Asashosakari

And that's also a thing. We were talking recently about how Kokonoe-beya has been an almost ever-present in the top (two) division(s) for six decades, but one thing to keep in mind is that today's Kokonoe is almost an entirely different stable from what it was back then. After Chiyonofuji ousted Kitanofuji and forced his way into the shisho role back in 1992, basically the entire support structure of the heya left with Kitanofuji to the newly created Hakkaku-beya a year later. In a more just world, Hokutoumi would have eventually been the Kokonoe successor to Kitanofuji, and Chiyonofuji the one building up a new stable from scratch with his immense resources. In a way, the "real" Kokonoe-beya lineage continued in Hakkaku-beya after 1993. So having tried to take a shortcut to success, but his oyakata colleagues refusing to play along, Chiyonofuji now owned a stable with a historically big name and a ton of rikishi (who of course weren't allowed to go to Hakkaku*), but very little else. And outside of Chiyotaikai's success he's the one who really didn't prove to be much of a recruiter and coach over the next 15 years, considering he was a bigger star than pretty much everybody else has been since then (bar Takanohana, perhaps) and should have had his pick of the litter as far as 1990s rikishi prospects go. Instead, merely average recruiting by the pure numbers over the next several years, and distinctly below average by quality. So when we look at Kokonoe-beya right now and see it in danger of becoming "just another heya", it's relevant to note that its position was no better than that before Chiyotaikai's leadership period either. * Outside of three acknowledged uchi-deshi of Hokutoumi, one of whom was the future Hokutoriki.

I'm inclined to say that if Azumaryu and Hakuyozan are tied at 2-13 / 4-11 (no clear "cut" between third and fourth in the demotion queue), the likelihood of Takerufuji getting promoted goes up. That aside, if Azumaryu manages to go 2-13 -> 7-8 -> 2-13 and potentially only fall from J2e to J13e with all that, that would be even more outrageous than Shimanoumi's recent treatment.

Honestly, the schedule just looks like they started with the premise of "how can we stack the end of the day with yusho-deciding matches but not upset the normal high-ranker match order" and unsurprisingly ended up with something that achieved that goal but nothing else. Rather annoying because they've shown some willingness but flip things around in the interest of putting high-profile matches into high-profile spots (six months ago, also Hatsu 2019 although it didn't work out there). Would anybody have complained if they had done Hoshoryu-Atamifuji and put that match on last even though Hoshoryu would normally be expected to fight first among the ozeki? (Actually, last isn't even needed; it would just need to be after Takakeisho's match, so second also works.) I've seen the point made elsewhere that Hokuseiho needed a sanyaku opponent because he hasn't had any at all yet, and that doesn't fly for a potential yusho winner. I broadly agree with that view, but leaving aside that he'd still have had to go through Atamifuji and the winner of Takakeisho-Daieisho in the playoffs, it's not like that required them to go with Hoshoryu-Hokuseiho. What I'd have liked to see (last 11 matches of the actual schedule on the left, suggestion on the right): M8w Hiradoumi (5-9) - M3w Tamawashi (2-12) | M3e Shodai (7-7) - M12e Takarafuji (7-7) M3e Shodai (7-7) - M12e Takarafuji (7-7) | M4w Ura (8-6) - M2w Asanoyama (8-6) M15e Atamifuji (11-3) - M2w Asanoyama (8-6) | M8e Kotoeko (6-8) - K1w Tobizaru (6-8) M8e Kotoeko (6-8) - M1w Meisei (6-8) | K1e Nishikigi (5-9) - M8w Hiradoumi (5-9) M1e Hokutofuji (8-6) - M2e Abi (8-6) | M3w Tamawashi (2-12) - M1w Meisei (6-8) M5e Gonoyama (8-6) - K1w Tobizaru (6-8) | M1e Hokutofuji (8-6) - M2e Abi (8-6) K1e Nishikigi (5-9) - M4w Ura (8-6) | S2e Kotonowaka (8-6) - S1w Wakamotoharu (9-5) S2e Kotonowaka (8-6) - S1w Wakamotoharu (9-5) | S1e Daieisho (10-4) - M11w Hokuseiho (10-4) M11w Hokuseiho (10-4) - O2w Hoshoryu (7-7) | M7e Takayasu (10-4) - O1w Takakeisho (10-4) S1e Daieisho (10-4) - O1w Takakeisho (10-4) | O1e Kirishima (8-6) - M5e Gonoyama (8-6) O1e Kirishima (8-6) - M7e Takayasu (10-4) | M15e Atamifuji (11-3) - O2w Hoshoryu (7-7)

I don't see how Tenshoho has anything to worry about. The current committee has shown dozens of times that keeping a 7-8 at the same rank is a perfectly acceptable option for them, including several cases at the bottom of a division.

That's what we all thought about Abi in a playoff against Takakeisho and Takayasu last year.

Conversely, the juryo schedule looks pretty good. Two 7-7's against the leaders, two against promotion contenders, and two against each other. Also two other promotion contenders head to head. (As for that last one - J4w vs J5e. That can't be happening often that a next-door pairing like that is still available for senshuraku...)

