Muhomatsu

That is my assessment, too. There are de jure rules, and de facto (and unwritten) rules when it comes to kabu. I figured this may have been cleaned up when the corporate status changed - but it seems as opaque as ever.

He has been collecting uchi-deshi lately. Keeps with Sadogatake tradition of only allowing ex-Ozeki (or higher) oyakata to branch out and form their own stable.

It is not that they can stay - merely that they still can own the share for another three years before it HAS to be sold/reassigned. They can rent it out within the three years (as is the case with Dekiyama and Kiriyama) while the original owner still owns the kabu. After three-years, it must have a new owner - even if it is the NSK (Sanoyama, Furiwake).

Does that count for Sanyo positions as well?

I would say Chiyonokuni - but he has dropped to Makushita before and then persevered and continued his career. He may have in mind to do something again and then only retire if a sekitori comeback seems out of reach. Hence, I choose stable-mate and brother to CHIYOŌTORI, Chiyomaru. He may not want to go through what his brother did in the lower ranks and may just call it quits as a sekitori. He has seemed quite "depressed" following his losses this tournament (and last).

I recall reading somewhere that the retired Toshiyori have three ears to sell/dispose/etc. of their kabu post-retirement. Any help with the reference is appreciated. If kabu have to be "sold" or "assigned" within three years (or they just revert to NSK ownership), then the Dekiyama and Kiriyama shares will be "up" next year. I wonder if some of the current holders will become official owners, or if there are others waiting in line who have already "purchased" the shares. Of course, all shares are "owned" by the Kyokai - but the ex-kabu holders still have a lot of sway in determining the next owner. It is so silly to put these items in quotes. Sure, there is no official buying/selling of shares going on - only because the NSK just won't call these transactions as such.

Cough-ank cough-ou cough-ery cough-uch.

The "meet the wrestlers" section includes Daikiho - former Maegashira 16, 5'11'' and 308 pounds - Seven years in pro sumo. That all points to the same ex-rikishi with the health problems. I am not certain how rigorous the sumo-and-sushi tour is. I am certain that there are different levels of training to fight even a Jonidan wrestler than to fight an old Muhomatsu.

You will soon be back in sync. Time to change the rhyme I think. I am sure that the prof will lose the cough and resume filling the trough with sumo froth. With that, I sign off.

Anyone know what the plans are for May coverage? Will "The end" of one channel be a beginning of a new one on YouTube? Another platform? No need to list a link - just give a wink - we can find it, I think. Otherwise, my heart will sink and I may end up turning to drink as I am already on the brink.

I hear he is injured and may not appear in May.

I have some friends headed into Tokyo on the final day. They are interested in tickets - and tried to use the on-line purchase site on the day the tickets went for sale. They came up empty. Any reputable secondary market ticket sites they may try? Even for a wait list? THanks!

Will now be Yamashina oyakata. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/lnews/yamaguchi/20210607/4060009908.html

Kiyoseumi was kicked out in the match-fixing scandal. That is the reason for the short career. A few strong looking folks got caught in it - I say "strong looking" because there can be reasonable doubt about how much of their winning was from skill and how much was fixed: Kiyoseumi, Sakaizawa, Shirononami, and Yamamotoyama. The last three from Onoe-beya. A few other notables who could have been decent were also expelled: Tokosegawa, Hakuba (the Mongolian in Michinoku before Kiribayama), Koryu, Mokonami, Shimotori and others. Vets, too: Kasugao, Kotokasuga, Masatsukasa, Toyozakura, Kyokunankai, Asofuji (see Isegahama oyakata relations), Wakatenro, Chiyohakuho (who had the hakuho before it was famous), Jumonji, Kirinowaka (man, lots of Michinoku were kicked out...)

To open a new stable you need one of the following: 1) To be ranked Ozeki or Yokozuna. 2) 25 or more sanyaku ranked tournaments in total. 3) 60 or more makunouchi tournaments ranked in total (10-years in the top division). To take over an existing stable you should have the following: More than 12 tournaments in top division (2 years) and/or more than 20 tournaments as sekitori. Rules to assume a kabu - but not establish a new heya: 1) Highest rank is komusubi or sekiwake 2) Total of 20 or more basho in the top division or 28 basho as a sekitori. It was 30 basho until 2013, when Hochiyama was allowed to borrow a kabu with only 28 tournaments as a sekitori. Under these conditions, Shimanoumi qualifies to take on the kabu (which is likely waiting for him). He has 19 tournaments in the top division and 31 total as sekitori (through Haru 2023). He does not qualify to branch out and form his own stable. He could inherit an existing one. Those that can branch out and form their own stable at this point are: Terunofuji, Takayasu, Tochinoshin, Shodai, Mitakeumi, Takakeisho, and Asanoyama - by virtue of being ranked Ozeki or Yokozuna. Tochinoshin is not eligible to be a kabu holder, since he does not have Japanese citizenship - so he is "disqualified" on that basis. Terunofuji will take over Isegahama and not likely branch out. I do not think we have anyone who qualifies with 25 sanyaku basho. The 60 total makunouchi basho qualification (without being ozeki or yokozuna) qualifies Takarafuji, Aoiyama, and Myogiryu. That is all that could currently open a new stable. Folks who could inherit include: Sadanoumi, Tokushoryu, Fujiazuma, Nishikigi, Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni, Azumaryu (still not Japanese, so disqualified on citizenship), Kotoeko, Ryuden, Daieisho, Kagayaki, Akiseyama, Chiyoshoma (Mongolian), Kyokutaisei, Endo, Hidenoumi, Takanosho, Chiyonoo, Onosho, Terutsuyoshi, Meisei, Ichinojo, Tsurugisho, Abi, Hokutofuji, Ishiura, Shimanoumi, Wakamotoharu, Daishomaru, Tobizaru, Daiamami, Kiribayama (Mongolian), Wakatakakage, Kotonowaka, Mitoryu (Mongolian), and Hoshoryu (Mongolian). Others who could only assume a kabu if they inherit a stable, as otherwise do not qualify, are: Ura, Kotoshoho, Kitaharima, Yago, Akua, Kagamio (just retired and left Kyokai), Yoshiazuma, Churanoumi, and Hakuyozan. Out of these Endo is said to have acquired Kitajin share, Shimanoumi is linked to Izutsu, and rumors abound that Onosho is destined to be Otowayama. Also qualifying for a kabu based on 28 sekitori tournaments only are Daishoho (Mongolian) and Enho. There are a lot of potential oyakata in the current ranks - and not a lot of open spaces - so I expect most of these to depart the Kyokai.

