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Quite a murky report. "I haven't heard of anyone else getting infected, but I have no idea if the infected guy is still in the hospital or what the situation at the heya is at the moment. They should do keiko , but continue to do so very carefully, like two porcupines making love" said Shibatayama (he did not say the porcupine thing, but it would have been cool if he did..). No butsugari is allowed at any heya, but what, then, is? "It's difficult to just rely on the fundamentals.. It's going to be up to the various Oyakata to decide how exactly the keiko sessions will go.." summed Shibatayama.

A new sumo channel on YouTube to with some interesting vids to view during the downtime: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCISYskLTP74A4EcsalmTH2Q

It's now time for the final banzuke in our "Amateur Sumo Banzuke" series for 2019. Every year, there are 10 national level tournaments on the college sumo calendar, some of which also feature wrestlers from other walks of life (such as corporate sumo). The red numbers next to each rikishi denote which year group they are in. Without further ado, let's get started! This banzuke takes into account the following tournaments: 36th All Japan College Sumo Uwajima Tournament 59th All Japan College Sumo Usa Tournament 29th All Japan College & Society Sumo Kyushu Tournament 57th All Japan College & Corporate Sumo Wakayama Tournament 9th All Japan College Sumo Kanazawa Tournament 54th All Japan College Sumo Towada Tournament 67th All Japan College & Corporate Sumo Kariya Tournament 74th Kokutai (Senior Division) 97th National Student Championships 68th All Japan Amateur Championships But before that, here are the top 10 Universities of the past year, based on their results in the team competitions: 1 - Nippon Sport Science University (日本体育大学), Tokyo 2 - Toyo University (東洋大学), Tokyo 3 - Nihon University (日本大学), Tokyo 4 - Chuo University (中央大学), Tokyo 5 - Kindai University (近畿大学), Osaka 6 - Tokyo University of Agriculture (東京農業大学), Tokyo 7 - Takushoku University (拓殖大学), Tokyo 8 - Doshisha University (同志社大学), Kyoto 9 - Kyushu Institute of Information Sciences (九州情報大学), Fukuoka 10 - Meiji University (明治大学), Tokyo Comments Last year turned out to be a three-horse race for the title of best college sumo club in Japan, with only a whisker separating Nippon Sport Science University, Toyo University and Nihon University. In fact, those three teams were level on points going into the final two team events (Kariya and National Student). Winning the Kariya Tournament ultimately proved to be the difference for Nippon Sport Science University as they only just pipped their two challengers to top spot Whilst NSSU were impressive in the best-of-5 matches, they were almost unbeatable in the best-of-3s. Usually they would just race to a 2-0 win because of how good their first two members are (you'll see just how good they are when I publish the banzuke tomorrow). Even during the off chance that one of them gets taken down, their final member Ishizaki Takuma would just step in and finish what they started. This was precisely what happened when they faced Wakayama Prefectural Office in the final of the Kariya Tournament. It was such an important win for them as it gave them enough separation for them to ensure the #1 spot. NSSU are in the blue mawashi: Toyo University were the best college sumo team for the past two years running. A major reason for this was their effective recruiting of high school talents. Another reason was that they were led by the best college rikishi for both 2017 and 2018. That man, Shiroyama Seira, was set to lead them to a third win in a row when, after just three tournaments, he suddenly went AWOL (more on that tomorrow). Just imagine, Toyo University were able to secure second spot without their club captain, what would they have been capable of if they had Seira for the entire year? The year started slowly for Nihon University, NSSU's biggest rivals, as they could only manage a quarter-final finish in the first two tournaments. However, they gradually got better and better as the year went on and won three of the last four tournaments. They were even able to secure key victories against the super strong NSSU team, mainly thanks to one of their members, Yersin Baltagulov (all credits to John Gunning for the spelling), figuring out NSSU's virtually unbeatable Nakamura Taiki. Speaking of, here's when Nihon University faced Nippon Sport Science University (blue mawashi) in the semi-finals of the National Student Championships. One of the best college team matches of the year for sure.

I heard that he does training in the afternoon, the same time as his bout at the basho would be for some sort of advantage....

Another version appears:

Back in Sept 2014 when I met Hakuho & had lunch with him, one of the people at the lunch was a Japanese man named Oba, who was introduced as Hakuho's "trainer". He looked like a personal trainer. Since Hakuho doesn't use a personal trainer during keiko, I had to conclude that he did some modern type of training.

Ok, after doing some more digging, I have managed to come up with a few clips of his weight lifting. Any more info/vids would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all.

