Naganoyama

With his blasting power, Taikai should already be at Yokozuna. I concur with QttP. I have a perception that he (Taikai, not QttP (Applauding...)) is underperforming through lack of applying himself.

Hi Vincentoryu. Thanks for this rating system which produces interesting and believable results. (Applauding...) Perhaps you could extend it down the banzuke by adding a 'banzuke position factor'. So a rikishi higher up the banzuke would have his results slightly amplified to account for his stronger opposition and a rikishi lower down the banzuke would have his results slightly discounted. Perhaps the 'bpf' for a rikishi at M6 (about half way down the banzuke) should be 1.0 and for each position upwards/downwards you should add/subtract a small amount (say 0.1) Actually this could be simplified a bit since rikishi above this level face much the same opposition. What do you think?

Musoyama apparently chose his mawashi colour from a Mercedes brochure.

I too would love to see Kotomitsuki getting to Ozeki. He could, for my money, beat Wakanosato to it.

That was the case about 24 hours ago, yeah. Presumably they were still double-checking the data for the Juryo promotees in particular, so they just reset everything to the default (0-0 bout records, etc) in the meantime. It was fixed sometime last night, i.e. this morning Japan time, I guess. Edit: I just realized that you posted this several hours after I was already able to see the fixed versions. Umm. (Laughing...) Try reloading the pages. Thanks for this. I guess it could have been a problem of caching at the ISP because it was still broken for me last night. Now fixed.

Oh cool! Very similar format too! (But no garish colours) (Laughing...)

The complete banzuke down to Jonokuchi is available here Excuse the garish colours.

It is my impression that there is a problem with the accuracy of the data on the 'new' NSK site in certain specific respects. In going to the rikishi pages for rikishi entering/re-entering Juryo and Makuuchi this time, I find their career records read 0-0. The list of dates of debut/Juryo debut etc. seem to have gone missing for some rikishi also, but for example, Wakakosho has a Juryo Debut date of March 2004! What is going on here? Do you suppose they are going to fix this stuff in time? (Is there a way of reporting this to them?)

I personally don't think this ought to be regulated. It should be possible for a college rikishi to join a stable of his choice. I think that the rikishi will be influenced by a number of factors, which include the prestige of a heya, knowing someone in a heya, having a relative or friend who is/was associated with a heya, etc. So it is up to the oyakata of the smaller heya to add to those influences if he is going to improve the chances of his heya getting noticed. Going to the college, meeting with the students and telling them about the stable might be one way. There are advantages and disadvantages of going to a small stable. The disadvantages have been described in reasonable detail already in this thread. Perhaps the atmosphere is better in a small stable and the family-like bond between the members is stronger. The oyakata, in visiting a college, could spell out the advantages as he sees them. There is nothing like face-to-face contact. Surely this is a bit of a sales process, even in the ancient art of sumo. (Or do I need to wash my mouth out with soap for such a suggestion? (Laughing...))

These are mostly from Syd Hoare: Musoyama - Power Angel Akinoshima - Bean Tank Kotoryu - Teshi Aogiyama - Ao-chan Daizen - Toku Chiyotaikai - Rocket Kyokushuzan - Arashi (Storm) Kotonowaka - Mr One Minute Chiyotenzan - Hachi-kun Kyokutenho - Tenho Kaiho - Kuma (bear)/Wazashi (technician) Asashoryu - Green Wolf Takamisakari - Robocop/Kato-chan Wakanosato - Popeye/Hercules Jumonji - Mon Kinkaiyama - Kin-chan Tamarikido - Yasu Tochinohana - Yachi Takanowaka - Ozaki

Yes of course. In case one plane would crash, there would be working ozumo still....... Either that or the load limit was exceeded ;-)

What most impressed me was his confidence.

Me? Just Finnish actually. ;-) Some English occasionally on a good day. Yeah well, you have only written 2000 posts or so in this forum. :-D My sister-in-law spent 5 years or so teaching English in Finland. In the first lesson of each class, she would get each of the students (mainly adults whose companies were paying for the lessons) to introduce themselves in English. She said that it was extremely common for a student to speak fluently for about 10 minutes about themselves, their work, their aspirations, etc and then to conclude by saying '... but unfortunately I hardly speak any English'. So, the conclusion is that you Finns, at least, are much better at this than you think :-P (Also I am quite sure, from your cultured written English that you, Doitsuyama, could speak English pretty well if you had reasonable opportunities to practise and get your confidence up. As you say, it is a matter of experience.) :-)

I would even be quite pleased if he managed to continue until the end of 2004. :-)

You guys are going from strength to strength. I have only just started reading and if anything it looks even better than last time. More articles about old-time rikishi would be very welcome. Also would it be possible for you to post some of those fantastic old-time pictures on the forum?

I can't see any spectacles. Is he afraid of noticing which horse he is fighting?

Thanks. This is helpful. I thought it might be because he was only Maegashira and had considered the case of Wakanohana Kanji but it didn't occur to me that it was to help in the English rendering. (Of course Takanohana II did change the 'no' character; did this invalidate his numbering (I am not worthy...) ) I like the explanation that it is an informal convention. Looking at other shikona with large numbers of rikishi using them at different times, sometimes with no gap between them, e.g. Genjiyama, I can well imagine some of these would have been numbered if written in English and some not. It seems to fit with the way the NSK seem to have apparently strict rules for some things (like ozeki and yokozuna promotions for example) but then to apply them only in an ad hoc sort of way, making exceptions if they choose.

Please excuse this trivial question. I have seen Yokozuna Takanohana Koji referred to as Takanohana II and Ozeki Takanohana Toshiaki referred to as Takanohana I. But there is also a Maegashira Takanohana Takeya from the early thirties. Does anyone know the reason why he does not form part of this numbering scheme?

Yes Takanohana certainly wears his suit well, pink tie or otherwise. Just a little thought. Do you suppose that he wears a suit just so that no one will expect him to participate in any actual fighting even just to demonstrate something? I have no idea why he might not want to fight, short of fear that his reduced fitness from his heyday might make him lose a bit of face. Surely even at reduced horsepower, Takanohana is more than a match for his rikishi at makushita and below?

But I don't know English well enough to write a proper book. (Applauding...) You could've fooled me. (Laughing...) As mentioned above, your english is quite good, you just need to find the right publisher. You could have fooled me too! I am sure the comments about good publishers is right, but in case it would improve your chances of getting a publisher to take up your work, I (and I am sure others on this forum) would be happy to proof-read/edit the draft and make your English shine out like a beacon. I think you have a good deal to offer and should persist with this!

What do you think of us starting a small pressure group to scrap British Eurosport and receive Eurosport in Britain instead? What would we lose? English commentary? (What language/languages are used on Eurosport?)

I think the reporter took the easy way out and just bundled him with Akebono as a K-1 fighter. Otherwise, he would have to explain what PRIDE is etc.. etc.. Sorry, what is PRIDE?

Whereas those of us in Britain will have to settle for mixed-grill (if we make it ourselves, that is (Applauding...)) because British Eurosport do not appear to have any Sumo on the schedule (to end 25 February when my programme runs out). :-)