New recruits Haru 2025

[Akinomaki 40,098]

On 02/08/2024 at 02:28, Akinomaki said:

SD Tsukedashi (sf): Nishide (Wakayama Shogyo), Asada (Wakayama Minoshima), Fukuzaki (Kagoshima Shonan), Samejima (Saitama Sakae)

Fukuzaki lost to Samejima in the interhigh sf, with a heavily bandaged right knee.

On 27/08/2024 at 22:56, Akinomaki said:

Yamahibiki-oyakata gets seitai therapy for his back and other problems

After he got his therapy, Yamahibiki presented Fukuzaki to the therapist and asked him to treat his knee, as a 3rd place at the interhigh from Kagoshima, who wants to join the heya in the future, but the knee has to get better - he was at the heya to train recently.

[Bunbukuchagama 702]

13 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

After he got his therapy, Yamahibiki presented Fukuzaki to the therapist and asked him to treat his knee,

I like the graphics and sound effects. 

[Asashosakari 19,019]

Edit: Okada was later confirmed to be joining for Kyushu 2024 already.

From what I can tell this news didn't go beyond a single-digit amount of Japanese Twitter comments and one sparsely populated Reddit thread so far, and I'm not even sure if this is the right basho thread to post it in, nor am I certain that this is actually going to result in a dohyo appearance in the end, but...

https://www.reddit.com/r/SumoMemes/comments/1f1xtb2/a_senior_university_student_mentored_by_paris/

Credit to the creator of that thread for much of the information. So apparently Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Aaron Wolf, OB of Tokai University's judo club (the club in Japan, from what I gather), went to Takadagawa-beya for one of those typical "star athlete from another sport tries sumo" visits back in April. A current member of the club, 4th year student Ryotaro Okada 岡田 綾太朗 went with him, in what - at the time - looked like him just tagging along for the experience. But a week ago, it turned out that Okada has seemingly made the decision to actually join Takadagawa when he graduates early next year.

Videos of the original visit and last week's announcement (where it looks as though Okada has actually moved into the stable already), both from Wolf's Youtube channel:

This is of course highly unusual for a number of reasons. There's very little history of university graduates coming into ozumo without having done any sumo there at all (I don't believe Tokai even has a sumo club, not even intramural), and there's even less history of the current Takadagawa-oyakata (ex-Akinoshima) recruiting from university - in fact, the number of such deshi is zero across his 15-year tenure, and even the heya's share of high school grads is distinctly below average, so the focus has clearly been on finding recruits at age 15.

In any case, according to the Tokai judo club website, Okada stands 176 cm tall and based on the video evidence he may be 140+ kg already (he competed in the top, 100+ kg category in judo, unsurprisingly). Your guess is as good as mine as to whether we'll see him in maezumo in Kyushu, Hatsu or Haru, if he doesn't quit before it gets that far, but I've made the potentially stupid assumption that they won't be throwing him in early given his lack of a sumo background, so this comment has ended up here in the Haru thread for the time being.

BTW, the connection to Takadagawa-beya is that Akinoshima's son is also a recent Tokai judo club OB.

Edited October 17 by Asashosakari

[John Gunning 3,578]

1 hour ago, Asashosakari said:

There's even less history of the current Takadagawa-oyakata (ex-Akinoshima) recruiting from university - in fact, the number of such deshi is zero across his 15-year tenure, and even the heya's share of high school grads is distinctly below average, so the focus has clearly been on finding recruits at age 15.

He told me years ago, when I was looking for a stable for Brodi Henderson (Homarenishiki) that his policy was no one from amateur sumo (foreign or domestic) as he wanted rikishi raised in ozumo ways from an early age.

[Koorifuu 924]

On 04/09/2024 at 01:33, John Gunning said:

He told me years ago, when I was looking for a stable for Brodi Henderson (Homarenishiki) that his policy was no one from amateur sumo (foreign or domestic) as he wanted rikishi raised in ozumo ways from an early age.

Would you say that the "foreigners, jamais" reputation he allegedly gets isn't all that accurate, then?

[Akinomaki 40,098]

Ren Teranishi 寺西蓮, 3rd year at Midorigaoka middle school, from the Matsuo sumo club in Iida, Nagano, will join Tamanoi-beya after graduation. He started sumo in 4th year primary school, at 60kg then, now at 130kg. At the zenchu individuals he made it to the final, but lost there at once.

He was shown during asageiko at Tamanoi-beya in a documentary on Gaga's channel 6 months ago as 2nd year, then 174cm, 120kg, preparing for the Hakuho cup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0xiJ_qX5Hw&t=3m48s

and was interviewed by Gagamaru in the end, already then telling that he'll join there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0xiJ_qX5Hw&t=14m20s

o

rhyen had posted the video of that article

On 04/09/2024 at 17:05, rhyen said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqnYdXZDa5U

[Akinomaki 40,098]

On 06/09/2024 at 16:14, Akinomaki said:

Ren Teranishi 寺西蓮, 3rd year at Midorigaoka middle school, from the Matsuo sumo club in Iida, Nagano, will join Tamanoi-beya after graduation. He started sumo in 4th year primary school, at 60kg then, now at 130kg. At the zenchu individuals he made it to the final, but lost there at once.

