Retirements after Natsu 2024

[Reonito 1,337]

35 minutes ago, Koorifuu said:

The kabu musical chairs seem to be rather close to completion, but unfortunately they weren't quick enough for poor Kiryuko.

He's had some history at making it to the promotion area but failing to get the nod, despite good showings whenever he's called for juryo bouts, so I REALLY hope he nails four wins in two months.

And that 4 is enough ... no guarantees.

[Bunbukuchagama 690]

3 hours ago, Katooshu said:

I'm sure his neck is thrilled to hear that 

Suicide by cop Onosato. 

[Yubinhaad 11,551]

On 29/05/2024 at 08:14, Tigerboy1966 said:

Sad news about Mogamizakura. He caught my attention when starting 5-0 in July 21, He was big, strong and very young and I remember hoping that Shikihide had found a good one at last. He did get stuck in upper jonidan/ lower sandanme but he was still only 18 and could gone further.

Agreed. Unfortunately a lingering shoulder injury and asthma were the deciding factors in his early retirement. He plans to resume education to high school graduate level, and then study confectionary to learn how to make sweets. A few pictures:
 

Spoiler

With some stablemates after his final bout.

Tomebasami by Shikihide-oyakata (former Maegashira Kitazakura).

The severed oicho.

Afterwards.

 

I must admit I never expected Hokutosato to stick around for even five years, so I applaud him for sticking it out for 13 in the end. The heya held a joint danpatsu-shiki for him and Okinofuji, who retired after the Haru basho to become a sewanin. They posted one picture and a video of the end:

Edited May 30 by Yubinhaad

[Asashosakari 18,808]

11 minutes ago, Yubinhaad said:

https://x.com/hakkakubeya/status/1794856638601736654

(Is that embedding for anyone else? All I see is the link at the moment.)

Try with twitter.com instead of x.com (I had the same issue with the juryo announcement last night). It has become more cumbersome because X is now auto-forwarding every request to the x.com domain, so you can't just copy and paste the URL of the tweet (xeet?) anymore, needing a manual rewrite before posting.

Eventually the forum engine will probably need an update to support more/different embeddable URLs.

Edited May 29 by Asashosakari

[Akinomaki 39,856]

On 27/12/2012 at 12:10, Akinomaki said:

Baraki (104kg) in addition to the hair got a magic massage and stretching program by Onogawa-oyakata since he entered Shikihide-beya on 22th, which according to the oyakata should give 3 cm (others say 2cm). He slept 13 (11) hours the day before and was laying down in the car from the heya in Ryugasaki, Ibaraki to the kokugikan, which also is supposed to have an influence.
The name Baraki comes from a Charles Bronson mafia film the father liked, The Valachi papers, "Baraki" in Japanese. The oyakata saw a slogan in a train "Ibaraki genki" and thought Genki to be the first name going with Baraki. Baraki 爆羅騎 would be the shikona with the most strokes in the Kanji of all present rikishi.
Half Filipino (the mother), his elder brother Rao Ito is Tatsunami-beya sandanme Raomaru 羅王丸, Rao is from the manga "Hokuto no ken".
The dream is of course yokozuna.

Baraki finished his 11.5 years career with a win to get kachikoshi: "I lost my feeling for sumo. Going on this way only leads to injury."

Starting with sumo at age 9 in the Iruma Juniors sumo club like 2 years sempai Hokutofuji - both from Tokorozawa, he joined 2 years earlier, after graduating from sumo stronghold Kibogaoka-high in Fukuoka, same entry with Ishiura and Onosho. He entered the heya just as Kitazakura (Onogawa) took over. Getting through the first 2 divisions in one basho and to makushita within a year. His most fond memory is the kachi-koshi for return to makushita Haru 2018. Elder brother Rao retired after last Kyushu (officially after Hatsu), both had used their first name as shikona, Rao only partly at first.

The danpatsushiki was on the 27th in the heya.

o

[dingo 1,161]

Respect to Baraki for staying in sumo that long. The famous photo didn't exactly instil confidence that he'd last almost 12 years. Also good that he quit on his own terms, when he thought it was right. 

[Yubinhaad 11,551]

This has not been a good first half of the year for Yubinhaad-beya, Matsuda is the fourth to hang up his mawashi already, and Myogiryu looks to be circling the drain too. 

Matsuda was certainly a friend of the kimarite statistics, using his judo background to win bouts with a variety of leg trips such as nichonage, nimaigeri, uchigake and susoharai. His danpatsu-shiki took place at the Shibatayama-beya senshuraku party.
 

Spoiler

Lots of floral tributes for the popular Matsuda.

With his first and last oichomage.

Joined by his original shisho Minezaki-oyakata (former Maegashira Misugiiso).

