Kintamayama 45,487 Posted November 5, 2009 (edited) 6 new recruits have signed up for the coming basho. All of them passed phase one of the tests. One of them is 17 year old Oonami (大波), 1.82/89, grandson of former Komusubi Wakabayama. "I've been yearning for this since I was small. It was my dream. I'd like to do forward moving sumo. Using my grandfather's shikona? Maybe after I climb the ranks. I shall gambarize!", he said. He started doing sumo in the fourth grade, the year his grandfather passed away. His family owns a restaurant, where he used to work during the holidays. He would move the tables after work and practice sumo. Edited November 5, 2009 by Kintamayama Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 19,606 Posted November 5, 2009 (edited) One of them is 17 year old Oonami (大波), 1.82/89, grandson of former Komusubi Wakabayama. And this guy is the middle generation, per Sanspo. Edit: BTW, the kid is joining Arashio-beya. That's already their fourth recruit this year and they're actually in double-digits now...not bad considering five years ago or so he was lamenting how difficult it is to gain recognition as an upstart stable and compete with all the well-established popular ones. (Of course, it's more quantity than quality thus far - perhaps that'll be changing now with their newest entrant.) Edited November 5, 2009 by Asashosakari Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sashohitowa 6 Posted November 5, 2009 Aren't they supposed to have one and same family name? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 19,606 Posted November 5, 2009 Aren't they supposed to have one and same family name? Oba and Onami are different readings for the same (kanji) name; we'll have to wait and see whether Doitsuyama's guess or Kinta's is the correct one. Wakabayama is presumably the maternal grandfather, so the differing name isn't impossible there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madorosumaru 7 Posted November 5, 2009 Aren't they supposed to have one and same family name? Oba and Onami are different readings for the same (kanji) name; we'll have to wait and see whether Doitsuyama's guess or Kinta's is the correct one. Wakabayama is presumably the maternal grandfather, so the differing name isn't impossible there. According to the Arashio site, the recruit's name is pronounced "Onami." 大波（おおなみ） Asashosakari is correct that Wakabayama is the maternal grandfather. There is an interesting story to Wakabayama's surname. Wakabayama was born in China in 1922 but was separated from his parents while still a child. When he got older, he wanted to find his birth parents who he thought might be back in Japan. In order to get back home, he joined a touring sumo group led by Futabayama. He started wrestling using his birth parents' name, Iwahira, and kept it even after he was promoted to makuuchi. He thought the publicity that came with the promotion might attract his mother's attention but that was not to be. After one basho, his shikona was changed to Wakabayama, taking two characters from his shisho, Futabayama. To further complicate matters, his official bio has his surname as Aoyama. I can't find any definitive reason for that but it could be that after his futile effort to find his birth parents, he went back to using the name of the people who reared him. Or it is common for Japanese with no family roots to take the name of the wife's family and thus become part of their clan. The latter is likely since there is also a change in his shusshin from Fukuoka to Saitama. His birthplace is listed as Peking (now Beijing), China. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Naganoyama 5,945 Posted November 15, 2009 NSK data: SHIKONA KANJI NAME HEYA HEIGHT WEIGHT DOB BIRTHPLACE Hayashi 林 Ryota Hayashi Hanakago 174 120 29 - April - 1992 Gifu Kohiyama 小檜山 Akio Kohiyama Minato 178 143 06 - December - 1989 Saitama Nishizuka 西塚 Ryoma Nishizuka Sadogatake 178 100 09 - April - 1993 Yamagata Onami 大波 Wataru Onami Arashio 182 89 29 - December - 1991 Fukushima Shiramizu 白水 Ryo Shiramizu Isegahama 183 137 10 - August - 1991 Fukuoka Tobaru 唐原 Tomokazu Tobaru Hanaregoma 178 78 25 - December - 1989 Tokyo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonosuke 28 Posted November 15, 2009 Actually the recruit Onami's father is not a son of former Wakabayama but his mother is Wakabayama's daughter. Incidentally his father、Masashi Onami, was former Makushita 51 Wakashinobu and now operates Chanko Wakabayama in Fukushima City, where the new recruit is from. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaiguma 0 Posted November 16, 2009 Actually the recruit Onami's father is not a son of former Wakabayama but his mother is Wakabayama's daughter.Incidentally his father、Masashi Onami, was former Makushita 51 Wakashinobu and now operates Chanko Wakabayama in Fukushima City, where the new recruit is from. Just to clarify... Wakabayama is Onami's Great grandfather? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kintamayama 45,487 Posted November 17, 2009 (edited) Oonami won his first mae-zumo match today after a failed first tachiai. Second time-strong attack and win. "I was reaaalllly tense", he said later. Edited November 17, 2009 by Kintamayama Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 19,606 Posted November 22, 2009 Shusse presentation today, in the following order: Onami Enshunada (return, Kitanoumi-beya) Hayashi Shiramiyama ? 白美山 (Shiramizu) Kotonishizuka 琴西塚 (Nishizuka) Tobaru Kohiyama Looks like the elusive case of a returnee who actually showed up for more than one bout... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 19,606 Posted November 22, 2009 (edited) Merci, Fay! (Shaking head...) As per the above ranking they should be, from left to right: Kohiyama, Kotonishizuka, Tobaru, Shiramiyama Hakubizan, Hayashi, Onami Edited November 23, 2009 by Asashosakari Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 19,606 Posted November 23, 2009 Shiramiyama ? 白美山 (Shiramizu) Excellent, guessed wrong on all three kanji. He's Hakubizan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
