Chinonofuji

When I find myself in times of trouble, It’s cause Goeido comes at me, Trying kubinage Desperate Ozeki It’s a time of darkness when he is standing right in front of me Looking for kachi-koshi That desperate Ozeki

Forgive me if I'm misremembering, as I don't come by this site as often as I would like, but didn't someone (Doitsuyama?) produce for some time an excellent matrix showing historic strength ratings of rikishi? I'd love to see where Tochinoshin fits in there, now, particularly to help answer whether he's improved or whether the competition has gotten weaker (or a combo, as you note).

No one should begrudge Hakuho the right to stay on as long as he produces yokozuna-like sumo. And if he wins one or two basho a year to hit the 40 mark, what a record that would be! (His record even now is incredible, of course.) Sumo takes a toll, yes, but at 31-years old he still has some pop left in his tachi-ai, I would imagine. He could be a mentor to some, a wall to others, or even a villain, and certainly one of the greatest rikishi to ever grace the dohyo for the fans who pay money to see the sport. I say give it some time. Perhaps a young lion will come and knock him out of the dohyo, leaving images like a young Asashoryu taking on a weary Takanohana. That's fine, too.

At first glance, ok and maybe second glance too, it has to be Hakuho, given his astonishing capability and durability, but I agree, impression of a wooden rooster aside, he has historically left me a bit cold. Asashoryu, on the other hand, was pure fire. I will never forget him spinning around Musashimaru, felling him like a woodpecker filled with helium might attack a small tree. But that was when he was up-and-coming, before he started to humiliate opponents, tear off rear-view mirrors from cars, and disappear with odd maladies only to be seen playing soccer. In the end, he became--to me--an extremely creative and quick bully, but not a true champion. I rooted for him, though. Takanohana was a little odd and a bit of a prima donna, with his controlled breathing, funny habits, and strange family life, but he had a heroic quality about him too, not to mention a great right-hand grip and a series of titanic matches against men significantly bigger than him that I also won't soon forget. Hard to be boring or mechanical when you're facing Akebono, Konishiki, and Musashimaru. He also had a series of challenges to overcome that I found made him more sympathetic. Not promoted quickly enough? Ok, double zensho yusho. Not big enough? Gain weight. Get hurt? Stay out for basho after basho, and then come back and prove to the critics that you've still got it. And in that regard, what a performance against Musashimaru in May 2001, on one leg, followed by the face that showed all the intensity he kept at bay every other match. Was Takanohana the best? I guess it has to be Hakuho, but in my totally biased, nothing-to-do-with-the-numbers opinion, Takanohana had a quality those following him lacked.

What, you mean Aminishiki helped Harumafuji with his technique and approach? I had no idea! Or you mean Harumafuji is like Aminishiki 2.0 -- a little bigger, a little faster, a little better... and a Yokozuna?

Wow, you have to love Aminishiki. I'm no expert, but when he was younger, it always seemed he was too light to be truly elite. As he got older, he gained the weight and got even wilier, but his body betrayed him. Now, he might be one of sumo's first cyborgs, with all the equipment around those knees! If only things had been a little different, who knows what else he could have achieved. As it stands, he gave Hakuho a real challenge. (And used to give them to Asashoryu regularly, remember?) Perhaps one day in the future, he'll find a younger, slightly bigger version of himself and pour his knowledge into him. (Like the sumo version of The Hustler and The Color of Money...) I'd pay to see that.

Is that Wakanasato's legacy? Uneven, veering from very good to pedestrian? If so -- and I'm a casual fan, so it might well be the case -- but if so, that's somewhat cruel of the sumo gods. I recall him being hailed at one time as one of the strongest and most successful sekiwake ever, before he was injured and plummeted down the ranks. Since then, of course, he's been more of a juryo mainstay, but I would have thought his sumo epitaph would be written differently.

Hi everyone, What's your favorite thing to do in Tokyo? My wife and I will be there for almost exactly 24 hours at the end of July, as a rest stop on our way to Vietnam. Anyone have any recommendations for favorite things to do, particularly things that might not not be obvious or featured in most tourist guidebooks? Any hidden gems or treats to suggest? Sumo-related ideas are certainly appreciated, although we will arrive a couple of days after Nagoya basho finishes (I believe July 30), so perhaps not much to do there. We do not speak any Japanese, unfortunately. Thanks for your ideas!