Ryuseio makes his cut. Holding the tray for the scissors is heya gyoji Kimura Ginjiro.

Komanokuni's turn.

After a restyle and new suit.

Commemorative pictures afterwards, for this one he sat on the knee of Shibatayama-oyakata (former Yokozuna Onokuni). Among the guests was former Juryo Sakigake (left).

Minezaki makes sure Matsuda's ears are still attached. Crouching down is Wakahizen, now the last active survivor of both Hanakago-beya and Minezaki-beya.

 

Mochizuki retires after eight years, he had been dealing with an injured neck vertebra for several years, although it wasn't getting worse he felt that he could no longer improve due to it. He was the only rikishi in Otake-beya to get kachi-koshi in this basho.

Being a nice guy, he decided to donate his hair to someone in need so won't be having a formal danpatsu-shiki. His intai was announced at the heya senshuraku party. After some speeches from Otake-oyakata (former Juryo Dairyu) and Mochizuki himself, he was serenaded by his best mate Shinyashiki.
 

Spoiler

 

I've heard about two other retirements that didn't make the official list this time. Teraoumi, the longest-serving rikishi in Shikoroyama-beya, retires after an 18-year career. His danpatsu-shiki will take place this weekend, but here are a few shots from senshuraku.
 

Spoiler

Floral gifts and a cake at the heya.

The intai announcement was made at the senshuraku party. Anyone know who blue sneaker guy is on the right?

A farewell speech from Teraoumi, alongside Shikoroyama-oyakata (former Komusubi Homasho).

 

Isenoumi-beya's Arauma had been considering retirement since suffering an upper arm injury last year. Maybe the strength didn't return in full, I dunno. He's a petrolhead and wants to stay in Japan working in the car business. No news about a danpatsu-shiki yet.

Edited May 30 by Yubinhaad

[Kintamayama 44,375]

9 hours ago, Yubinhaad said:

 

Isenoumi-beya's Arauma had been considering retirement since suffering an upper arm injury last year. Maybe the strength didn't return in full, I dunno. He's a petrolhead and wants to stay in Japan working in the car business. No news about a danpatsu-shiki yet.

Mongolian ex- celeb lister who started out well but then sort of petered out. If I remember correctly, first ever foreigner with Isenoumi beya?

[Tigerboy1966 1,378]

10 hours ago, Yubinhaad said:

Isenoumi-beya's Arauma had been considering retirement since suffering an upper arm injury last year

I remember him from his debut when he beat Atamifuji in his first bout but then lost to the same man in the play-off two weeks later. They seemed equally promising at the time...

[Koorifuu 886]

If I recall correctly, Arauma had some hype behind him (probably due to amateur results?) when he joined but his relatively muted performances in his first couple of basho immediately diminished people's expectations.

[code_number3 694]

On 29/05/2024 at 21:36, Akinomaki said:

He will gambarize - interviewed yesterday at his local paper's offices: "Now I'm health itself. I want to show myself healthy on the dohyo soon." The injured neck is okay, he still wants to fight Onosato, as the top one now to give vigour and spirit to his local fans from the dohyo.

o

I just saw a tweet that Enho is doing Yumitori Shiki on Ishiura's Danpatsu Shiki. Damn, I closed my Twitter, then when I came back, it was lost!

Edit: found it

Edited June 1 by code_number3

[Yubinhaad 11,551]

On 29/05/2024 at 23:21, Yubinhaad said:

Unfortunately a lingering shoulder injury and asthma were the deciding factors in his early retirement. He plans to resume education to high school graduate level, and then study confectionary to learn how to make sweets.

Sankei is a bit more specific than I was, after high school Mogamizakura will take culinary studies at a vocational school to become a patissier (パティシエ), a pastry chef.

He remained largely stoic during the danpatsu-shiki, but got emotional near the end when his parents made their cuts, as you can see in the article's picture.

 

Meanwhile, Fukui shimbun showed the tomebasami and an afterwards picture from Maikeru's danpatsu-shiki:

[Asashosakari 18,808]

9 hours ago, Yubinhaad said:

Sankei is a bit more specific than I was, after high school Mogamizakura will take culinary studies at a vocational school to become a patissier (パティシエ), a pastry chef.

The article says that he'd been living in Shikihide-beya since starting middle school. That's highly unusual, isn't it? At first I thought it was just a euphemism for regularly going to the stable to train, but then the article closed with a quote from his parents that outright says they haven't lived together for six years (and are looking forward to some normal family life now), which would match three years in middle school + his three years as a professional rikishi.