Takakeisho-Daieisho and Takayasu-Hokuseiho works out for pairing up the 10-4's. That would leave Kirishima stranded, but he's a non-story at this point. Or maybe they'll do Takakeisho-Takayasu and Daieisho-Hokuseiho to increase the likelihood that Atamifuji will be stopped in the playoffs.

That already happened when Hokuseiho won to guarantee the existence of two 4-loss rikishi who can be scheduled against each other.

Tomorrow will be the first time in almost 5 years that no Ms1-Ms5 rikishi are competing on a senshuraku. Caveat: in Nagoya 2022 the only such bout was an emergency 8th match. In fact, everybody down to Ms10e has already finished. That's unheard of in the era for which we have full lower division torikumi available. (Although it's close: Twice the highest rank left to compete was exactly Ms10e.)

This came up on Reddit today - banzuke that featured 7+ current or future yokozuna in the top division. Short version over there, here's the expansive one. (Onishiki -> Y, Tsunenohana -> M) 7 1917.05: 4 current, 3 future 7 1918.01 (Tachiyama -> intai) (Futabayama -> Y, Akinoumi -> M) 7 1938.01: 4 current, 3 future 7 1938.05 (Tamanishiki -> intai) (Terukuni -> M) 7 1939.05: 3 current, 4 future (Musashiyama -> intai) (Chiyonoyama -> M) 7 1945.11: 4 current, 3 future (Futabayama -> intai) (Akinoumi -> intai, Kagamisato & Tochinishiki -> M) 7 1947.06: 2 current, 5 future (Maedayama -> Y, Yoshibayama -> M) 8 1947.11: 3 current, 5 future 8 1948.05 8 1948.10 (Azumafuji -> Y) 8 1949.01: 4 current, 4 future 8 1949.05 8 1949.10 (Maedayama -> intai, Wakanohana -> M) 8 1950.01: 3 current, 5 future 8 1950.05 8 1950.09 (Asashio -> M) 9 1951.01: 3 current, 6 future 9 1951.05 (Chiyonoyama -> Y) 9 1951.09: 4 current, 5 future 9 1952.01 9 1952.05 9 1952.09 9 1953.01 (Terukuni -> intai, Kagamisato -> Y) 8 1953.03: 4 current, 4 future 8 1953.05 8 1953.09 (Haguroyama -> intai) 7 1954.01: 3 current, 4 future (Yoshibayama -> Y) 7 1954.03: 4 current, 3 future 7 1954.05 7 1954.09 (Azumafuji -> intai, Tochinishiki -> Y) (Tochinoumi -> Y, Tamanoumi -> M) 7 1964.03: 3 current, 4 future 7 1964.05 (Kotozakura -> J) (Kotozakura -> M) 7 1964.11: 3 current, 4 future 7 1965.01 (Sadanoyama -> Y) 7 1965.03: 4 current, 3 future 7 1965.05 7 1965.07 7 1965.09 7 1965.11 7 1966.01 7 1966.03 7 1966.05 7 1966.07 7 1966.09 7 1966.11 (Tochinoumi -> intai) (Futahaguro -> M) 7 1984.09: 3 current, 4 future 7 1984.11 7 1985.01 (Kitanoumi -> intai) (Takanohana -> M) 7 1990.11: 4 current, 3 future 7 1991.01 7 1991.03 7 1991.05 (Chiyonofuji -> intai) For the 515 tournaments from 1890.05 (Nishinoumi first yokozuna listed on a banzuke) to 2016.11*, the distribution by count looks like this: 9: 7 8: 12 7: 33 6: 92 5: 145 4: 170 3: 42 2: 12 1: 2 The sole period of time with just one current+future yokozuna comprises Hatsu and Haru 2004, with Musashimaru freshly retired, Asashoryu the sole active yokozuna, and none of his eventual successors in makuuchi yet. It was ended by Hakuho's promotion for Natsu 2004. The 2's are the very first 4 tournaments covered (Nishinoumi current, Konishiki future) in the 1890s, and 5+3 tournaments surrounding Asashoryu's sole stint. * Takakeisho reached the top division in 2017.01, and I'm feeling confident that nobody who was already present before that will still join Terunofuji as yokozuna, so 1890-2016 should be the time period for which the numbers are settled. Sorry Takayasu, Shodai, Mitakeumi and Daieisho (to name the notable ones).

10-5 will only remain feasible if all four 9-4 rikishi lose tomorrow (and obviously the 10-3 leaders as well), because none of the 9-4's have met Takakeisho yet and that would be the obvious way to ensure an 11-win scoreline for somebody on senshuraku if at least one of them manages to join the ozeki at 10-4 tomorrow. And speaking of that... I think if Takakeisho loses to Hoshoryu and Daieisho beats Kirishima (both kinda likely), they'll do Takakeisho-Daieisho for Day 15 and scrap the Taka-Kiri match. Possibly even if Takakeisho wins.

