Kensho for Haru 2016

[Akinomaki 40,783]

Endo not in makuuchi, so he gets no fixed kensho. He will have kensho on his bout only if he meets a makuuchi.
Unless the NSK changes the rules for kensho to allow kensho in juryo, which was allowed in 1970 when Wajima had 1 kensho each in 2 juryo bouts. Hard to find out all information about this, the forum has more details than the Japanese wikipedia.

kenshos in Juryo.
one on day 6 of Aki 1970 in a bout between future Yokozuna Wajima and Nagahama (future Komusubi Yutakayama)-one kensho, taken by Wajima in the end.

To my anger, I realized that I missed this recent best article about it at the time: http://www.sanspo.com/etc/news/20160119/amk16011905000001-n1.html
- a shimen article that's not on the sumo page - I'll also have to check this section of SANkei-SPOrts from now on.

Like all other sources about this not without slight errors: this wasn't Wajima's 5th and Nagahama's 4th juryo but overall basho.

The article lists the next Wajima-Nagahama bout in Kyushu 1970 (day 8) in juryo as another example. Wikipedia just tells that this only happened in this bout of these 2 and other sources like Yahoo's chiebukuro rely on it.

In juryo at the time kensho weren't allowed either, but a then equivalent of the present Morinaga-sho got awarded by request of the fans to those 2 Wajima bouts. Apparently the NSK still had to give a special permission.

51 are possible, since the Morinaga-sho (only at Tokyo basho) does not count for the 50 kensho limit.

(pic is gone):

the “Morinaga Award,” which is a kensho from Morinaga Confectionary.
This is the only prize that is determined by the votes of fans attending that day.

They mark the bout that they are most interested in on a designated form.
And the torikumi with the most votes will get the kensho placed on it.

Of course, the winning rikishi will get the prize money, but
the box of caramel is given as an additional prize.

the Morinaga-kensho is always called last, when the gyoji announcer tells us the kensho sponsor phrases:
kono torikumi ni wa: {<commercial phrase><company name>}, {next kensho}, ..., narabi ni {last kensho}
And the Morinaga-kensho has no phrase attached.

This Sankei-Shimbun-sha-sho existed only for one year, apparently the form then allowed to write down the preferred bout - this Natsu basho I'll try to find the survey in the kokugikan, I missed it each time so far.

The article also gives the comment from Nagatanien about their Endo kensho policy so far: "It's best when Endo gets them, but the aim of the kensho is to also fire up the opponents and lead to a refinement of the rikishi's abilities, to have generally more excitement - win or lose was not an issue. It's a pity we can't place them in juryo, but we want to support him in another way."

Several articles now mention the call to have kensho also in juryo.
The NSK rules now don't allow it, but they also list 50 kensho as the upper limit and sponsors can have it changed to 60 on demand.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Akinomaki

[hamcornheinz 839]

Why were you angry?

[Akinomaki 40,783]

Because I thought that I had covered all interesting articles with my way of checking and now discovered that Sanspo had more and especially here better contents than what I found anywhere else.

I will have to use even more time for checking instead of being able reduce the amount.

[torquato 1,075]

Same procedure as every basho. Here comes the top 10 kensho ranking taken from Nikansports http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/data/sm-standings.html

Day 1

1. Harumafuji 25
2. Takarafuji 23
3. Toyonoshima 18
4. Kotoshogiku 13
5. Goeido 12
6. Akiseyama 11
7. Terunofuji 10
8. Kisenosato 9
9. Daisomaru 4
10 Takanoiwa 3

[Atenzan 1,084]

Day 2

source: http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/data/sm-standings.html

1. Harumafuji (33)

2. Hakuho (26)

3. Takarafuji (23)

4. Kotoshogiku (21)

5. (tied) Kisenosato (18)

5. (tied) Terunofuji (18)

5. (tied) Toyonoshima (18)

