Shimpan news and schedules

[Akinomaki 40,421]

Hidenoyama (Kotoshogiku) at his home basho will for the first time be shimpan at the dohyo. https://www.sanspo.com/article/20231110-CCL5JXLS5ROLPMZQVBL2F5PDK4/

[Asashosakari 19,309]

Hmm, temporary assignment to fill what should be a Takasago-ichimon slot (vacated by ex-Toki in September), or is he replacing an actual Nishonoseki member on a permanent basis?

[rhyen 1,835]

2 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Hmm, temporary assignment to fill what should be a Takasago-ichimon slot (vacated by ex-Toki in September), or is he replacing an actual Nishonoseki member on a permanent basis?

Kotooshu?

[Yubinhaad 11,659]

12 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Hmm, temporary assignment to fill what should be a Takasago-ichimon slot (vacated by ex-Toki in September), or is he replacing an actual Nishonoseki member on a permanent basis?

According to the early torikumi-hyo that you get from joining the official fan club, Tanigawa has moved to the Naruto shift to fill Sendagawa's place (with stopgap Jinmaku understandably not wanting to continue). Hidenoyama now fills that vacant spot on the Futagoyama shift. Subject to alteration of course, but if it stays as it is he'll make his debut on the third shift of Day 1, in early Sandanme.

[Yubinhaad 11,659]

A late change to the shimpan crew, Ajigawa (former Sekiwake Aminishiki) is absent, Onogawa (former Maegashira Kitataiki) is filling in for him this basho.

[yorikiried by fate 2,027]

Wow, Kitataiki. He certainly excelled in his diet.

Now I fully expect for mono-ii called three minutes after the bout...

[Akinomaki 40,421]

3 hours ago, Yubinhaad said:

A late change to the shimpan crew, Ajigawa (former Sekiwake Aminishiki) is absent, Onogawa (former Maegashira Kitataiki) is filling in for him this basho

And (nowadays only torikumi maker) deputy chief shimpan Fujishima has taken over the shift of kyujo chief Sadogatake http://www.sanspo.com/article/20240113-JOIZM55LUVMPDBXYTKJFKPILPU/

[Asashosakari 19,309]

Trying something new in the original spirit of this thread which I unfortunately got out of the habit of updating too soon.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JGiQgS_s7butYRdV5P1tTnn2STRHDzbukZTmi0XzUwA/

This spreadsheet is essentially based on the algorithmic information presented at the start of the thread, and will do the calculating of each shimpan's seating positions throughout the honbasho for you. The file is public so all users are sharing it and will see each other's changes, but I'm assuming (perhaps wrongly) that it won't be creating major issues - while bouts are happening, everybody is likely to be interested in the same information (namely who's sitting around the dohyo at that exact moment), and people watching on-demand at a later time are much less likely to be using the sheet at the same time. If you want a personal copy not shared with anybody else, it should be possible to create one with the File -> Copy menu option while logged into your Google account. (Or alternatively File -> Download -> .xlsx format for a local copy independent of Google's services.)

The sheets are completely locked from being editable except for the two cells next to "Day" and "Shift", which drive the display changes underneath.

Disclaimer: Obviously, the file will be unable to handle emergency replacements, should any be happening. Aki basho had multiple, Kyushu went off as intended.

Requests for changes/improvements welcome.

[Asashosakari 19,309]

An odd-numbered year means the Kyokai's oyakata structure is undergoing only minor changes, but news has come in via Nikkan that Otowayama-oyakata (ex-Kakuryu) is joining the shimpan department starting with the next tournament. Who he's replacing and whether he's the only new face, we will likely only learn when the duties list is updated. (They're very slow with that lately, so it could take a while...the addition of Terunofuji to the oyakata roster took more than 10 days.) Any non-shimpan changes I'll eventually list in the relevant thread.

Edit: Sanspo mentions Kiyomigata (ex-Tochiozan) and Tateyama (ex-Homarefuji) replacing Asahiyama (ex-Kotonishiki) and Takenawa (ex-Tochinonada).

In any case, the specific membership of the revised four shimpan rotations will likely only be confirmed when the first torikumi for Haru basho is published. But while I've got your attention: Any thoughts about the spreadsheet posted in the previous comment? Did anybody try to use it during Hatsu basho, and if so, was it useful? Anything missing, anything unclear?

Edited Thursday at 12:56 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,309]

Incidentally, I was provided some feedback in private already, in the course of which an interesting oddity was discovered: In certain situations, the group involving Futagoyama-oyakata has been deviating from their expected seating order. After some investigation, I found two cases in Hatsu basho and one more back in Kyushu, all seemingly corresponding to the following situation: The group made their second appearance of the day during the juryo matches, Futagoyama was expected to sit on either the East or the West side, and Nabatame was scheduled to compete from that side of the dohyo. Each time that was the case, Futagoyama switched his seat with that of Hidenoyama-oyakata: Kyushu Day 8 (West side), Hatsu Day 7 (West) and Hatsu Day 11 (East).

The other three times that the group appeared during juryo in the two tournaments saw them take the expected seats. Kyushu Day 4 had Futagoyama in the non-timekeeper position in the back, Day 12 as timekeeper, and Hatsu Day 3 on the West side (with Nabatame competing from the East that day).

The same thing has not happened with Roga, the heya's other sekitori, the one time the situation came up in these recent two tournaments: On Day 11 of Kyushu, Futagoyama sat on the East side as intended, while Roga was fighting from there.

Thanks to @Gernobono for pointing out that the spreadsheet was at odds with what was actually happening around the dohyo! Unfortunately there's not much I can actually do about it for future tournaments, but it's intriguing to know and be aware of, in any case.

[Yubinhaad 11,659]

5 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Edit: Sanspo mentions Kiyomigata (ex-Tochiozan) and Tateyama (ex-Homarefuji) replacing Asahiyama (ex-Kotonishiki) and Takenawa (ex-Tochinonada).

The usually well-informed ryogokulove on X says Edagawa (ex-Aogiyama) is the one leaving to be replaced by Otowayama. Also says Araiso (ex-Kotoyuki) and Magaki (ex-Ishiura) will take over as sumo school instructors in place of Tateyama and Kiyomigata (and presumably their kimarite-gakari roles too).

A reply says Takenawa will move to the Nagoya basho team, perhaps ending the oddity of Mihogaseki doubling up with that and Fukuoka which you spotted a while back?

[yorikiried by fate 2,027]

10 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Each time that was the case, Futagoyama switched his seat with that of Hidenoyama-oyakata

Maybe something banal? An evil draft and back muscles acting up?

[Akinomaki 40,421]

14 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Sanspo mentions Kiyomigata (ex-Tochiozan) and Tateyama (ex-Homarefuji) replacing Asahiyama (ex-Kotonishiki) and Takenawa (ex-Tochinonada).

On 17/01/2025 at 10:17, Jakusotsu said:

On 17/01/2025 at 10:04, Kaninoyama said:

Now that was a torinaoshi you don't see very often. 

Indeed. I guess Asahiyama will be grilled.

On 17/01/2025 at 14:51, Akinomaki said:

ex-Kotonoshiki should be suspended from shimpan duty - for disturbing the NHK schedule (I wonder if the NSK has to pay a penalty per minute for an extension of the program), but maybe he gets away with only a reprimand and there is no pay deduction and demotion to a lower oyakata rank.

A quick removal of Asahiyama was something to look forward to - otherwise I saw no talk of a reprimand

[Kaninoyama 1,777]

Kakuryu joining the shimpan ranks means another good color commentator will no longer be available on the NHK broadcasts. Hopefully they'll give Takakeisho multiple days in his place.