He was shown during asageiko at Tamanoi-beya in a documentary on Gaga's channel 6 months ago as 2nd year, then 174cm, 120kg, preparing for the Hakuho cup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0xiJ_qX5Hw&t=3m48s

and was interviewed by Gagamaru in the end, already then telling that he'll join there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0xiJ_qX5Hw&t=14m20s

Teranishi with Tamanoi-oyakata and his parents yesterday was at the Iida city hall to report that he joins ozumo. "I want to gambarize at rigorous keiko and become sekitori after 5 years, and return to Iida as yokozuna."

o 

[Akinomaki 40,098]

On 09/10/2024 at 09:28, Akinomaki said:

4th Saito (younger brother of Wakaikari): qf win over Turbold, sf loss to Takida, 3rd decider loss to Ogawa - sdTD-> Isenoumi-beya for Haru?

oo o

On 08/10/2024 at 10:00, Akinomaki said:

Sd tsukedashi

Juniors: Maaru Fukuzaki (Kagoshima), Sakunosuke Takida (Tokyo), Renta Ogawa (Kumamoto, 2nd year), Chugo Saito (Saitama) 

Saito declared that he wants to join ozumo after graduation - hard to imagine to not where father and brother are. He'll be compared to his brother now and wants to try to surpass the new juryo

o

the proud father was busy lately - with the 2nd son at the kokuspo (former kokutai), with the elder Wakaikari at the Kyoto pref. office

vid

 

On 29/08/2024 at 21:38, Akinomaki said:

On 02/08/2024 at 02:28, Akinomaki said:

SD Tsukedashi (sf): Nishide (Wakayama Shogyo), Asada (Wakayama Minoshima), Fukuzaki (Kagoshima Shonan), Samejima (Saitama Sakae)

Fukuzaki lost to Samejima in the interhigh sf, with a heavily bandaged right knee.

On 27/08/2024 at 22:56, Akinomaki said:

Yamahibiki-oyakata gets seitai therapy for his back and other problems

After he got his therapy, Yamahibiki presented Fukuzaki to the therapist and asked him to treat his knee, as a 3rd place at the interhigh from Kagoshima, who wants to join the heya in the future, but the knee has to get better - he was at the heya to train recently.

Fukuzaki added another tsukedashi to his first - apparently the knee got much better, so he may be ready to join

[Yubinhaad 11,603]

On 18/10/2024 at 21:30, Akinomaki said:

Saito declared that he wants to join ozumo after graduation - hard to imagine to not where father and brother are. He'll be compared to his brother now and wants to try to surpass the new juryo

o

It was announced today that Saito the younger has been granted Sandanme Tsukedashi status when he joins ozumo, although it's not specified when that will be. He's the first high-schooler to receive that, and it will be another ten ranks higher than before, as the Kyokai also announced that Sandanme will be cut to 80 ranks from the Hatsu basho banzuke onwards.

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202411280000788.html

Edited November 28 by Yubinhaad

[John Gunning 3,578]

Video of Wakaikari and Chugo doing sumo when they were in Kindergarten

[John Gunning 3,578]

More Chugo

[Akinomaki 40,098]

On 18/10/2024 at 22:30, Akinomaki said:

Fukuzaki added another tsukedashi to his first - apparently the knee got much better, so he may be ready to join

Kokuspo juniors champ Fukuzaki after adding a ms60TD to his list today at the zennihon said that he wants to join after graduation https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2024120100450

High school yokozuna Nishide on the other hand wants to go to Nichidai and some day get the yusho at the zennihon: today he lost in the first round to amateur yokozuna in a row Ikeda. https://www.sanspo.com/article/20241201-FHBKAMKKUBJ2LFE2PRWDEM77FU/

[Akinomaki 40,098]

On 01/12/2024 at 22:04, Akinomaki said:

Kokuspo juniors champ Fukuzaki after adding a ms60TD to his list today at the zennihon said that he wants to join after graduation https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2024120100450

o

Fukuzaki is the first from high school to earn msTD - back to Kagoshima he said he wants to become a rikishi who surpasses Shonan high sempai Wakashimazu

Edited December 3 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 40,098]

Shunta Soma 相馬駿太（そうましゅんた, 14）from Wakakusa middle school in Ohtawara, Tochigi, in February will join Futagoyama-beya, where his 2 elder brothers are. https://ohtawara-city-wakakusa-junior-high-school.edumap.jp/blogs/blog_entries/view/11/a89ff524107899eaf8f48ccad22cb903?frame_id=20

the oyakata was at the school on the 14th

o

- with sumo coach Mita

On 20/12/2022 at 13:11, Akinomaki said:

Shinya Soma 相馬伸哉 (18), 3rd year in the sumo club of Tochigi pref.  Kurobane  high in Otawara, enters Futagoyama-beya, where his elder brother Kento is -  Kotakiyama. He started sumo in 4th year at primary school in Otawara and was in the yusho team of Wakakusa middle school at the 2019 national middle school championships. "First of all aiming for sekitori".

