Otokonoyama

Former sekiwake Tochiochan of Kasugano beya retired today, taking on the sumo elder name Kiyomigata.

Non-K November basho would be a simple change to make it clearer.

Sure, one can alter their accent to be better understood or to play a role, but they don't maintain the facade when they call their mum on the blower or stop by the old hometown.

Probably just growing up with dozens of immigrant kids as part of the cultural mosaic of Canada. It was only dozens as I come from a very small town. At university it was in the hundreds (small school), and as part of the workforce it was in the thousands (in my local area). I expect it has grown significantly since then. I suppose I should add that in my experience language attrition is a problem for those who have not natively acquired a language. By age 12 there will rarely be accent changes no matter the change in environment. Go have a listen to someone like Zuby on Facebook or his YouTube and his podcast. A Nigerian born in the UK who grew up going to an American school in Saudi Arabia until his parents sent him back to school in the UK from the age of 11. Sounds American. As he was raised. Wow. Quelle Surprise.

So the guy that started pro sumo in Japan at age 20 is the equivalent of your fictional Spanish fishing guide? Come on man!

Oh sure, he's forgotten his native language. Must be hard being the sole Mongolian in sumo.

So how did he get by growing up in China?

In reading through some of the Invision Community forums, it appears the number of reactions is not customizable. Simply an on/off feature administrators can toggle as they like.

For those interested in the requirements and procedures for naturalizing as a Japanese citizen, the following website has a lot of information: https://www.turning-japanese.info/p/intro.html

Not sure about that. Two NSK executives formally announce his promotion in person. Both longtime makuuchi veterans. Respected oyakata. The lowliest oyakata outranks even Hakuho. For Kisenosato's promotion to yokozuna, former sekiwake Kasugano and Takadagawa were the messengers.

Both of these issues are admin level issues that can only be addressed by @Exil

Perhaps you've misunderstood. ILI, influenza-like illness, respiratory infection. Apples and apples. Coronaviruses have been known as one of the agents of the common cold for better than a half century. I'm not supporting the position of communal or familial responsibility, though those things are not at all unknown in Japan and the sumo world. I was wondering more generally how the NSK and all its members got by in past pandemics. How did the organisation survive? How did they manage tournaments and jungyo and training in all of that? Is it known that they punished heya with infections collectively? That rikishi dropped down the banzuke? There were no PCR tests in those days. They had to rely on symptoms. Nobody could be excluded for a dubious test. Some historical context would be extremely interesting and informative...

Exactly so, and in days gone by The Geek might have made a tidy bundle upon his retirement (in addition to whatever withheld kensho monies and NSK gratuities received). Now that there is no return to those days (for him nor us), all he can do is hang on and pine for better days. The best he could ever hope for is half the crowd as a usual high-profile intai event, more like a quarter of the usual crowd and perhaps none at all. The others in the queue face the same dilemma.

What the NSK could do there is make a policy that states it's just fine to fight on as long as you are able to mount the dohyo, but what sort of retirement ceremony you may have is dictated by what rank you retire at, not the one you attained at your peak. Yokozuna would always be good. So would a good many ozeki. There are probably a dozen good reasons why this is not done, but it would be a way to raise the stakes when considering under what terms you'd like to go out. Imagine if that were already the case - the Terunofuji miracle would be even more miraculous.

Let's think for a moment. What did the NSK do in 1918 when the Spanish Flu swept over the world? What about in 1957 when the Asian Flu hit? And in 1968, when the Hong Kong Flu took off? Certainly the sumo world was not entirely free of sick or infected members during those times. Too long ago. Ok, let's go way back to 2009... https://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/swine-flu-hits-japans-sumo-wrestlers/news-story/5ee360bb776108e2c3f179f17b7d3ddb

Might have been Kyokutaisei in that documentary. Yeah, obviously the canvas sort get washed. The silken shimekomi, not so much.

Any coinfections? https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/medical-community-increasingly-mindful-of-co-infection-during-coronavirus-pandemic/ar-BB11YV2Y

There is the full English breakfast. around in one form or another for roughly 700 years. It seems that since the Edwardian period the in ingredients have been standardized to include eggs.

Occasionally some inner thigh touching may happen, supposedly...

I've always wondered how factual that was, but the result was and is crystal clear.

Unlike the very successful kubinage on the okamisan that happened at Taganoura-beya just last year.

Thanks for your perspective. In my own experience, some of my harshest teachers have been those who made the most difference. I didn't usually like it at the time, but upon reflection found they were the ones that had the ability to draw out the best. It is my hope that the NSK doesn't PC its way into universal mediocracy.

Much Ado About Nothing.