Asameshimae

Finally. Edit: still haven't seen anything in English. https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/201801210000508.html

I see someone else did post here. Yes, the TV news reported that no one was hurt, but as we know, rikishi aren't allowed to drive and he doesn't have a license anyway. His wife tried to tell the police that she was driving but camera said otherwise. AND, he didn't tell his oyakata about it. Everything seemed find today on the dohyo, but I'd be a surprised if Osuna was on the dohyo tomorrow for starters. Just checked but found nothing on the net news Japanese or English.

Indeed, many unsung somebodies have to put all that stuff there on wikipedia to whet people's appetite.

Um, you realize that's more like 30 years? Not trying to make you feel older or anything. :)

There are countless kanji that are read Shō in Japanese, this really frustrated me at first. Kō as well. It does all start to click after a while.

My sumo interest has been on the wane recently, but I decided to make the trip to Osaka for a few days to see some sumo and rekindle some interest. My first day (day 10 or so?) I saw a new rikishi I hadn't heard about who stood out from the others. I'm sure most here have heard of him, but he was new to me. Looked him up immediately: Wakaichiro, real name Ichiro Young. There isn't a lot of smiling in sumo, but the self-deprecating grin he gave after his bout made me grin too. I decided to find out more about him; the net had less than I wanted. I didn't have to try very hard though because the next day I got to talking to the two nice ladies next to me and it quickly turned out they just happened to be Wakaichiro's mother and grandmother. He is from Texas, half-African American, half Japanese (in case you hadn't guessed). He is a Texan boy, but has lived in Nagasaki for periods of time. Though he has the second name Kendrick, he is largely known as Ichiro even in America. He can get by quite well in Japanese which will do him well here. His mother introduced us, and he made quite an impression on me. He seems happy and adjusted and willing to stick it out for the foreseeable future. I wanted to show my support so I asked if I could post a pic. and they were fine with this. He's the one on the right.

The yobidashi thread that touched on what they use fans for got me thinking again; what are the sagari that rikishi wear for? I honestly never thought about it until a new fan asked me recently and I could tell her a few things about sagari but not why they wear them. Forgot about the question until now, but I just went to see what I could google. The simple explanation is that they are used to hide their "lower half" (for a bit more modesty?), which they don't do much of a job of. Added to this is the fact that they used to wear their kesho-mawashi during bouts (and I suppose kesho-mawashi were also to hide one's "lower half"?). I found some added speculation that sagari began to be used in place of wearing expensive kesho-mawashi. Anyone heard, read or can surmise any other origin?

There we go! Thanks for that. And I liked how it was Itadaki holding up the sagari at the end. Nice. I never thought about how much kesho-mawashi would limit mobility. They probably weren't so expensively made until after they became more ornamental.

I'd forgotten all about that Furiwake Sensei thing. Japanese TV has a hard time doing much that I find truly funny, but that was a hit with me. Nice re-find. I'm surprised he ever agreed to do it, because he can be such a wall flower; but given the right conditions.. :) Don't give up on posting the whole thing. Would love to see that again!

If I'm not mistaken (this always gets me in trouble): This means that Hanakaze and Hokutoryu (before he retired) both broke the 30 year career record set from, wait for it, 1766 to 1796, by Miyagino Nishinosuke. Whoa. That's something. I know normally records from antiquity aren't comparable, but I think it is (largely) in this case. Gokurosama to them both. And fight on Hanakaze.

Yep, I was there on his last day. He won and got his kachi-koshi which was nice. Now Hanakaze is the only rikishi older than me in sumo; which is of course why I want him to continue indefinitely, even after he has to be carried onto the dohyo. Heh. How many players in sports as physically demanding as sumo can say they have been active since 1986?! I realize there are factors that help to keep these active (being the only one who knows all the best chanko recipes etc), but it is still a spectacle how looooong you have to scroll down his record on the DB.

