Spring Time for New Recruits

[Asysanyama 0]

You can hop over to Homasho's Shikoroyama Blog and see all their five new recruits.

Huahaha ! (Being unsure...)

Are they NEW recruits for SUMO or maybe

[aderechelsea 125]

[kaiguma 0]

no pictures???

Sorry, no. It was just a short blurb in one of those articles contrasting Tokitsukaze's lack of recruits with Hakkaku's success.

You can hop over to Homasho's Shikoroyama Blog and see all their five new recruits.

Thanks so much Joe! :-)

[Kintamayama 45,530]

The son of Arashio Oyakata (formerly Komusubi Oyutaka), Riki Suzuki 鈴木力 (15), will be joining the heya in March. Though he is tall enough at 177 cm, his weight of 70 kg is under the minimum requirement of 75 kg, so he will have to pass the secondary shin-deshi exam that includes tests of athletic ability.

He lost his first mae-zumo match yesterday.

[Kintamayama 45,530]

The first shin-deshi to join Takanohana Beya in four years is 15-year-old Kanata Matsubara 松原哉太 from Saitama.

He lost his first maezumo match today. His new shikona is Takatenshuu 貴天秀

[Asashosakari 19,667]

The rugby kid Fukudome won his first maezumo bout on Day 3.

Evidently quite happy about it:

[Sasanishiki 57]

Quite interesting considering the discussion about jikan mae in teh other thread. This would be jikan ato... :-)

[Asashosakari 19,667]

A belated find...Sakaigawa-beya's six shindeshi:

Left to right:

Back row - Nakagawa, Miyazaki, Miki

Front row - Otsu, Sato, Fujita

Edited March 13, 2008 by Asashosakari

[Fay 1,677]

Takanohana's shindeshi, Kanata Matsubara 松原哉太 from Saitama, 15 years old, born September 23, 1992, 184 cm weight: 137 kg

[madorosumaru 7]

Hurray! I Finally Got a New Deshi!

The first shin-deshi to join Takanohana Beya in four years is 15-year-old Kanata Matsubara 松原哉太 from Saitama.

Among those examined was Kanata Matsubara, who measured in at 184 cm and 137 kg. Oyakata said, "My heart was pounding [when it was Kanata's turn]. I am going to nurture him so that he will become accustomed to the [sumo] way of life quickly."

Yes, a deshi is a deshi, but what have we got here?

Matsubara passed mae-zumo, because everyone does, among the low-achieving sanban shusse. The story circulating the Japanese message boards is that the Takanohana recruit received an "1"--the lowest grade--in physical ed while in junior high. Oy vey!

[Andreas 0]

I guess that a lot of dedicated training (muscle buildup, technique) could still transform this kid into a good wrestler, but I somehow doubt that he has the necessary mindset (bad grades in physical education must have reasons like lack of discipline and motivation)

Edited March 27, 2008 by Andreas

[Bealzbob 0]

(bad grades in physical education must have reasons like lack of discipline and motivation)

Ordinarily I might agree with that logic. However, it doesn't fit with him joining a heya knowing what he's in for when he gets there, so I'd suggest the motivation is certainly there and the discipline (if not there already) will soon follow. Bad phys. ed. grades might just have been because he was (compared to his junior high peers) simply a bit too fat.

Edited March 27, 2008 by Bealzbob

[That-Satsu-Guy 1]

I bought the April issue of Yomiuri's ozumo magazine. They have a few articles on the shin-deshi. They say that despite all the problems sumo has suffered this shows that sumo is recovering it's popularity with young folk.

They did some polling to support this assertion. When polled on what sports they like to watch sumo ranked 4th. (pro baseball 48.1%, marathon 36%, high school baseball 35.5%, Ozumo 28.1%, pro soccer 25.1%, volleyball 21.8%, ice skating 21%, golf 18.1%, American baseball (MLB) 14.6%.)

People are watching multiple sports, but sumo ranks higher than soccer!

On an unrealated note, I am also of the opinion that Matsubara / Takatenshu will not become a sekitori. Let's hope he can make nice chanko.

Edited March 27, 2008 by That-Satsu-Guy

[Gusoyama 104]

Marathon? *boggle* People actually enjoy watching marathons? I've watched the ending of one of the most famous marathons in the world live and in person over 5 times, and its just not exciting, people.

But then again, people say that about sumo, so who am I to throw stones at a bunch of stick-people jogging around covered in their own pee.

Edited March 28, 2008 by Gusoyama

[That-Satsu-Guy 1]

Nishi, I translated everything literally as written. I can scan it if you want.

The most interesting point of that article was that in 1992 (Heisei 4) sumo was watched by 65.7% of those polled.

Marathons and other races, like Hakone's ekiden, are very popular. Marathon runners are big celebrities. For example, Q-chan.

Edited March 29, 2008 by That-Satsu-Guy

[aderechelsea 125]

i like watching Marathons on TV too .... (Showing respect...)

but getting back to Sumo, this drop in numbers (especially when it comes from the same source) is indeed disappointing but the weird thing is that kensho and ticket sales don't say the same story.

[Jonosuke 28]

I think you have to take into account that the last time that many people were watching was at the height of Waka-Taka fever. Ozumo broadcast typically don't have the rating nubmers that other prime time shows do as they are shown in afternoon. Certainly even die-hards don't watch them all from 1 to 6 PM every day for 15 days six times a year as broadcast by NHK's BS channel.

Anyway in Japan once some story becomes "topical", it just sweeps the whole nation as it did back in the Waka-Taka Age.

As Nishi-san pointed out, "marathon" in Japan typically means any running race and they have tons of them from high school tournaments to prefectural running races. Ekiden races (relays) especially those held at the New Year Day are incredibly poplular. Top runners are easily recognized by people there. TV coverages have all kinds of camera angles from the top group to mid group to those holding at the rear. There are more moves than typical golf tournaments.

As for High School baseball, many future stars are born there in the Koshien Park like Matsuzaka and Matsui. Somehow watching young kids compete for nothing but their school pride is refreshing. Again only NHK shows the tournaments like Ozumo.

Edited March 29, 2008 by Jonosuke