dingo

I guess they need fresh lower rankers since some of their older rikishi are slowly making it to the higher ranks.

As expected, the YDC has unanimously recommended Onosato for yokozuna. Kyokai to approve. I don't think it will be a long discussion https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/05/3ee8518f0156-sumo-presumptive-yokozuna-onosato-felt-no-pressure-on-way-to-title.html?phrase=nhk&words=

Wow, the margins are quite thin if 70% full is a loss. Maybe the Kyokai should consider lowering the Kokugikan price. Or perhaps they are keeping it high to maintain exclusivity so that not everyone and their tsukebito can have a danpatsushiki there.

Don't give him ideas...

We have to introduce a Sumo Forum Rikishi as Police Chiefs Dignity Index. The top rank would be someone like Wakanosato for example, and the bottom rank without contest Shodai. Other can fit in between like Terunofuji with a a slightly I'll fitting suit can be below Wakanosato, and Arashio a bit higher than Shodai.

I think that's the first time I've seen a police chief in a mawashi, and nothing else . If it was me I'd ask Shodai to cover himself before handing him the sash. But clearly I lack the sense of the Japanese police...

It certainly wasn't a badge of honour for the guy who got punched by Asashoryu. But I suppose that won't be considered high level martial arts. Nevertheless it didn't end up well for the yokozuna. But on topic, I was a bit surprised the famous uncle didn't turn up. I wonder if he still somehow thinks the nephew has to prove himself as a "real" yokozuna.

Does he have to carry it in his mawashi while yokozuna-ing on the dohyo?

I suppose in both cases it also serves as encouragement to stand up to the new situation. In Hoshoryu's case to compete well with Onosato and in case of a rikishi dropped down after his first sekitori basho to make it back again quickly.

I know these parties take time to plan and arrange but it still feels weird to have a promotion party when he's not the newest yokozuna anymore.

To my eyes he has kind of a Benny Hill-ish look there. The salute photo only adds to that. As Akinomaki said, no exactly a serious look...

Terunofuji has always seemed to me like a serious type of person, as a rikishi and now as an oyakata. Maybe he can light a fire under Atamifuji and get him to improve a bit.

He'll get back to sanyaku just to make them stop singing.

Maybe the microphone quality was bad but to me it seems those two are better off sticking to their original jobs...

The mawashi look cool but for me it's a bit eyebrow raising to have a gambling connection in the light of the recent gyoji money stealing/gambling scandal...

That was the requirement for getting a citizens honour award. Simply making yokozuna is not enough, anyone can do that...

I wonder what that "place" actually means. Is that only a short stay for getting to know the heya like some Japanese students do? Or is it an actual membership. I vaguely remember some talk about a British potential joiner before but I don't remember where I saw it. Very possibly on this forum. Edit: yup he was mentioned less than a year ago in the new recruits Aki 2024 thread http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/topic/43998-new-recruits-aki-2024/?do=findComment&comment=522648

I'm a bit late to comment but sekitori space would be a weird excuse to stop recruiting. In addition to having heya designed to accommodate that, sekitori are usually also allowed to rent their own apartment, especially if they have family. Of course some oyakata may want to keep their sekitori closer and out of trouble, but nevertheless it would be strange to stop recruiting over that. Maybe there's another reason.

Has a forum admin or someone else who is knowledgeable about the forum tried to fix the issue? No posts from you would be a terrible loss...

See also the next banzuke. To a lesser extent, but still.

That was over 40 years ago though. From time to time I wonder how much the Kyokai takes into account historical precedent. Do they have a guy whose job is to access sumodb and pull all relevant data? So that at the rijikai or banzuke committee meeting or whatever they can all go over the old info and go hmm I see, 44 years ago they did promote an ozeki with 31 wins...

I remember reading that the top rikishi (ozeki, yokozuna) definitely have access to almost all of them, perhaps with the exception of sports psychologists. Maybe makuuchi can also afford some of these services. Everyone else seems to depend on oyakata and I haven't seen much proof that it's common to hire outside help like that.

No, but the banzuke committee might look at the yokozuna attendants and make some adjustments. In the end I'm not serious about it, and it's very unlikely anyway. Just an intriguing thought, no more.

OK, I understand that Ryuden's case doesn't match the schedule but I still wonder in general would the banzuke committee view yokozuna attendees more leniently than "regular" rikishi? Again that's unlikely and would be unfair towards other rikishi but I'm just wondering if a yokozuna' s importance can just tip the scales slightly. When I have more time I should dig in the database a bit...

Can it work in reverse? If a yokozuna picks an attendant that rikishi will have a higher chance of staying due to his new assignment. I assume that would be preposterous but sometimes preposterous things happen in sumo...