8. Goeido (17)

9. Akiseyama (12)

10. Kakuryu (8)

[torquato 1,075]

Day 3

1. Hakuho 43
2. Harumafuji 33
3. Kakuryu 29
4. Kisenosato 28
5. Kotoshogiku 27
5. Terunofuji 27
7. Goeido 26
8. Takarafuji 23
9. Toyonoshima 18
10 Kitataiki 13

[torquato 1,075]

Day 4:

1. Hakuho 54

2. Harumafuji 51

3. Kakuryu 42

4. Goeido 36

5. Kotoshogiku 34

5. Kisenosato 34

7. Terunofuji 27

8. Takarafuji 23

9. Toyonoshima 18

10 Myogiryu 15

[torquato 1,075]

Day 5:

1. Hakuho 78
2. Harumafuji 61
3. Kakuryu 54
4. Kisenosato 39
5. Goeido 36
5. Terunofuji 36
7. Kotoshogiku 34
8. Takarafuji 23
9. Toyonoshima 18
10 Myogiryu 15

[torquato 1,075]

Day 6:

1. Hakuho 99
2. Kakuryu 74
3. Harumafuji 61
4. Kisenosato 46
5. Goeido 44
6. Kotoshogiku 40
7. Terunofuji 36
8. Takarafuji 23
9. Kotoyuki 22
10 Toyonoshima 18

[torquato 1,075]

Day 7:

1. Hakuho 114

2. Kakuryu 87

3. Harumafuji 77

4. Goeido 57

5. Kisenosato 55

6. Kotoshogiku 54

7. Terunofuji 46

8. Kotoyuki 25

9. Takarafuji 23

10 Ikioi 21

[torquato 1,075]

Day 8:

1. Hakuho 147

2. Kakuryu 98

3. Harumafuji 85

4. Goeido 67

5. Kotoshogiku 66

5. Kisenosato 66

7. Terunofuji 46

8. Takarafuji 28

9. Kotoyuki 27

10 Ikioi 21

[rhyen 1,846]

Torquato is MIA?

[torquato 1,075]

Day 9:

Torquato is MIA?

Yes, sort of. :-(

Yesterday, suddenly the DNS went down on my network. So I couldn' get into this new 'interweb' or whatever you call it. I'm living on such an unreliable network... *grumpf*

If somebody has made a copy of day 9, pls jump in.

Edited March 22, 2016 by torquato

[torquato 1,075]

Day 10:

1. Hakuho 182

2. Goeido 111

3. Kisenosato 102

4. Kakuryu 98

5. Harumafuji 94

6. Kotoshogiku 66

7. Terunofuji 59

8. Toyonoshima 36

9. Takarafuji 30

9. Kotoyuki 30

[Akinomaki 40,783]

Day 9

1 Hakuho 162
2 Kakuryu 98
3 Goeido 96
4 Harumafuji 94
5 Kisenosato 82
6 Kotoshogiku 66
7 Terunofuji 59
8 Kotoyuki 29
9 Takarafuji 28
10 Ikioi 21
10 Myogiryu 21

[torquato 1,075]

Day 11:

1. Hakuho 213
2. Goeido 129
3. Kakuryu 106
4. Kisenosato 102
5. Harumafuji 94
6. Terunofuji 74
7. Kotoshogiku 66
8. Kotoyuki 36
8. Toyonoshima 36
10 Takarafuji 33

[torquato 1,075]

Day 12:

1. Hakuho 234
2. Goeido 129
3. Harumafuji 108
4. Kakuryu 106
5. Kisenosato 102
6. Terunofuji 101
7. Kotoshogiku 74
8. Toyonoshima 41
9. Takarafuji 39
10 Kotoyuki 37

[Akinomaki 40,783]

How do you know who the kensho is for? I just see the guys walking around the dohyo, but I've always wondered how to tell who the sponsor is supporting....

A very difficult question, the dumb answer: the winner of the bout.

