McDonald's Installs Special Seat for Rikishi

[Umigame 82]

Mickey D's near across the river from the Kokugikan installed an extra-large seat for rikishi customers. Non-rikishi customers may use it also. The chair was designed to the dimensions of Yamamotoyama's backside.

Video here:

A custom made seat built to withstand the weight and size of a sumo wrestler was installed at a McDonalds restaurant in Tokyo's Taito Ward located near the Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena and frequented by wrestlers.

Edited September 8, 2009 by Umigame

[Kintamayama 45,252]

[Washuyama 641]

That double cheeseburger looks like a Scooby-snack in his hand!! :-)

[Treblemaker 254]

Ok, now I've seen everything.

Did YMY have a mold made of his baskside?

[Jonosuke 28]

It's been quite a while I've been to this McDonald's but I don't recall they had all those kesho mawashi on the wall (perhaps someone like Nishi san can correct me) but does this mean YMY getting their Kesho mawashi soon.

There is an article about YMY getting a special permission to appear for this "event" while all rikishi are focusing fully on their monring training sessions so does this mean the Kyokai getting something from McDonald's, a new sponsor for their jungyo or Kokugikan's snack store or kensho?

[Jejima 1,400]

  Jonosuke said:

There is an article about YMY getting a special permission to appear for this "event" while all rikishi are focusing fully on their monring training sessions so does this mean the Kyokai getting something from McDonald's, a new sponsor for their jungyo or Kokugikan's snack store or kensho?

McD's usually has 4 banners for every basho's musubi-no-ichiban these days.

[Orion 431]

  Jejima said:

  Jonosuke said:

There is an article about YMY getting a special permission to appear for this "event" while all rikishi are focusing fully on their monring training sessions so does this mean the Kyokai getting something from McDonald's, a new sponsor for their jungyo or Kokugikan's snack store or kensho?

McD's usually has 4 banners for every basho's musubi-no-ichiban these days.

Reminiscent of the days when Akebono had a set of Golden Arches kesho mawashi for his yokozuna dohyo-iri. The branch right across the road from Ryogoku station has been giving free burgers to winning juniors for years. But if this is the one that's just installed the extra-big seat (as I assume), it isn't across the river in Asakusabashi in Taito ward. It's right in Ryogoku, in Sumida ward.

Orion

[Kintamayama 45,252]

Mother (off camera to little kid, a minute before the picture was taken) "If you don't finish your drink, the monster with the glasses will eat you!"

Big brother: "Cool!! YES! YES!"

YMY hungrily eyeing his next meal:

Edited September 8, 2009 by Kintamayama

[ilovesumo 12]

Too bad YmY lives kinda far away from it...

[Umigame 82]

Thanks for the correction Nishinoshima. Indeed the shop is in Asakusabashi -- it's NOT the one closest to the Kokugikan.

The report is a bit misleading because it says "near the Kokugikan and a lot of rikishi go there" before mentioning the actual address. But if the map below is up to date and correct, then actually there are no heyas in Taito-ku at all... and the point of using this location is lost on me.

Map of all sumobeya

[Asameshimae 220]

"The report is a bit misleading because it says "near the Kokugikan and a lot of rikishi go there" before mentioning the actual address."

Yeah, I was duped into believing it was the one very near the Kokugikan as well. Glad I read the whole thread. I may check out that McD's anyway on my next foray to see sumo, just for the kitsch factor. I can't imagine any sumo-san taking the trouble to go there, regardless of what the news report says. I wonder if the closer McD's was offered the seat promotion, but passed up on it?... It does take up a lot of space...

[Sasanishiki 57]

  Asanomeshi said:

I may check out that McD's anyway on my next foray to see sumo, just for the kitsch factor.

I went in there for a milkshake once about 5 years ago. I was doing a big walk around Asakusabashi from where I was staying between Akihabara and Kanda stations. Nothing special from what I remember. It is about two blocks north of Asakusabashi station, on the main road. I think the subway station is around there as well. Strange how the memory is jogged when you mention something as simple as McDonald's in Asakusabashi!