Ex-Orora got a report on Hochi, as he lost 100kg and is at 190kg now. He keeps posting his training on Twitter and also gives a "Stay home" comment there. I didn't know that he was the first rikishi from Russia. Some old stories about his eating habit as a rikishi: sushi 250 dishes, yakiniku amount for 50 people, a whole box of mandarins the heya had received. http://hochi.news/articles/20200417-OHT1T50082.html

After the 2 weeks waiting period since one rikishi tested positive for Corona, Shibatayama announced that no other from the heya is known to be infected. Keiko could resume. http://www.sankei.com/life/news/200422/lif2004220086-n1.html

For those of you who have been missing updates on this thread, here is a link to a Sumo database query that approximates the data presented -- but without Asashosakari's helpful commentary. http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=6&showbirthdate=on&showhighest=on&form1_basho_nr=6&form1_year=2020&form1_month=3&form1_ms=on&sort_by=birthdate&offset=100

It was planned as a kokugikan, but was only used a few times for sumo - many troubles: costs, badly planned seat layout, problems between the rikishi and the hall administrators - and the Meiji tenno died not long after the opening. http://www.12kai.com/12kai/kokugi.html

I think I can help. I believe the top seal says: 紀念浅草 (right column) 国技館 (left column) - Kinen Asakusa Kokugikan , meaning something like a memory of Asakusa Kokugikan? or a souvenir from Asakusa Kokugikan? I did some research and it seems like Asakusa Kokugikan was a building (probably in the Asakusa district of Tokyo?) that burned in 1920. According to the description from this source, it appears that it was a judo facility rather than a sumo one: https://jaa2100.org/entry/detail/030304.html Could someone with a better grasp of Japanese confirm if the above is correct?

"Fat guys in diapers", huh? Prove it to him.

With this post, I have reached the rank of Sekiwake. Since my birth, 48 rikishi in Ozumo have reached this exalted level without going farther. It is a sobering reminder that the mountain has a top, and the other side is downhill. On the other hand: unless the Moderators begin deducting comments, I won't be demoted. I reckon that my win-loss ratio for quality comments is about 580-420 over my career so far, though it is disturbing to think that more of them have come earlier in my career rather than later. The path to Ozeki is daunting; but I can only do forward-moving posts from now on. The morning rituals have always been the same: coffee-drinking, comment-reacting to the daily limit, and the physical and moral training that comes with 200 clicks every session. I set my eyes forward and cling to the truth of that saying repeated time and again on NHK interviews: それが私が思うことです はい.

Apparently, you can go banzuke-gai on Sumoforum and return with tsuna intact! :)

Welcome Ozeki Asanoyama! https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200323/p2g/00m/0sp/087000c

Day 12: HEYA RIKISHI SCORE PERCENT Izutsu 3 18-6 75 Chiganoura 14 49-35 58 Naruto 13 41-30 58 Arashio 12 45-33 58 Nishiiwa 6 21-15 58 Kagamiyama 2 7-5 58 Miyagino 15 58-44 57 Isegahama 22 68-54 56 Nakagawa 10 30-24 56 Takasago 20 66-54 55 Oitekaze 20 86-74 54 Tokitsukaze 15 55-49 53 Oguruma 15 51-45 53 Shibatayama 7 20-18 53 Fujishima 14 44-40 52 Tagonoura 13 40-37 52 Minato 10 28-26 52 Irumagawa 9 25-23 52 Sakaigawa 24 72-68 51 Takadagawa 22 70-68 51 Tatsunami 17 51-49 51 Michinoku 12 37-35 51 Kise 36 121-119 50 Dewanoumi 15 44-44 50 Yamahibiki 14 42-42 50 Nishonoseki 11 39-39 50 Azumazeki 10 27-27 50 Futagoyama 9 27-27 50 Hakkaku 26 78-82 49 Kokonoe 23 71-74 49 Tamanoi 29 87-93 48 Shikoroyama 21 57-63 48 Kasugano 19 61-65 48 Onoe 15 42-48 47 Asakayama 11 31-35 47 Sadogatake 44 119-140 46 Otake 14 38-44 46 Minezaki 11 33-39 46 Tomozuna 11 35-42 45 Shikihide 20 45-58 44 Ounomatsu 15 37-47 44 Isenoumi 12 32-40 44 Nishikido 5 16-20 44 Musashigawa 19 45-61 42 Asahiyama 9 19-33 37 Kataonami 2 2-16 11

