they would not hold back?
It’s definitely about managing motivation. But if you want to preserve your career and limit potential injury, you hold back. I don’t think I saw any tsuppari from Abi in that final bout (the only bout of his that I saw).