Chienoshima

Yes, this is truly a bad piece of news !! :-( Honestly, you were our source of motivation to start from scratch our french mag in december 2003, and you just did a worderful and an amazing job during this decade !! A lot of people went back to their spanish books because of you ! :-) Unfortunately, we are going through the same concerns (less people, busier jobs, private live changes...), but we are still fighting and keeping Le Monde du Sumo afloat ! Thanks a lot for everything, Eduardo ! :-D Ce n'est qu'un aurevoir...

Hmm, sorry, but I rather stick with my black-on-white source, the Sumo magazine - which might be wrong or not. But kimarite are often decided differently from what you might feel. So I certainly will not correct this "error", unless someone presents me with a better source. The kawazugake playoff win was Takanonami's first yusho in 1996.01, not the second one in 1997.11 - Chienoshima, see here for an SML post from Kyushu 1997 which makes it clear that the bout in the Youtube video you linked on the SML yesterday can't be the one from 1997. (I am not worthy...) (In jonokuchi...) Yes, you are both right, it was the first yusho in 1996.01 !! I should have checked your database before sending my mistake twice !! Excellent database anyway ! I did not know Takanonami was such a Kawazugake master !! I miss him ! Greetings from Paris !

Hi, First of all, thanks a lot for this great website !! I just noticed a very light error in the database on the kimarite list for ozeki Takanonami in the Kyushu basho 1997. http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_basho....=5&b=199711 Actually, Takanonami won the playoff bout against Takanohana by Kawazugake (What a beautiful bout!), and not by uwatenage. I don't remember his bout against Tochiazuma on senshuraku, but I don't think the kimarite was again the very rare kawazugake. You may simply have to switch the last two kimarite to fix everything. Keep up the good work !

Hello, As usual, about 3 weeks after senshuraku, you can read your french e-zine named Le Monde du Sumo. For this number 28 featuring the first yusho clinched by an european citizen, you will get a complete sumary of this Natsu basho from Jonokuchi to Makuuchi divisions. You will also find some news around the sumo world. Everything can be freely downloaded here : http://www.lemondedusumo.com Greetings from Paris,

To all sumo-maniacs, We are a little bit late and we feel sorry about that, but eventually the Petit Banzuke Illustr

Hello, The Aki basho 2007 is about to start, so it is the right time to read your guide for this basho. Here is the link to download the 23rd issue of Le Petit Banzuke Illustr

I got a LOT of data for individual rikishi from Nishinoshima already. Weights and heights once per year are enough I think, and this I like to have for all rikishi, not just a few. OK, I can imagine that Nishinoshima has A LOT of data on rikishi, but you never know, you may miss the complete hoshitori of ozeki Kirishima Kazuhiro. I guess you can read japanese, and the great Liliane Fujimori did a wonderfull job. You can find all the hoshitori, with opponents and sometimes kimarite in her website. Here is the link : All hoshitori of Kirishima before makuuchi promotion If you need help on this case, let me know. Keep up the good work, Chienoshima

Hi Doitsuyama, Thanks a lot for your great site !! This will help a lot the sumomaniacs who are looking for statistics !! Finally, I may have found a way to return the favor you gave when I wrote my article on ozeki Raiden Tameemon. I checked your website and here is a list of missing data I have in my hand, that may be interesting for you : 1. All basho results (from maezuma to retirement) of the former ozeki KIRISHIMA 2. All official weight and height measurements of the former yokozuna CHIYONOFUJI 3. All official weight and height measurements of the former yokozuna TAIHO 4. All official weight and height measurements of the former yokozuna WAKANOHANA III 5. Complete hoshitori of the mazeumo and the first basho of the former yokozuna WAKANOHANA III If you want those data, you will get them. One suggestion for your site: You should put your great rikishi strength analysis on yokozuna, ozeki, sekiwake, etc.. in your site, especially you keep on updating it. Greetings from Paris, Chienoshima

I have a question regarding your news named "Where is the French Trophy ?" written by Mark Buckton. I was quite surprised while reading this, but I only hope you are not talking about me, because I never said that in the SML (not exactely online) !! This needed to be answered because I am angry ! (Laughing...) For your information, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy were respectively number 1 and 2 in the same political party, again not exactely political opponents !! I am not an expert in on-line journalism, but information should at least be checked before being uploaded ! Cheers,

