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.