[Asojima 2,871]

39 minutes ago, Asashosakari said:

The article says that he'd been living in Shikihide-beya since starting middle school. That's highly unusual, isn't it? At first I thought it was just a euphemism for regularly going to the stable to train, but then the article closed with a quote from his parents that outright says they haven't lived together for six years (and are looking forward to some normal family life now), which would match three years in middle school + his three years as a professional rikishi.

Even before his intai,  Kitazakura was very active in his efforts to help troubled kids.  His heya has evolved as a place to harbor and assist these kids.  Some of the kids eventually become rikishi

[Yamanashi 3,730]

56 minutes ago, Asashosakari said:

The article says that he'd been living in Shikihide-beya since starting middle school. That's highly unusual, isn't it? At first I thought it was just a euphemism for regularly going to the stable to train, but then the article closed with a quote from his parents that outright says they haven't lived together for six years (and are looking forward to some normal family life now), which would match three years in middle school + his three years as a professional rikishi.

Mogamizakura is from the same city as the heya (Ryūgasaki).  Your math seems flawless: 18 yo with a HD in 2021 leaves three years at the stable.  As @Asojima says, Shikihide (the home of Hattorizakura!) dances to a different drummer, but now I wonder how many other unattached kids are hanging at the heya.

EDIT: with the exit of Baraki and Mogamizakura, only four of fifteen members have ever reached Sandanme in their careers  (45-yo Itakozakura and 47-yo Sawaisamu have not).

Edited June 2 by Yamanashi

[Asashosakari 18,808]

2 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

Mogamizakura is from the same city as the heya (Ryūgasaki).

Well, his sumo shusshin doesn't mean much there, that's often down to personal identification with a particular location rather than anything official like the koseki family register.

The article details that his family had moved from Hokkaido to somewhere in the Kanto area due to the father's work in late 2016, and the next year he moved (the apparent implication is: by himself) to Ryugasaki for sumo purposes, i.e. to be nearby Shikihide-beya, moving into the stable itself another year later. The article is unclear on how he lived in Ryugasaki that first year. (Boarding school? Does that exist at the elementary school level?) He certainly doesn't match any "troubled kids" stereotypes, though.

On second thought, I guess it's also conceivable that he didn't actually move to Ryugasaki in elementary school sixth grade already, just transferred to a local school and commuted for that year. Hard to say what exactly Sankei meant to imply.

Anyway, I suppose a 12-year-old moving somewhere for sumo isn't unusual by itself; I'm pretty sure some of the more prominent sumo clubs at the middle school level are recruiting from beyond their local scene. (At the high school level it's totally common.) But to essentially do middle school amateur sumo out of a professional heya for three years, I can't say I've heard that one before, and even for Shikihide-beya it sounds like a strange arrangement.

Edited June 2 by Asashosakari

[Akinomaki 39,856]

On 15/05/2024 at 23:19, Akinomaki said:

On 07/10/2023 at 15:16, Akinomaki said:

Matsuda 満津田 - only the same reading as his real name 松田, but it's from the name of the restaurant of the parents matsudashokudou.com - in 5th generation, he'll likely be the 6th generation owner 

The time has come. Matsuda will retire after the basho and become successor to the well established restaurant Matsuda of his parents in his hometown Iida (since Meiji 20)

Matsuda really is a media favourite - Nikkan sports posted a premium article about his retirement, as the first in a series "Sayonara ozumo", about 2nd careers.

He joined after high school, scouted by Minezaki-oyakata, from judo background without sumo experience. His most memorable bout is the sandanme play-off with Enho Aki 2017. The 2 became friends after that, date of birth only 1 month apart. Enho said "let's meet again at a higher rank", but that remained their only bout.

o o

A year and a half after that his father had a breakdown and he had to start thinking about his 2nd career. The free part of the article stops here - the title is: Matsuda's decision-  "I want to help my father" - going into the family business without regret

Final bout on day 13 for kachikoshi vs. Kotonofuji - finishing 3-4 and 230-231-1

 o o ooo o

with Shibatayama-beya members, gyoji Kimura Kichijiro

o o

o o o

danpatsushiki

o

Minezaki, his mother, Shibatayama with the final cut

o o o

o

with heya related people

o

with the family

o

the family business

o o o

o

Edited June 14 by Akinomaki

[Yubinhaad 11,551]

Some pictures from Teraoumi's danpatsu-shiki at Shikoroyama-beya.

 

Spoiler

The heya's own tokoyama is only a year into the job and can't do oichomage yet, so Tokotaka - 43 years of experience - came from Onomatsu-beya.

With Shikoroyama-oyakata (former Komusubi Homasho) outside.

Among the visitors were Nishikigi and Ryuden, who became friends with Teraoumi when they were all at the sumo school together in 2006.

Many former stablemates visited to participate in the danpatsu-shiki. Here, Hamatensei.

Sotenryu.