- Soma may get a proper shikona now, to have his brother use their real name

Edited December 17 by Akinomaki

[Yamanashi 3,779]

7 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

- with sumo coach Mita

Whose son is also at the heya?

[Akinomaki 40,098]

Ms60TD Masaharu Goshima 五島雅治 (21, 178cm, 175kg) joins Fujishima-beya for Haru - the oyakata today was at Takushoku university for the announcement

o

o

Amateur results: sumoforum.net/forums/search/Goshima

3rd at the All Japan and the student championships this year

Edited December 19 by Akinomaki

[Katooshu 3,182]

Goshima has been affably nicknamed 'Snowman' by some amateur sumo fans due to his round and jolly appearance. He is a tank like pusher - preferring to plow like Takerufuji rather than tsuppari like Daieisho. Very strong moving forward, although on the slower side. He had good results throughout college and in his fourth year was arguably the most accomplished competitor of the college season, winning several tournaments and finishing high in most he didn't win. Though he failed to clinch a major title, he performed well in those tournaments, with Ms60TD qualifications at each of them (5th at the Kokutai, 3rd at the Students, and 3rd at the All-Japan). He was also on Japan's gold medal winning men's team at the 2023 World Championships.

He injured his knee as a high schooler in Wakayama and wears a large wrapping, though I'm unaware of him having any serious injuries during college and he's been a starter at Takushoku since his first year, so at least it seems under control. 

In an Instagram post he commented that he has some Filipino heritage.

Here he is winning the East Japan Championship earlier in the year vs his main rival, Masaki Hanaoka of Nihon University

 

Edited Friday at 02:54 by Katooshu

[Akinomaki 40,098]

On 29/08/2024 at 21:38, Akinomaki said:

After he got his therapy, Yamahibiki presented Fukuzaki to the therapist and asked him to treat his knee, as a 3rd place at the interhigh from Kagoshima, who wants to join the heya in the future, but the knee has to get better - he was at the heya to train recently.

First high school student with ms60TD Maaru Fukuzaki 福崎 真逢輝 (172cm, 140kg) today at Shonan high had the press conference to announce that he joins Fujishima-beya - apparently more attractive than Yamahibiki

Same on FNN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f9_S4L5DNY

He aims for yokozuna, surpassing high school sempai Wakashimazu (ozeki) - about 10 heya tried to scout him, but Musuyama was the rikishi of his aspiration since he was a child

Kagoshima TV news clip http://news.ntv.co.jp/category/society/ky87dc216b35014f8a9c4985b2bec52f22

Several pics: http://www.shonan-h.ac.jp/news_topics/福崎-真逢輝さん大相撲「藤島部屋」入門会見.html

http://amamishimbun.co.jp/2024/12/23/53854/

Pose for the media

o

o o

Edited 20 hours ago by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 40,098]

On 18/12/2024 at 16:58, Akinomaki said:

Ms60TD Masaharu Goshima 五島雅治 (21, 178cm, 175kg) joins Fujishima-beya for Haru - the oyakata today was at Takushoku university for the announcement

Taku-dai report on it https://act.takushoku-u.ac.jp/news/nid00004582.html

 

Many heya had tried to scout him, Fujishima was the most fervent - he first approached him in 3rd year, came to Takudai with some of his rikishi this year to train with him and was at the kokutai and the student championships. Goshima had told his coach after the summer vacations that he wants to join the heya. He wants to get to people say: My favourite rikishi is Goshima of Fujishima-beya (so he'll keep the name as shikona).

His style is oshi-zumo, he thinks the sumo of the oyakata is the one he should aim for.

A short report on this: http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2024/12/24/kiji/20241224s00005000064000c.html

At present Asahakuryu, Fujitoshi and Hatooka are from Takudai, no sekitori since Takaryu and Tochinonada.

[Gurowake 4,021]

On 23/12/2024 at 09:53, Akinomaki said:

Musuyama was the rikishi of his aspiration since he was a child

Musoyama retired in 2004.  If this kid is coming out of high school, he wasn't born yet then.  I guess he just saw old clips?

[Akinomaki 40,098]

19 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

Musoyama retired in 2004.  If this kid is coming out of high school, he wasn't born yet then.  I guess he just saw old clips?

Most likely - I guess that was rather the usual way to praise the shisho, not necessarily the whole truth - he needs to have some convincing reason why he didn't went to Yamahibiki, who cared for him when he was injured.

[Gurowake 4,021]

10 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

I guess that was rather the usual way to praise the shisho, not necessarily the whole truth

If he had trained at both heya, he would have a better explanation that would presumably be closer to the truth regarding the coaching style of the shisho.  I think the bigger question would be why would it even be between those two and ignoring those heya run by rikishi he would have actually watched as a kid, if that was going to be his explanation?