London koen- October 2025

[Asashosakari 19,647]

On a totally different matter - does anyone recall the extent of Channel 4's TV coverage back then?

[Jakusotsu 6,045]

2 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

I suppose we need to cut the Royal Albert Hall people some slack... Even the Japanese embassy was pushing this bogus line, weeks ago. From Facebook:

The only debatable term in this statement seems to be "Grand", unless London wasn't the first Koen/Jungyo abroad.

[RabidJohn 1,853]

4 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

On a totally different matter - does anyone recall the extent of Channel 4's TV coverage back then?

They showed the Aki basho only, each day became a half-hour show, and there was one episode a week. 
There was also a bit of background stuff like footage of training and the occasional notable bout from previous basho.

The exception was the 1991 London Basho, which had a half-hour digest each day of the event.

[Kintamayama 45,495]

Does anyone really think the public at large, i mean the 99% of world population that doesn't have any knowledge about sumo except for the usual fat guys crap really care if it's "official" or "unofficial"? Or understand what that means? Or would feel cheated if someone explained the difference to them while they fell asleep? For all they care it's part 2 of the sumo extravaganza that was held at the Madison Square Garden a few months ago where the "Giants of Sumo" faced each other.. For those in the know, it doesn't matter what is publicized- we know what's what and why. I'm pretty sure that during all five days of the koen, there may be , maybe 10% fans who know the basics and more. The rest will come to see the bearded lady. 

[RabidJohn 1,853]

34 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

I'm pretty sure that during all five days of the koen, there may be , maybe 10% fans who know the basics and more. The rest will come to see the bearded lady. 

You're right, but in 1991 it was probably the other way around: 90% fans of the TV show and 10% ignorant oglers.
Most of the latter were the London-based execs trying to smooch their Japanese clients (it was the Festival of Japan, a big trade push) and members of the press.

I met Peter Cook while I was there, and fully expected him to take the piss, but he admitted on Clive Anderson's talk show the following week that he'd been taken in by the ceremony and seriousness, and the (surprising to him) fact that there were so many fans in the UK.

[RaeucherLax 290]

On 29/11/2024 at 12:22, Itachiyama said:

2026 the plan is to go to France as well.

Was there any information on that as well or is that only a rumour/wishful thinking?

[ryafuji 815]

17 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

They showed the Aki basho only, each day became a half-hour show, and there was one episode a week. 
There was also a bit of background stuff like footage of training and the occasional notable bout from previous basho.

The exception was the 1991 London Basho, which had a half-hour digest each day of the event.

That's correct, except that the final day of the London basho was an hour long, and broadcast live - unfortunately it overran slightly and Channel 4 cut away before we got to see Hokutoumi lift the trophy. One of the presenters that day was Jeff Stelling, who went on to greater fame with Sky Sports Soccer Saturday.

[Asashosakari 19,647]

On 05/12/2024 at 08:50, Akinomaki said:

NSK info https://sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokaiInformation/detail?id=672

I don't believe it was mentioned yet that the NSK release specifically says that tickets are planned to be put on sale in the second half of January, rather than the more generic "early 2025" put up by the Royal Albert Hall.

[oliver 11]

On 06/12/2024 at 10:42, Kintamayama said:

Does anyone really think the public at large, i mean the 99% of world population that doesn't have any knowledge about sumo except for the usual fat guys crap really care if it's "official" or "unofficial"? Or understand what that means? Or would feel cheated if someone explained the difference to them while they fell asleep? For all they care it's part 2 of the sumo extravaganza that was held at the Madison Square Garden a few months ago where the "Giants of Sumo" faced each other.. For those in the know, it doesn't matter what is publicized- we know what's what and why. I'm pretty sure that during all five days of the koen, there may be , maybe 10% fans who know the basics and more. The rest will come to see the bearded lady. 

Yes I think you're right - or to put it more charitably, it is a very rare chance to see an official JSA tournament featuring "proper" professional wrestlers outside of Japan, even if it is a "friendly" or exhibition tournament and not a honbasho. Using the term "Grand" is where it gets complicated, but that's not a big deal to the average attendee of this tournament, so the misdirection and exaggeration is annoying to us but a relatively minor sin as no-one is realistically going to hold back from buying tickets when they learn it won't affect the standings in November. I imagine it will be marketed as more of a cultural event than a sporting event.

As a UK resident I am very excited by it - I hope there will be lots of fringe activities during the week of the event as well. I don't know to what extent the JSA and organisers are partnering with other Japanese cultural and tourism bodies like Japan House London.

[John Gunning 3,657]

The counterpoint of course is that if such deliberate misinformation is of little consequence to those in attendance and / or won't affect tickets sales, then why do it?

With no apparent upside, all it's doing is simply annoying people who do understand the false nature of the claims, and putting even more incorrect info about sumo out into the world.

They could simply have said the Japan Sumo Association is returning to London after 34 years, and even used the 'basho' moniker without issue (as Canada did in 1998).

 

 

 

 

[Itachiyama 119]

On 06/12/2024 at 13:56, RaeucherLax said:

Was there any information on that as well or is that only a rumour/wishful thinking?

