From Chiba, we head west to Kanagawa prefecture. Since these Jungyo reports are actually posted a couple of days after the event, we now know that Typhoon #19 has been through many of the areas the Jungyo was planned in. You’ll see a happy town of Sagamihara today, but two days later, it will be disaster area. Post-typhoon events are likely to be accompanied by rounds to comfort the survivors. But today we’ll concentrate on the happy side.
Continue reading🌐 Location: Miyazaki, Miyazaki
Today the Jungyo landed at Miyazaki city, where 3000 spectators thronged the entrances.
Hakuho participated in morning practice for the first time. On previous days, he settled for stretches and workouts below the dohyo. Today he named Shodai – ever popular with top-rankers – for sanban. This involved 8 bouts, all of which Hakuho won.
These bouts involved various throws and force-outs. “I was testing my dohyo sense”, commented the Dai-Yokozuna to the press.
Today I have lots of bouts for you. But as a warm up, first enjoy Abi’s shiko, which is considered one of the best ones. Up and straight. Even Hakuho can’t do that…
素晴らしきかな阿炎の四股。 pic.twitter.com/cjJzs7enJW
— ハルタ (@727236) December 8, 2017
OK, so let’s start with Gagamaru vs. Yago. Here is a loooooong nodowa. Oshidashi.
臥牙丸×矢後＝押し出し
長時間の喉輪により、矢後、疲れた。 pic.twitter.com/uiLArLz3EG— ハルタ (@727236) December 8, 2017
And here is Terutsuyoshi in a tsuri-dashi. Too bad he is going to drop to Makushita at Hatsu.
照強の吊り出し。
裁くは宮崎県出身行司ゆきひろさん。 pic.twitter.com/e4o9dh8XFh— ハルタ (@727236) December 8, 2017
Amakaze invents a new style of gaburi-yori. More like kangaroo-yori.
天風、すごくすごく頑張った。 pic.twitter.com/13mk5q0xIK
— ハルタ (@727236) December 8, 2017
Aminishiki vs. Kaisei. Aminishiki gets a lot of support, and gambarizes.
声援を背に安美錦、頑張った。 pic.twitter.com/gc82ycYU60
— ハルタ (@727236) December 8, 2017
And the musubi-no-ichiban. Note how the crowd applauds as Satonofuji bows in from the hana-michi.
Hakuho 3 – Kakuryu 2.
So, speaking about Satonofuji, here is one of your last chances to see his yumi-tori shiki:
小生にとっておそらくこれが最後になるだろう聡ノ富士さんの弓取り式。 pic.twitter.com/azlMNK4tcj
— ハルタ (@727236) December 8, 2017
At the end of each day’s sumo, a ritual is performed called “yumitori-shiki”, or as we tend to call it, “bow twirling ceremony”. Sadly many people, especially many foreigners in to watch sumo, leave before this ritual is complete, and miss a real treat. For the past several years this duty has fallen to Satonofuji, from the Isegahama heya. Satonofuji started sumo in 1996, and is currently at the ripe age of 40. He began his yumitori duties in 2013, and has now reached the highest number of rituals for the Heisei era (reign of the current Emperor, Akihito) at 418.
What I thought was fantastic was the number of fans seeking his autograph after the matches in May, he equaled or surpassed Chiyonokuni’s attention. Below is a video of the master at work.