Coming this Friday, world wide – it’s time for another Grand Sumo Preview courtesy of the good folks at NHK World. As always, these programs provide a great amount of insight and commentary from the NHK staff. We can assume that we will get more rikishi one-on-one interviews, and possible a few media personalities being thrown around a practice ring while trying to look like they are enjoying themselves. Check your local listing or the NHK World web site.
At the Kokugikan, teams of men are busy constructing the dohyo for the Natsu basho, set to begin this coming Sunday. Prior to each tournament, the raised platform is constructed from scratch, or reconstructed from the remains of the previous dohyo. At the Kokugikan, the dohyo is on a mobile platform that can be lowered into the floor for safe-keeping or to allow the venue to be used for events other than Sumo.
Construction will continue for the next several days, and conclude with a ceremony to consecrate the dohyo on Saturday morning.
Fan favorite Ura, who is recovering from major knee surgery, has been spotted training in a black mawashi. Posted by Inagawa Oyakata on twitter, it is clear that the space-time defying wizard has started the long slow grind to return to the dohyo.
Hopefully he is in no rush to return, as the surgery he underwent following a series of painful injuries in September 2017 are more or less a “one chance” affair. As former Kaiju Terunofuji learned painfully, rushing your return will end your career.
But it’s clear from the photos that some time, possibly by Kyushu, we will see this amazing force of sumo begin his effort to climb the ranks once more. By then he will be well down in the lowest divisions, and will be a most unfortunate draw for some poor new rikishi. Good luck Ura! We can’t wait to see you back!
正解は
↓でした～からの、影からこっそり(笑) pic.twitter.com/Uujph2xdrz
— 元・普天王 稲川 (@futenou_inagawa) May 8, 2018
*Thanks to Herouth for scouting much of this content via twitter.
Across Tokyo, inter-stable training sessions are increasing as the rikishi continue to hone their preparations for Sunday’s start of the Natsu basho. While everyone is training hard and engaging in multiple test matches, it’s the top men who are getting the headlines.
Yokozuna Hakuho participated in the Isegahama Ichimon joint training session, going up against Kaisei, Takarafuji and Kyokutaisei, finishing with a 13-0 record. He is looking strong and confident going into Sunday’s tournament start, and will be a strong contender for the yusho. Observers noted that his tachiai no longer featured his usual face-slap, as requested by the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee.
Injured Yokozuna Kisenosato trained at the Nishonoseki joint training, held today at kaze-land (Oguruma). Kisenosato went against Yoshikaze for 9 bouts and won all of them. It should be noted that something has robbed Yoshikaze of most of his overflowing genki fighting form as of late, and today his right shoulder was heavily taped. One notable from the Nishonoseki rengo keiko was the early departure of Ozeki Takayasu, who complained of pain in his left arm. Previous training sessions featured the big Ozeki suffering pain in his right shoulder in between bouts.
Meanwhile, Yokozuna Kakuryu looked strong and dominant in joint training Monday at Tokitsukaze beya. He faced Endo, Abi, and Yutakayama, finishing 18 and 1. Yokozuna Kakuryu has stated his absolute goal is to score a back-to-back yusho, overcoming everyone including Hakuho to maintain his lock on the top spot in sumo, Yokozuna 1 East. Going into Sunday’s start, he is the man to beat, with his health seeming to be good, and his body in excellent condition, he is possibly in his best form ever.