Wakakoki.

Teraofuji.

Bariki.

Gagyusan.

Among the active rikishi, Aoi is now the longest-serving in the heya, making his debut in 2008.

Abi makes his cut.

The shisho brings the ceremony to an end with the final cut.

A speech from Teraoumi.

Otowayama-oyakata (former Yokozuna Kakuryu) also attended. Izutsu-beya never had enough rikishi for a full complement of tsukebito during his time as Yokozuna, so they borrowed some from Shikoroyama-beya, including Teraoumi.

 

[yohcun 393]

Glad to see Bariki can bend over slightly.

[Akinomaki 39,856]

On 07/06/2024 at 10:26, Akinomaki said:

Nikkan sports posted a premium article about his retirement, as the first in a series "Sayonara ozumo", about 2nd careers.

The 2nd: Baraki

o

the scene that made him famous - and another: the world's smallest sandanme, only 1 cm stretched to 161cm

ooo

o

debut wins in maezumo: Onosho, Baraki, Ishiura

o oo

shinjo shusse with a kesho mawashi of Kitanoumi

o

the smallest with the lightest - heya mate Oshio (now Urutora)

o

with Akua after shokkiri

o

Nagoya 2020, Aki 2023

oo o

On 30/05/2024 at 08:32, Akinomaki said:

Baraki finished his 11.5 years career with a win to get kachikoshi: "I lost my feeling for sumo. Going on this way only leads to injury."

final bout on day 14 for kachikoshi vs. Asashorei

ooo ooooo o

danpatsushiki: with mother Lorena, final cut

oo o

He's now back with his parents in Tokorozawa, he turned 30 in May and thought this was the time. He unreasonably tried to gain weight to cover for the height deficit, which led to diabetes as he turned 20. Like Matsuda some connection with Enho - the part "Learning from Enho" is behind the paywall

Edited June 13 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,856]

Since it's still recent, a repost here

17 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

On 07/06/2024 at 10:26, Akinomaki said:

Matsuda really is a media favourite - Nikkan sports posted a premium article about his retirement, as the first in a series "Sayonara ozumo", about 2nd careers.

He joined after high school, scouted by Minezaki-oyakata, from judo background without sumo experience. His most memorable bout is the sandanme play-off with Enho Aki 2017.

A year and a half after that his father had a breakdown and he had to start thinking about his 2nd career. The free part of the article stops here - the title is: Matsuda's decision-  "I want to help my father" - going into the family business without regret

with the family

o

the family business

o o o

o

And already the first report about Matsuda at the family business "As the 6th generation owner I want to continue preserving the taste loved by the locals"

ooo

A koenkai member of Minezaki-beya was one of the guests, the oyakata came to the restaurant and he was scouted since he was in middle school. He wanted to try his strength and went to Iida technical high school and joined after graduation, being in charge of chanko with 2 others. The one(+1) day kyujo in his career was after a fusen on day 8 Kyushu 2021 - he couldn't walk after he pulled a muscle, but it felt like he'd betrayed the fans. With painkiller injections he returned. With the years (now 29) injuries multiplied, but "It's meaningful to continue to appear"

If not to the sumo world, he had wanted to go for cook and continue the family business. His father kept telling him "You don't have to care about me", but seeing the health of his father deteriorate when he was on a visit home: "The feeling of wanting to help became strong".

His father (72) is still in charge of the cooking, the whole family is managing the restaurant, he is still washing the dishes, cleaning the tables and preparing the coating for ebi-fry and kara-age. Cooking: "I want to go for that without rushing." In the future he wants to add the chanko nabe of the heya to the menu. He also wants to teach the kids at the Matsuo sumo club.

On 07/06/2024 at 10:26, Akinomaki said:

Final bout on day 13 for kachikoshi vs. Kotonofuji - finishing 3-4 and 230-230-1

Actually 230-231-1 - error in the Nikkan article

Edited June 14 by Akinomaki

[Layla sumos 0]

Hello everyone! Please tell me what Maikeru (Futagoyama beya) will do after retirement?

Edited June 17 by Layla sumos

[Katooshu 3,137]

He is pursuing a career as a judo therapist. In at least one of the Sumo Food videos he could be seen doing some light therapy on stablemates.

Sekkotsu - Wikipedia

Edited June 17 by Katooshu

[TheGunbaiHolder 25]

11 minutes ago, Katooshu said:

He is pursuing a career as a judo therapist. In at least one of the Sumo Food videos he could be seen doing some light therapy on stablemates.

Sekkotsu - Wikipedia

In the youtube video from the stable channel the caption said "jujutsu". At 16:40: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2vr5OR_v4e8

[Katooshu 3,137]

That must be another way of putting it.

Edited June 17 by Katooshu