Muhomatsu

CHange in Kabu: Kiyomigata (former Bushuyama) changed to Kasugayama. From a rental to a rental. May say something behind the scenes about the short-term prospects for Tochiozan (apparent owner of Kiyomigata). https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202005290000618.html

Also Yoshimura from Dewanoumi has the same Yoshi variant. What resource is the sumo reference using when determining what shikona kanji to record? The NHK website? That differs from the on-screen kanji shown in official broadcasts and in the official rikishi dictionaries. The NHK site seems limited in what it presents - likely due to formatting and not the ability to use the kanji variants. For instance, they still use the hiragana for the "hari" in Kitaharima, the "tsuru" in Tsurubayashi, the former Yotsukasa had his "Yo" in hiragana, etc. Could we switch from the limited NHK site?

The Toku in Tokunomusashi is the same as Tokushoryu (德). The maezumo Yoshino has a variant of his "yoshi" kanji where the top is not a "shi" (person) 吉but is a Tsuchi (ground) The forum wont let me actually post the new character... As you may have seen these variants on the screen, or in the official yearbooks, I suggest making the changes (whenever possible) to the sumo reference site. I know that the NHK is not the most rapid or consistent with their use on its own webpage, but other official documents seem to show these variants are the true shikona or proper names of the rikishi.

If I am reading the Nikkan article right, we have our first kyujo rikishi from jonidan due to fever. If it turns out to be covid -19, the basho is over https://www.nikkansports.com/m/battle/sumo/news/202003090000407_m.html

The same 栁 "Yanagi" kanji is also used in Musashigawa's Yanagida (栁田) : http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=12552&l=j The "saki" variant 﨑 I mentioned before in Kizakiumi is also used in Otake's Hamasaki (濱﨑) : http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=12546&l=j

I thought the future of Azumazeki was supposed to be announced today. It may have been postponed (or fell through the cracks) due to Goeido's announcement.

It would be cool to also add columns for “of which: foreigners” and “of which: former university wrestlers”. That way we could see which heya are good at recruiting from colleges and which are good at “developing” sekitori on their own.

Any updates of the Mae-zumo results for Matsuzaki and someone else?

The sumo site may be limited in the kanji it is using. The sumo reference book (大相撲力士名鑑) (https://www.amazon.co.jp/平成三十一年-2019年-大相撲力士名鑑-「相撲」編集部/dp/4583112033/ref=sr_1_2?__mk_ja_JP=カタカナ&keywords=相撲&qid=1564682897&s=gateway&sr=8-2) and even Abema show the shikona using the kanji described above.

Just like correcting the different versions of "Hama", there are a few kanji variants that could be used to "perfect" the wrestler's names in this database. Among current wrestlers, for instance: Taka in "Takayasu" and "Takaryu" and "Takakurayama" and "Takamayama" is: 髙 Toku in "Tokushoryu" and "Tokushinho" is: 德 Saki in "Kizakiumi" and "Yabugasaki" and "Kotourasaki" is: 﨑 Tsuru in "Tsurubayashi" is: 靍 Da in "Hidano" is: 驒 There are also variants of "Umi" that Tosanoumi and Tokitsuumi used (current Mihamaumi).

What??!! Yusho? Me? Wow! Totally surprised! Thanks for all the kudos!

My thoughts are sort of the opposite when it comes to ichi-dai toshiyori status. I see that there will be an eventual need for more Oyakata, not less. Especially as the sport moves further away from the public control to acting more like a private corporation. The ichi-dai toshiyori could become a natural way to grow the number of kabu, since a dai-yokozuna who deserves the title comes around only once in a generation (or so). Doing so would permanently memorialize the yokozuna's accomplishments and contributions to the Kyokai and society in general. At this time we would have only added a handful of new kabu through this system: Taiho, Kitanoumi, Chiyonofuji, Takanohana, and eventually Hakuho. If we really wanted to go further back, I suppose we could consider Futabayama. Justin

Panic Attack mode!!!!

Who are the five returnees? I gather that one of them is Terasawa.

Who is restarting from mae zumo?