It has been mentioned by several people including journalists. Nothing is decided yet! But I think if London will be a success they will go to Paris as well.

[John Gunning 3,657]

Will we see Paris Syndrome on the kyujo certificates?

[John Gunning 3,657]

I talked to some sumo fans who were at the Royal Albert Hall in 1991.

 

 

 

[Benihana 1,937]

Never imagined it needs sumo to make me finally visit monkey island. And to stay on topic (fat guys), i could combine this with a visit at Diddly Squat farm 

 

[Gaijingai 1,597]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2024/12/12/sumo-wrestling-rikishi-kitanowaka-daisuke-fukutsuumi-akira/
A fine and fun article with videos and photos.

[ryafuji 815]

On 11/12/2024 at 03:20, John Gunning said:

 

I talked to some sumo fans who were at the Royal Albert Hall in 1991.

 

 

 

"The other really strong memory I have is Akinoshima versus Hokutoumi. Hokutoumi beat him and smashed his head into the dohyō and when he came up his face was a mask of blood."

Er, yeah that didn't happen. But the matches were genuinely contested (or at least, if it wasn't it was so convincing that it was impossible to tell the difference).

[Koorifuu 1,019]

1 hour ago, ryafuji said:

"The other really strong memory I have is Akinoshima versus Hokutoumi. Hokutoumi beat him and smashed his head into the dohyō and when he came up his face was a mask of blood."

Er, yeah that didn't happen. But the matches were genuinely contested (or at least, if it wasn't it was so convincing that it was impossible to tell the difference).

You might get an answer straight from the "horse's mouth" in this very forum. 

[RabidJohn 1,853]

10 hours ago, ryafuji said:

Er, yeah that didn't happen. 

I saw it in person, then I saw it again on the TV coverage, which I have recorded on VHS video. 

It was something like a hatakakomi win by Hokutoumi, and Akinoshima hit the dohyo head first. It was vicious.
His forehead started bleeding so quickly that when he returned to his side to bow, the blood was dripping down on to his cheeks. 
It might not have been a 'Carrie' level amount of blood, but calling it a "mask of blood" seems ok to me.
It's the most blood I've ever seen in the aftermath of a sumo bout.

[ryafuji 815]

3 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

I saw it in person, then I saw it again on the TV coverage, which I have recorded on VHS video. 

It was something like a hatakakomi win by Hokutoumi, and Akinoshima hit the dohyo head first. It was vicious.
His forehead started bleeding so quickly that when he returned to his side to bow, the blood was dripping down on to his cheeks. 
It might not have been a 'Carrie' level amount of blood, but calling it a "mask of blood" seems ok to me.
It's the most blood I've ever seen in the aftermath of a sumo bout.

I wasn't there in person but I too have the off-air Channel 4 recordings which I have watched multiple times, although not for a few years. I remember Hokutoumi using harite in the match rather than his usual nodowa. I don't recall the bleeding that you describe, maybe that's my memory playing tricks on me. But I still think "smashed his head into the dohho" is pure hyperbole.

For me the most memorable match of that tournament was Daishoyama v Mainoumi, which went on for six minutes with two breaks to retie the mawahi, and then after all that had to go to a monoii. Kirishima also had a couple of classic tsuridashi wins.

Edited December 14, 2024 by ryafuji

[RabidJohn 1,853]

4 hours ago, ryafuji said:

But I still think "smashed his head into the dohho" is pure hyperbole.

I'd call it a colloquialism and I can honestly think of no more apt way to describe what I saw.

I don't mean to imply Hokutoumi intended to cause the injury, but he showed absolutely no reaction to it on the dohyo, which felt very cold and ruthless to me sitting in the audience.

[TheGunbaiHolder 32]

On 06/12/2024 at 11:42, Kintamayama said:

The rest will come to see the bearded lady.

Get to watch sumo **and** a bearded lady in the same event? Amazing!

[RabidJohn 1,853]

No one's challenged the statement about Chiyonofuji being present, even though he retired in the May preceding the koen. I'd like to add the context here.

We walked in to see Chiyonofuji (who was Jinmaku oyakata by then) in a white training mawashi supervising a keiko session with a group of toriteki in dark mawashi.
The tournament only featured makuuchi rikishi, so I assume they were the attendants. 
Anyway, it was totally unexpected. There was nothing about it in the program, and it only happened on the 1st day.
When he looked up and waved at us in response to the call from behind, it was such a thrill.

Maybe it's romantic of me, but I reckon he orchestrated it spontaneously just so a few lucky British fans would get to see him on the dohyo.

[Koorifuu 1,019]

Do we know any news regarding ticket sales? Turns out it wasn't January.

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

8 hours ago, Koorifuu said:

Do we know any news regarding ticket sales? Turns out it wasn't January.

February

[dingo 1,293]

On 15/12/2024 at 16:21, TheGunbaiHolder said:

Get to watch sumo **and** a bearded lady in the same event? Amazing!

Sure, I suppose Takayasu will be there.