[Orion 431]

  Umigame said:

Thanks for the correction Nishinoshima. Indeed the shop is in Asakusabashi -- it's NOT the one closest to the Kokugikan.

The report is a bit misleading because it says "near the Kokugikan and a lot of rikishi go there" before mentioning the actual address. But if the map below is up to date and correct, then actually there are no heyas in Taito-ku at all... and the point of using this location is lost on me.

Yes, I was about to reply to Nish, next time I got on a computer, that it's not 2 minutes away from where I am - more like 20 minutes out of my way, starting with a stiff 12-minute walk (minimum) across the River Sumida via Ryogoku Bridge.

This must have been the Mac where Konishiki used to send his tsukebito to get ten burgers for a between-meals snack back in the days whe Takasago-beya was just a couple of streets away. After it moved no sumo people would go there unless they were given an inducement -- as YMY obviously was. This must be simply an attempt to drum up trade with the general public. Meanwhile the one that is really close to the KK continues to do a roaring trade.

Orion (think I'll pass on this one)

[Orion 431]

  Nishinoshima said:

  Orion said:

Yes, I was about to reply to Nish, next time I got on a computer, that it's not 2 minutes away from where I am - more like 20 minutes out of my way, starting with a stiff 12-minute walk (minimum) across the RiverS umida via Ryogoku Bridge.

Obviously I was talking about the Ryogoku one.

Why tell me to check out the wrong one? (Foot in mouth...)

[Harry 67]

Nagoyabasho:

From the cheap seats:

Why did I take pictures of the McDonald's kensho banners from tamari-seki? I dunno, I'm weird I guess...

McKensho, i'm lovin' it:

Edited September 9, 2009 by Harry

[Kotoviki 16]

McKensho! Great one Harry! (Sign of approval...) (Sign of approval...)

There are heya near Taito-ku! Verena & I drove around there....

Maybe Verena & I can check this new chair out tomorrow along our day....

I guess they let YMY skip Keiko for this event because he wasn't doing anything except standing at Keiko last week.. Oh & autographing my car & taking pics with John! LOL

[Orion 431]

  Nishinoshima said:

News report says Asakusabashi and it doesn't look like the one in Ryogoku.

You are only 2 minutes away. You could always check in the interest of public enlightenment.

I was reading what you wrote, since you had corrected a misunderstanding on my part.

I repeat, I am not two minutes away from Asakusabashi. And, since your first sentence above makes it clear that it wasn't the one in Ryogoku, why should I go to that one -- to see something that you have just told me isn't there?

Orion (Sign of approval...)

PS Thanks for all the nice pics. Isn't it amazing how many things have changed in just a few years? (I'd quite forgotten the snow!)

[sekihiryu 51]

[Kintamayama 45,252]

Much pictures:

http://www.projectharuhi.net/?p=1094

[Harry 67]

The temago double mac was the monthly burger while I was there. Just to see how it differed from the north american version, I had one in a special set with fries, drink and chicken mcnuggets. The 'temago' is just the mold formed egg from an egg McMuffin but I enjoyed it. No problem going hungry there, that's for sure! People pointed at me like no other place though, look at the gaijin eating at McDonalds. Not sure if they thought Mr. James needed a shave or what...

Edited September 10, 2009 by Harry

[Kintamayama 45,252]

  Harry said:

Looks like someone lost his false teeth and tongue in that one.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

I wonder if this sort of thing is popular at McDonald's outlets in Ryogoku and near the various sumobeya...

[Treblemaker 254]

  Otokonoyama said:

I wonder if this sort of thing is popular at McDonald's outlets in Ryogoku and near the various sumobeya...

Well, the concept isn't new.. I was friends with a pro football player (in the Canadian Football League) a few years ago, and when we went to McD's, he would order 2 Big Macs, 4 huge milkshakes (back when they had them), 4 large fries and a few apple pies. He would go and sit down, take the two Big Macs, stack one on top of the other, squish them down to a bite-able size, and proceed to finish them off. Then after taking care of the rest of the menu, he'd go back for another pair of Big Macs...

But that was nothing compared to one guy I saw at a 24-hour buffet in Elmira, New York. I'll save that for another post, but you wonder why a large chunk of the American population is suffering from obesity.