On the private basis, I am one of those curious to learn more.

I appreciate any and all efforts to keep the foreign fandom alive!

Bet NHK and NSK are trolling these threads.... just looking for links to YouTube Channels. But not for the same reason you and I are looking for those links :) Yes - I still see a few that are clearly NHK or Abema...

I follow a bunch of Japanese YouTube channels that show the matches. They are all still around. I have a feeling they are only after the foreign content creators - those who are enabling sumo fans outside of Japan. Granted, the sample of YouTube channels I follow is likely not fully representative - but with Jason, Natto, and Mt. Family Jewels all going down - you have to wonder if there is some sort of selection bias at work. Look at these developments alongside the recent posts about the fiscal year results of the Kyokai. They do not have to be losing money like this. Their "financial hemorrhaging" is from self-inflicted wounds. Put the work into an English language channel like Mt. Golden Orbs and Natto - and charge a reasonable amount. I will pay, and I assume others would too (I mean - for the content creators, given how many hours that are put into the work, it may be worth it for them to pay and cease compiling these daily summaries if the price and quality of an NSK produced product is reasonable). In the meantime - all we can do is hope that our content creators are inspired to continue to make excellent work, no matter how many times they may be struck down. Just come back more powerful than they could possibly imagine.

I hear words from Ganaa himself that: 1) He will inherit Isegahama-beya and 2) He has heard directly of the plight of international sumo fans - knows of the recent YouTube takedowns - and is willing to work to increase the popularity of sumo among the international community.　 無法松

You know how I feel about this already, and I hope you can already hear my words of encouragement in your head. Even with Natto's statistics, I preferred to watch your top division digests because of the humor and the fact that you often wrote the exact same things that were going through my head. I guess I owe you a lot of "Jinx". Anyway - I do hope that you can find an alternative way to keep your passions alive and to keep entertaining your followers. Your channel, Natto's, the old Mt. Fuji - the live streams elsewhere - all of this shows there is a significant foreign demand to see sumo content. They should seek to monetize it if they were smart and driven by their bottom line. All these recent strikes show that the priority lies elsewhere. Heck, if its Abema - release the geo-lock on the content! Any honest businessman would hire you, Natto, etc. to help them out - your knowledge and the stats are what are selling your broadcasts over any NHK digest. Our favorite streamers add a lot of value - and as a proper economic analyst, I hate to see value destroyed.

I take note today that Tokotochi is removed from the Kyokai site. And a new 18 year old Tokoyama, Tokotsukasa (床元) has appeared. He is in Miyagino-beya. Miyagino has two recent Tokoyama, with Tokoshun joining only a few years back. Additionally, there is a new yobidashi - Kumajirō (隈二郎) at Takekuma beya.

I am still not sure why they would come after you - because your audience and value addition does not really impact their product. The top matches are always available for free and summaries are broadcast for free as well. Your value add is the shorter summary video with some very entertaining comments. As far as I am aware, you have not monetized this. You have only expanded the viewership of the sport beyond the territorial confines of the long archipelago. And guess what, that exposure made many of us want to get tickets to a basho, to attend sumo events in Japan, to buy sumo goods. In other words, create revenue streams that would otherwise not exist. When they were selling the viewing plans, what was it - super expense (over a few hundred per basho?). And the only added value was the ability to watch the lower rankers - since you could see the top divisions for free on TV. They clearly have no idea what they are doing. They should be asking you how to obtain your fan base and engaging with you to help support the development of an international audience, like the one you have cultivated. I know I am greedy for saying so, but even among all the other scandals, I am very pissed by the way the Kyokai treats its foreign fans.

Those guys make such bad business decisions.... Its almost as if they do not want any foreign viewership.

Isn't it more like the Takasago-beya wrestler is "not to be pushed" rather than he won't push? Is this one of your more subtle gags? I think I have seen people repeat it, as if it were a fact...