I mean there's nothing like that triumphant quick pull of the sagari out of the mawashi when a rikishi wins his bout - again the ritual and symbolism of it transcends whatever it might have been originally for, but I'm still curious.

I wonder who put up that Pepsi masashi of Takatoriki? I wouldn't be surprised if Takatoriki needs the money.. Anyway, this has got me really interested in kesho-mawashi of antiquity. Would love to see more pics of older kesho-mawashi - though they are likely less imaginative. Too bad that the further back you go (and not that far back) all pics would be black and white. I'm thinking I saw a kesho-mawashi exhibit in the sumo museum not terribly long ago? Man, my memory these days..

I wouldn't doubt if it never served a practical purpose. It likely just added pomp and style, like, um, neckties or the like.

Yeah, the KIWOCHIRASHI prize. :) Not often I've seen such a derailment in the on topic sumo forum threads. Anyway, I didn't know Teru was injured; this makes me just slightly more forgiving for his henka on Shogiku on Day 14 - Man I was livid that day. Heh.

I think the heat of the moment as mentioned above is a major factor. It's not being reported that anybody yelled out anything before Teru pulled possibly the meanest henka I can remember on Giku. I was rooting for Teru to surprise everyone and get the yusho until he pulled that crap. I am sure the person who yelled that would have said something pretty terrible to a Japanese rikishi as well if he'd pulled the same thing, but he had the easy grab that Teru wasn't Japanese. All kinds of things get yelled out at sumo that TV doesn't pick up. I'm not sure why some have decided it is such a big deal this time around.

Yep... http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1772502.html He certainly brought some colorful variety to sumo. He will be missed.

I didn't want to believe it, but it's starting to leak in from other places too (a sumo interest group messaging circle in Japanese that I keep on my phone). I still think it's best to wait until there is confirmation in the news before we start lamenting his loss.

Sorry i misread the letter posted to Twitter. Subsequent posts by people here made me realize this. I should keep my reading glasses near my futon. Anyway, Kasugayama is still fighting to keep the heya and keep it in Kawasaki and sent a petition to the kyokai for their meeting in the 16th. I don't know how many have met Kasugayama (Tattchan to many), but he is a great guy and he and his heya truly deserve to continue on in Kawasaki.

I have met Terutsuyoshi, and am a fan of him and his heya. I did not know this tidbit: He was born on the day and close to the epicenter of the Great Hanshin Earthquake 1995. Love stuff like this. :)

May I ask? Have there been makushita tsukedashi rikishi who have taken the makushita yusho in their debut? I am sure the all-knowing query would answer my query, but I am rubbish at using it.

If you happen to have the smartphone sumo app it now has English localization, at least for iPhone anyway. And it appears it has a lot more bells and whistles too. Very likely worth the monthly fee to get more too. Though I am not sure if I will take the plunge. Because it is in English I was sure it would be available outside Japan but it looks like it IS NOT. Shucks. PS: I thought this would go well in the sumo information section; but apparently I can't post there. Guess I have to be Dai-Yokozuna or something first. :-P

Thanks for all of this. The early 1900s figures are interesting too and as they aren't from the early 1800s or anything, are still somewhat comparable.

Interesting. Thanks you guys. Actually my question behind that that I wanted to know even more is if anyone (in modern sumo anyway, after rules became more set) had ever been promoted to juryo after only one Makushita apearance (and it seemed only a tsukedashi appearance with a yusho would make it possible). Shimoda came the closest but only made Makushita 1.

Yes, I do a check once or twice a week and have still found next to nothing. Nishinoshima said it will come out sooner or later. I guess it is turning out to be the latter. Ah well. I'd like to think it being under wraps means Brody might be coming back, because if he is gone for good why be so hush hush about it, as he will eventually show up in the retirees or be a no show for Nagoya? But I am a pessimist by nature, and am afraid he's gone for good and that things are dire for Nishikido the man, and the heya.