Inside Sport Japan

Yarden Yatkovski He's been mailing everyone and anyone even remotely connected to sumo for the past couple of years trying to get accepted into a heya. Even if he wasn't already too old, he's never even put on a mawashi, much less taken part in a sumo tournament of any kind. You have to admire his persistence but no one, not even he himself, knows whether he has any sumo ability.

Nishikido oyakata (former sekiwake Mitoizumi)

Nine more sekitori and eleven oyakata tested positive for Covid in the latest round of PCR 252 members of the JSA have been infected to date. Roughly one quarter of the organization. Latest positives - sekitori: Shimanoumi, Shiba, Churanoumi, Chiyonokuni, Takarafuji, Shodai, Kiribyama, Akua, Meisei Oyakata: （Michinoku） （Urakaze） （Tokitsukaze） （Tatsunami） （Kabutoyama） （Sakaigawa） （Kise） （Onogawa） （Ajigawa) （Tateyama) （Katsunoura）

BREAKING! More Covid-19 positives in the sumo world announced. Tochinoshin, Takakeishō, Kotokuzan, Wakamotoharu, Wakatakakage, Terunofuji, Midorifuji, Nishikifuji, Ichiyamamoto, Yutakayama, Tokushoryu, Hoshoryu Kimura Ginjiro Oyakata: Kasugano Takenawa Tokiwayama

All younger and lower ranked urakata (gyoji / yobidashi / tokoyama) live in the stable they are part of. It's no different than lower ranked rikishi. As with achieving sekitori level for rikishi, once an urakata reaches a certain level they are free to move out, get married etc.

Not sure what happened but he was in the initial list given. His scheduled zoom call link was still listed in the media email for interviews on the day as well. Very strange.

As promised we’re doing a clear out of memorabilia from the office again this year. There are roughly 500 authentic signed sumo handprints that need to go. All prices are flexible and large discounts will be given to those who buy multiple tegata. DM us your wish list for prices or better still contact us through any of our social media channels. Thanks

Rest here

Takakeisho has withdrawn

Visual aid Two of the Hakuho portraits in that were replaced by the two Terunofuji ones seen above.

Taganoura oyakata has tested positive for Covid-19. All members of the stable including Takayasu are absent for the January tournament. Two lower division wrestlers also tested positive. As yet there is no information on which strain of the virus it is.

Happy New Year to all Sumo Forum members. Let's hope 2022 is a better year than the last two.

We took photos of all the championship portraits currently hanging in the Kokugikan & arranged them in order. Third row center (with additional blinds from unveiling still attached) are the two most recent. The two immediately to their right will be replaced before the Jan tournament. Full size image link here.

Agreed. Half the time it's easy to forget he isn't actually already the top man. Always prominent and carries himself with the air of a boss.

It wasn't. In the pre internet age the organizers were able to get away with a lot of marketing hype for that event that would be disproven in two seconds nowadays. It was even promoted locally as the first basho outside Japan (and still is claimed as such on the RAH website) though of course it was nothing of the sort and similar events had been taking place for 30 years in places like Hawaii, Russia, China, France, Brazil and Mexico. There are lots of non honbasho events where rikishi take things seriously, and you can see blood and pain at any training session. Even jungyo can get heated. None of them are 'serious' in the sense of impacting rankings, salary etc. The 1991 London event was the seventh of (to date) 13 foreign Koen. No different than any before or after it, though obviously it held a lot of significance for sumo fans in the region and especially those in attendance.

The only 'serious' events are the six yearly honbasho.

All Japan tournament an optimistic indicator of a return to normal - Japan Times

IIRC They went back to the Shitakubeya where there were no cameras.

Palu, not Paru. His dad is Wycliff Palu who played 58 times for the Australian national rugby team between 2006 and 2016 and is now a coach in Japan.

Talked to him at the All Japan. Seemed fine and in good spirits. Asked if he was recovered and he said he was all good.