Reports from the Nippon Sumo Kyokai’s twitter account that the construction of the dohyo in Nagoya has begun. Each dohyo is hand-built from specific soils compressed and rammed into shape. On Saturday afternoon, it will be consecrated is a solemn ceremony that sanctifies the platform and infuses it with prayers for prosperity and safety.
More from the kyokai’s twitter feed below
With the Natsu basho just a few days away, the dohyo is once again being hand-built by the ushers and support staff at the Kokugikan. Each dohyo is constructed, by hand, before every basho.
This Saturday, it will be consecrated, and the arena will be ready for action. Tachiai will bring you coverage from Tokyo, and around the world as the May tournament gets underway.
In a solemn ceremony today in Osaka’s Edion Arena, the dohyo for the 2017 Haru Basho was consecrated, making it ready for battle. The proceedings were punctuated by a moment of silence in memory of those killed or impacted by the great 2011 Tohoku earthquake, which led to the Fukushima melt down
In front of sumo dignitaries, leading rikishi and a large gathering of fans, the sacrificial offers were incorporated into the clay platform that will be focus of hundreds of bouts daily for the next two weeks.
Today via twitter, we get images of the crew in Osaka beginning to task of building the clay platform that will, within a few days, become the dohyo for the 2017 Haru basho.
Building a dohyo is labor intensive, back-breaking work. As you can imagine, it is crafted by hand each and every time, by people who take this sort of thing quite seriously. Each of the straw bales are bundled by hand, and the entire platform is shaped and compacted using hand tools.
In a few days, it will be consecrated, and the basho will begin!