With added suspense of who actually shows up... Onojo, who won the first 5-1 pairing, didn't escape his match unscathed. At first I thought he might have hurt his left arm as his body came down hard on it, but he eventually managed to stand up without favouring it. Instead his left eye looked very bad, apparently his face crashed into the angled side of the dohyo. I hope it's just a bad bruise and not an orbital socket fracture, concussion or anything severe like that. At any rate, they brought out the wheelchair and he took it back down the hanamichi after he managed to walk the handful of steps towards it under his own power.

Kitaharima down in sandanme with the first yusho of his career at 37 years of age thanks to the third contender in the division getting taken out by his jonidan opponent. I could have sworn there's an "oldest yusho winners" list somewhere around here, created either when Tamawashi won the saiko yusho (first or second time) or back a little further with Kanbayashi's unlikely victory in makushita. Can anybody else find it? I sure can't... Edit: Oh, there it is...why was I searching for "Kanbayashi" instead of "Oiwato"?! Oldest first-time winners specifically in that list, not any oldest winners. Kitaharima slots into second place.

Today's jonokuchi schedule is...something. Jk20e Yoshinofuji (0-0-6) Jk19w Higohikari (0-6) Jk17e Kyokushori (0-0-6) Jk19e Sadanojo (0-0-6) Jk18w Oyamazakura (5-1) Jk13w Suio (5-1) Jk10e Fujihara (0-0-6) Jk16e Wakaikki (0-0-6)

I think the default assumption at this point is that he's aiming to become oyakata. Personally, I don't really see Aoiyama hang up his mawashi just because juryo beckons. The salary's still better down there than that of an entry-level oyakata, and I don't get the "ready to move on" vibe from him at this stage yet. His style of sumo doesn't strike me as the type that's likely to fall of the cliff anyway like, say, that of pure pushers who after losing strength sometimes just get plain incapable of driving any opponent backwards, becoming sitting ducks. For a guy as tall as Aoiyama, his hybrid push-pull sumo ought to be effective for a while longer, barring something like a severe deterioration of his legs.

A head shimpan will occasionally raise his hand to call a matta that he thinks the gyoji missed. But that would be taking place immediately at the tachiai, not in the form of a mono-ii challenge. The other four shimpan don't have that power, if perhaps only for practical reasons (they're not sitting in the gyoji's line of sight like the main guy does).

Though if we go into the realm of outlandishly unlikely scenarios, it's still possible that all of Kirishima, Wakamotoharu, Kotonowaka, Nishikigi and Tobizaru finish makekoshi and the next banzuke only has 7 sanyaku slots. M18e is the kind of rank M15w 5-10 could conceivably be placed at nowadays...

I don't know if it's a thing among our more civilized Japanese counterparts, but on the 5ch thread I lurk at for anonymously posted wacky kabu theories it certainly is. I had to smile when I saw that on the schedule earlier today. No idea if it's intentional but if it is, they made a very inspired choice.

Will Daieisho get to avoid all three ozeki? The schedule seems set up to get in all three intra-ozeki matchups with Atamifuji facing the third ozeki on each day (normally Daieisho's spot)... Would be funny if that allows him to get to 11 wins and the yusho line drops down there as well.

Strange takes so far. Chiyotaikai (via his high-profile active career) is almost certainly the reason so many talented rikishi were suddenly willing to join Kokonoe-beya from about 2005 onwards. Just take a look at who was entering the stable before that; you'll struggle to find many wrestlers that even reached makushita. He was also almost certainly the main coach of the stable long before he actually became Kokonoe-oyakata in 2016, given that Chiyonofuji was a Kyokai director from 2008 and had plenty of work to do in that role. Anyway, Kokonoe is hardly the first stable to enjoy a golden generation prompted by the recruiting appeal of a recent yokozuna or ozeki, and then fall back into the status of "just another heya" one rikishi generation later. It won't be the last, either, because that sort of appeal always only lasts so long; kids going into professional sumo in the 2020s are just way too young to have seen Chiyotaikai as an active rikishi, so their idols will be the likes of Hakuho, Kisenosato, Goeido or Kotooshu instead. In 2035 we'll probably be talking about at least one of those guys and observe the exact same thing: They're no longer recruiting as well as they used to do right after their own active careers. Edit: And to add, one increasingly relevant aspect today is having connections to important high school and university programs. Chiyotaikai had no amateur background, so he hasn't been able to rely on that for his recruiting. That trend favours other stables.

Fun fact: As of tomorrow, both Atamifuji and Tsurugisho will be tying for the all-time lead in sanyaku opponents faced from M15 and lower.

The Day 13 torikumi is out. Unsurprisingly they've not forgotten about Tsurugisho yet, he gets Wakamotoharu. Takakeisho - Atamifuji as well, while it's still guaranteed to matter.

You'll all be sorry when Shimanoumi does get demoted, only to go 7-0 the next basho and get bounced back up to juryo 5 or something immediately.

Right hamstring injury, one month of treatment expected. Suffered, unsurprisingly, when he got pancaked by Chiyomaru on Day 10. https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202309210000261.html (And here I was starting to grow faint hopes for the first basho without a sekitori fusenpai since Haru 2006...)

How quickly people come to feel that simply winning the yusho after any sort of promotion to makuuchi is no longer noteworthy enough.