Not unprecedented but awfully long ago. How about a table of comparable K2-NON-creations? Goeido 2011.01 M5e 11:4 Toyonoshima 2009.11 M5e 11:4 Homasho 2007.03 M5e 11:4 Mutsuarashi 1969.07 M5w 11:4 Dejima 2006.11 M3w 10:5 Kotoshogiku 2006.11 M2e 10:5 Hajimayama 1955.05 M3e 10:5 Did these 7 all end up at M1e?

For whatever reason, I imagine Sanoyama Oyakata (ex-Chiyotaikai) would relish the chance to dump his boss on his keester. Kokonoe always seemed to ride him pretty hard during Chiyotaikai's fighting days. But I guess that's just how you show you care in the world of ozumo...

Funny to see how little faith the usual sources have in the new league. Sanspo carried an article almost immediately decrying the league as merely a vehicle for yaocho and betting rackets. Personally, I can't wait to see which yokozuna and ozeki from days gone by sign up. From what I hear, Takanohana has already put back on about 40 pounds on his way to a goal weight of over 400 pounds, while Akebono is spending all his remaining fortune on new knees. I guess he thinks it's the only league where he can still win. My dark horse favorite? Sentoryu, who has stayed in great shape working out by himself all these years. But the funniest quote, to me, was from Takanoyama, who apparently said he was thrilled to have an opportunity to continue to be a low-ranked rikishi for many more years to come. Thanks for "breaking" this news, Kintamayama!

Alert! Possible remedial questions ahead about the dohyō-iri. First, and a very minor question, regarding the mitsuzoroi issue mentioned above, couldn't Kakuryu's koenkai have donated the garb? Fine that this was found in the end, of course, but there's no requirement, right? (Or was the issue was that everything is happening so fast?) Perhaps in the future, we'll see him modeling some new duds. Second question. Is it completely up to Kakuryu whether to enter with unryu or shiranui? Or is that a tradition with each ichimon? How/why is it decided? Third, according to Wikipedia, one of the primary differences between the two styles is that "it is often thought that Unryu style expresses a combination of defence and offence, while Shiranui expresses offense only." But this is then followed by a bunch of question marks. Is this the main difference between the two styles? Finally, I recall a time when shiranui was considered the "lesser" of the two styles. (I guess b/c it was associated with Futahaguro?) Has that been put to bed, given Hakuho's success? Any mention of that after Kak's selection?

Agreed. Rules change, for a variety of reasons; the job of the wrestlers is to fulfill the rules laid out for them at that time -- nothing more, nothing less. We are no longer in the time of Futahaguro, or Konishiki, or Takanohana. Things change. (Out of some sympathy for the extraordinarily high bar that was set for Takanohana, I personally wish the two basho in a row requirement were still in place, but that and $3 will get me a latte.) We've had a run of stellar yokozunae dating all the way back to the Taka-Ake rivalry days, but there's room for a "merely good" yokozuna along with this crazy run of all-stars. Maybe that's Kakuryu. We'll see what happens, but Kak has fulfilled the requirements set out for him. If he ends up as a Wakanohana III in the end, even that wouldn't "damage" the reputation of the yokozuna rank. And he's young enough and skilled enough that he might do quite well. Harumafuji was panned by some as a second-tier yokozuna upon his promotion, but he's stepped up his game. We'll see. I appreciate this plot twist, certainly. On another note, it's been good to see that Hakuho, who once upon a time was seen as sort of vanilla or perhaps the "anti-Asashoryu," will have an opportunity to write yet another chapter in his exceptional story. He's become so multi-faceted over the years -- from the choir boy to the scoundrel or villain at times, but definitely a leader. Now he has some up-and-coming challengers to act as the wall as he seeks to challenge Taiho's all-time mark. Can't wait to see what happens!

Yes, making up the numbers. If I were forming a stable tomorrow, I'd want ex-rikishi who I thought were best placed to teach, to maximize the skills of new candidates. In that case, I'd look for people who were particularly good at getting the most out of their skills, like specialists in getting to the belt, great pusher-thrusters, or someone who was a department store of techniques. In Kotooshu's case, I'd fear his best skills were being tall and strong, which are hard to teach! Clearly, he's got other skills, but I could think of other rikishi I'd want to teach me technique. But I guess setting up a roster of oyakata in ozumo is not the same as setting up a baseball team's management roster. I certainly applaud his desire to stay in Japan and continue in ozumo after he quits the dohyo.

Is there much discussion about which oyakata are most effective in teaching and coaching rikishi? If so, who are considered the best and worst? Is Kotooshu expected to be good in this regard? If nothing else, I imagine prominent or gifted potential rikishi courted by multiple heya would want to know where they would get the best coaching, but I haven't heard much about it.