To know who is the rikishi's sponsor you have to read the news about that: about the commercials he's doing, who is in his koenkai, esp. which are the local companies from his hometown/province, the kesho mawashi he gets etc. - I post all those news if some appear.

That still only gives the fixed kensho for each of the rikishi participating - and that doesn't mean it is meant only for the rikishi:

the comment from Nagatanien about their Endo kensho policy so far: "It's best when Endo gets them, but the aim of the kensho is to also fire up the opponents and lead to a refinement of the rikishi's abilities, to have generally more excitement - win or lose was not an issue.

Also, sponsors may just try to place kensho on bouts with much public interest - either because of the rikishi or because of the pairing or the ranks involved - they may not support any rikishi in particular. It's a show of support to the rikishi by some companies and just a way to show themselves for others.

There are the kensho just for the type of bout: the first in makuuchi has always at least one and of course especially the last bout attracts sponsors, Ozeki sake is on an ozeki bout etc.

To find out if something is public about a sponsor connection, a search with the name of the kensho sponsor company combined with the name of each of the rikishi in the bout may give some results.

You need access to the NSK stream to listen to the full hall announcement (if they don't ruin that with comments from the in-house Doiskoi-FM radio) and to see the whole kensho parade. And you need to understand Japanese or should at least know the names of all companies.

The daily torikumi-sheet handed out at the kokugikan lists the kensho

The kyokai puts the PDF files of the torikumi sheets' main part on the web the day before, but they omit the kensho info: basically the script for the hall gyoji's kensho announcement - last basho's example of the kensho list: http://www.achimp.de/kenshoNatsu14.5.jpg

the gyoji announcer tells us the kensho sponsor phrases:

kono torikumi ni wa:

{<commercial phrase><company name>}[,[{next kensho}, ...,] narabi ni {last kensho}]

kara kensho ga arimasu

[hamcornheinz 839]

How can Ikioi be so popular and yet have no sponsors?

[torquato 1,075]

Day 13:

1. Hakuho 255
2. Goeido 145
3. Harumafuji 134
4. Kisenosato 116
5. Kakuryu 106
6. Terunofuji 101
7. Kotoshogiku 74
8. Kotoyuki 41
8. Toyonoshima 41
10 Takarafuji 39

[rhyen 1,846]

How can Ikioi be so popular and yet have no sponsors?

Not enough female fans who will lineup to buy an Ikioi karaoke machine featuring him covering all the sumo songs and golden oldies?

[torquato 1,075]

Day 14:

1. Hakuho 298
2. Goeido 157
3. Kisenosato 142
4. Harumafuji 134
5. Kakuryu 120
6. Terunofuji 101
7. Kotoshogiku 74
8. Kotoyuki 47
9. Takarafuji 42
10 Toyonoshima 41

For a detailed overview of todays kensho take a look at Kinta's video.^^ ;-)

[Hakuhonofan 334]

It's weird seeing Goeido all the way up the rank and not Endo.

[Akinomaki 40,783]

Most ever kensho for a regional basho: 1672 this basho, most so far was last Kyushu with 1579, most for Tokyo is 1979, last Aki. http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2016/03/27/kiji/K20160327012295840.html

Edited March 27, 2016 by Akinomaki

[torquato 1,075]

Final Day:

1. Hakuho 343
2. Kisenosato 174
3. Goeido 157
4. Kakuryu 146
5. Harumafuji 134
6. Terunofuji 101
7. Kotoshogiku 74
8. Kotoyuki 48
9. Takarafuji 42
10 Toyonoshima 41

The Harumafuji - Hakuho bout had 'only' 45 kensho in it. Not the allowed maximum. Goeido vs. Kisenosato had 32 in it.
Osunaarashi today missed the chance to grab 1 (or 2) kensho in his crossover bout against Daishomaru, he got one on day 3 against Akiseyama.

Thanks for reading. See you in May.

Edited March 27, 2016 by torquato