Day 11: HEYA RIKISHI SCORE PERCENT Izutsu 3 17-5 77 Arashio 12 44-31 59 Miyagino 15 54-39 58 Chiganoura 14 45-32 58 Naruto 13 38-27 58 Nishiiwa 6 19-14 58 Kagamiyama 2 7-5 58 Takasago 20 63-47 57 Oguruma 15 48-40 55 Nakagawa 10 26-21 55 Isegahama 22 61-51 54 Oitekaze 20 78-66 54 Irumagawa 9 23-20 53 Sakaigawa 24 68-62 52 Kokonoe 23 68-64 52 Tokitsukaze 15 50-47 52 Minato 10 26-24 52 Kise 36 113-107 51 Takadagawa 22 62-59 51 Tatsunami 17 49-47 51 Dewanoumi 15 42-40 51 Tagonoura 13 38-37 51 Shibatayama 7 18-17 51 Nishonoseki 11 35-35 50 Futagoyama 9 25-25 50 Fujishima 14 38-40 49 Michinoku 12 32-33 49 Tomozuna 11 35-37 49 Azumazeki 10 24-25 49 Tamanoi 29 79-85 48 Hakkaku 26 71-77 48 Minezaki 11 31-33 48 Kasugano 19 55-61 47 Onoe 15 38-43 47 Yamahibiki 14 34-39 47 Asakayama 11 29-33 47 Sadogatake 44 111-128 46 Shikoroyama 21 51-60 46 Ounomatsu 15 35-42 45 Otake 14 35-43 45 Musashigawa 19 40-54 43 Isenoumi 12 29-38 43 Shikihide 20 41-57 42 Nishikido 5 13-20 39 Asahiyama 9 18-31 37 Kataonami 2 1-16 6

Day 10: HEYA RIKISHI SCORE PERCENT Izutsu 3 15-5 75 Kagamiyama 2 7-3 70 Naruto 13 36-24 60 Miyagino 15 50-35 59 Chiganoura 14 41-30 58 Nishiiwa 6 17-13 57 Takasago 20 57-44 56 Nakagawa 10 25-20 56 Futagoyama 9 25-20 56 Tatsunami 17 46-38 55 Arashio 12 36-29 55 Irumagawa 9 22-18 55 Oitekaze 20 72-61 54 Oguruma 15 43-37 54 Sakaigawa 24 62-56 53 Tokitsukaze 15 46-41 53 Isegahama 22 54-49 52 Kise 36 101-99 51 Kokonoe 23 61-59 51 Takadagawa 22 59-56 51 Tomozuna 11 33-32 51 Minato 10 23-22 51 Dewanoumi 15 37-37 50 Tamanoi 29 73-77 49 Hakkaku 26 66-68 49 Asakayama 11 27-28 49 Azumazeki 10 22-23 49 Sadogatake 44 104-112 48 Otake 14 33-36 48 Tagonoura 13 31-34 48 Michinoku 12 29-31 48 Nishonoseki 11 31-34 48 Kasugano 19 50-56 47 Fujishima 14 33-37 47 Isenoumi 12 28-32 47 Minezaki 11 28-32 47 Shibatayama 7 15-17 47 Shikoroyama 21 46-54 46 Onoe 15 34-41 45 Ounomatsu 15 31-39 44 Yamahibiki 14 31-39 44 Nishikido 5 13-17 43 Musashigawa 19 37-52 42 Shikihide 20 34-52 40 Asahiyama 9 16-28 36 Kataonami 2 1-14 7

The NSK issued a ban on butsukari-geiko - the training to exhaust a rikishi way over the limit - and also on moushi-ai keiko - where all gather around the winner of a training bout, to be his next opponent. All heya got a mail on the 10th with the official notice. Basically only the basics remain now for training. Sanban-geiko was not mentioned - training with the same opponent for several bouts - but it is like moushi-ai close contact, which is to be avoided. http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2020/04/13/kiji/20200413s00005000074000c.html A ban for 1 week at first. http://hochi.news/articles/20200413-OHT1T50134.html

Ex-Daishoryu has a chanko restaurant of that name in his hometown Niigata. He offers original chanko nabe for takeout and delivery now. Video: http://www.fnn.jp/articles/-/35425 -> youtube-dl https://gw-yvpub.c.yimg.jp/v1/hls/9_6_4.KN2mw4tW9_/video.m3u8 in his shop, he is oyakata http://daishoryu.com/manager.html Ex-Kasugano-beya-rikishi Akimoto was arrested for fraud using an app for marriage partner search. He tricked 2 women into giving him about 1.6 million yen in total and dated more, who hadn't paid him anything yet. http://mainichi.jp/articles/20200423/k00/00m/040/123000c