Yubinhaad

Arawashi and Kotooshu made their debut together and fought in their first basho on the banzuke, a win for Kotooshu who went up the ranks a lot quicker. Arawashi dreamed of meeting him again in Makuuchi, but unfortunately he couldn't quite get there in time - Kotooshu retired one basho before Arawashi made his Makuuchi debut. A few pictures in the box.

33-year-old former Maegashira Arawashi has retired after just over 17 years in ozumo - he was the last surviving rikishi from Araiso-beya, making his debut in November 2002. When that heya closed in 2008, due to the impending retirement of the shisho, Arawashi moved to Hanakago-beya which closed in 2012, since when he has belonged to Minezaki-beya. He spent 21 basho in Makuuchi, reaching a highest rank of Maegashira 2 and winning three kinboshi, one each from Kakuryu, Hakuho and Harumafuji. So far I haven't seen any indication that he's acquired Japanese citizenship.

Kyujo due to high fever (高熱), reports the heya. Joined on the list by Ms21e Hatooka with the knee injury I mentioned yesterday. One other change ahead of Day 11 is a late entry, Jd69e Tatsuki begins his basho.

16 Terunosato (Jd76w) 1-2 Hanakaze (Jd75w) 1-2 Hanakaze (now on the dohyo in five different decades!) and Terunosato met yesterday for a bout with a combined age of 91 years, 7 months and 14 days, exactly one month more than the previous record, set last basho by Hanakaze and Daigonishiki. Terunosato now has a zensho yusho 7-0 lead in this head-to-head. 9 Tenichi (Sd81w) 1-1 Gorikiyama (Sd79w) 1-1  Two days earlier Gorikiyama made his over-40s debut against Tenichi, and was victorious for the first time in their fifth encounter.

Had a very strange tumble off the dohyo in his Day 8 bout while he was throwing out Toyohibiki. His landing seemed just fine, but he was unable to get up afterwards anyway; he did seem to hit his knee hard on the dohyo surface while executing the throw, before he went rolling out after his opponent, maybe that was it. Pulled left calf muscle (左ふくらはぎ肉離れ) it seems, he said he heard a cracking sound (バキバキ). He was helped down the hanamichi by wakaimonogashira Iyozakura, also from Takasago-beya. Hatooka injured his right knee in a yoritaoshi loss today, it looked like something just went bang and he immediately hit the deck. I expect him to be joining the kyujo list too - really unlucky, he had a long absence with a left knee injury a couple of years ago.

Made me dizzy just watching it.

Irodori needs one week of treatment for osteochondritis dissecans of the right knee, so it's possible we'll see him return later in the basho. Denuma sustained a right arm injury in his last bout, according to Futagoyama. Juryo gyoji Kimura Yukihiro is kyujo from Day 8. And to catch up on a couple of pre-basho absentees: Kaitoma injured his right knee during keiko before the basho. Not sure what Honma's injury is but in Naruto's new year picture he was leaning on a crutch, so presumably it's some kind of leg injury that has kept him out for a second straight basho.

NHK reporting Kakuryu as kyujo from Day 5, which will give Mitakeumi a fusensho.

Press reporting Hakuho will be kyujo from Day 4, which gives Hokutofuji a free win.

I wondered what the reading would be - the heya website looks nice but is quite short on detail, showing his full shikona as 煌 貴圭, but without offering any readings. The other new shikona belongs to Okinawa native Kawahira who is now Onoyama (奥武山), surely named after the Onoyama sports park in Naha (and perhaps therefore with a long o at the start, おうのやま).

Shohoryu is the first yumitori-shiki performer born in the Heisei era. At 23 years, 3 months and 2 days, he is the youngest since 1992 Aki, when Takamiwaka made his debut at 22 years, 9 months, 1 day.

According to my files, Endo is the 19th rikishi to win kinboshi on consecutive days, and the first since 2018 Hatsu when Yoshikaze did it for the second time. Basho Winner Days Defeated 1948 Aki Kamikaze 4, 5 Maedayama, Terukuni 1949 Natsu Kotonishiki 5, 6 Azumafuji, Terukuni 1955 Hatsu Wakasegawa 3, 4 Kagamisato, Tochinishiki 1955 Hatsu Asashio 8, 9 Chiyonoyama, Tochinishiki 1958 Hatsu Iwakaze 2, 3 Yoshibayama, Chiyonoyama 1961 Kyushu Hagurohana 3, 4 Asashio, Wakanohana I 1964 Aki Toyokuni 4, 5 Taiho, Kashiwado 1965 Natsu Kairyuyama 5, 6 Kashiwado, Taiho 1979 Aki Misugiiso 4, 5 Kitanoumi, Mienoumi 1982 Aki Daijuyama 1, 2 Kitanoumi, Chiyonofuji 1984 Aki Ozutsu 6, 7 Chiyonofuji, Takanosato 1990 Haru Akinoshima 7, 8 Hokutoumi, Chiyonofuji 1998 Kyushu Kaio 2, 3 Takanohana, Wakanohana III 1999 Aki Tochiazuma 1, 2 Takanohana, Musashimaru 2003 Kyushu Tochinonada 2, 3 Asashoryu, Musashimaru 2014 Nagoya Osunaarashi 5, 6 Kakuryu, Harumafuji 2015 Aki Yoshikaze 2, 3 Hakuho, Kakuryu 2016 Aki Okinoumi 2, 3 Kakuryu, Harumafuji 2018 Hatsu Yoshikaze 4, 5 Hakuho, Kisenosato 2020 Hatsu Endo 1, 2 Kakuryu, Hakuho

Looks like Shohoryu will take over the yumitori-shiki from Day 3 - apparently he was meant to do it from the start, but due to a communication breakdown the torikumi-hyo for the first two days were printed with Kasugaryu's name. https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20200113-00000197-spnannex-spo

Back trouble, reports the heya. Elsewhere, Masutoo had to be helped away after twisting his left ankle. Sadly, Musashigawa-beya's technician Kaishu has retired due to personal reasons, according to the heya.

I guess I'll play this year, cheers! Rikishi: Fukuyama Rank: J6w