Hi ! The Nagoya basho 2007 is about to start, and as usual it is the perfect time to enjoy the reading of Le Petit Banzuke Illustr

Hi, I know we are a little late, but hopefully Le Petit Banzuke Illustr

Oh, I'm quite sure it exists here and there. At least on paper. But is it implemented? Is it "every rikishi, every time"? I highly doubt that. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I totally agree with Madorosumaru, even though I am sure about the figure. In his great book named "Dokuhaku", Wakanohana III clearly said that the NSK decided to fine the rikishi for doing matta. This move is not so new, as Wakanohana was not yokozuna at that time. If I remember correctly Masaru Hanada was rather upset by this move, as most of the rikishi at that time did. Best regards, Chienoshima

Hi Kaiomitsuki, You should have told me this in the french forum, but here is qnother pic of Mitsuko Nishiwaki (in kanji 西脇充子 ) in her active days. Regards, Chienoshima aka joe le cogneur

In my opinion, Takanohana's legs still have powerfull muscles, and can definitely kick some makushita's butts ! (I am not worthy...) Regards, Chienoshima

Yep, I am completely with you. The skills and all his magical stuff he did on the tawara, let alone the will, are still there and can clearly put some surprises to an average makushita rikishi. I remember one story about the former great yokozuna Tochigiyama, who put on his mawashi to train a freshly promoted sekitori when he was well above 50 years old. Kasugano oyakata (who raised yokozuna Tochinishiki later on) actually put a real show on his deshi at that time. The great champ never loose their great technical skills. You should see our soccer legend Michel Platini play against very good and well trained amateurs, who try in vain to stop him. The man just turned 50 but is still too good with ball around his feet. On this pic from Nikkan, Takanohana oyakata wore the same mawashi he used to have when he was active. Actually, in his active, he wrapped this mawashi by doing 4 circles around his belly, but now he did 6 circles. At the training session, he said : "I have to teach myself the fundamentals to the very young wrestlers. It has been quite a long time, but compared to my active days, I had to say that I can barely move! (laughter)". I guess his right knee injury is still there. Regards, Chienoshima

Hip hop hourray !! You made it, congratulations !!! (Enjoying a beer...) Keep up the good work. By the time, it gets tougher !! (Bleh!) Bravo, Chienoshima

Here is a pic from the furneral service,helad today in the Kokugikan. About, 800 people attended the event. This time, Takanohana oyakata was the chief mourner and the eldest son Masaru Hanada had to step back. At the end of the funeral, Masaru Hanada got into a car without speaking to any journalist. Indeed, in the morning, the former yokozuna Wakanohana III send a fax sheet to all the japanese press agencies, in which he said the folowing statement : Masaru Hanada : "[About his father, Futagoyama oyakata] The face of my father is still floating in my mind. [About the big fuss between his younger brother and him] I am deeply sorry about this, especially regarding the fans. I should have made a stand to protect the family and keep everything within the family, but all of this happened because of my lack of virtue. From now on, I won't contribute any more to this fuss. This is not what I wanted, and I am sure my father does not want it too. He won't have any comment from my side anymore." This is not the first time Masaru held everything back to reach a nice brotherhood later on. He succeeded once, and I hope he will make this time again. Asked about Masaru's stand, the former yokozuna Wakanohana I said : "I am relieved." Greetings from Paris, Chienoshima

The same pic through another angle : Regards, Chienoshima

This is a little bit late answer from my side, but I just want to tell you that the yokozuna Wakanohana III was truly a big christian. In his great autobiography named Dokuhaku, in the first chapter, he explained how he always carry a bible with him, and read it quite often. Moreover, before each bout, he always gave some prayers to Maria, especially when he was scared to death before fighting Akebono or Musashimaru. At that time, he always asked not to get his ribs broken by a mighty elbow blow, thus these broken ribs might reach his heart and kill him on the dohyo. Fortunately, this did not happen. I guess he is still a christian. End of this borderline post, Chienoshima

Here is a link to the press conference held by Takanohana, Wakanohana, Kitanoumi, Taiho and Chiyonofuji : http://broadband.biglobe.ne.jp/index_news7...ovieid=90004983 I guess this link won't last much. Regards, Chienoshima

The following rikishi became Sekitori with him as shishō:1987.07 Akinoshima 1987.09 Takanohama 1989.05 Takatoriki 1989.11 Takahanada 1990.03 Wakahanada 1991.03 Takanonami 1995.03 Gokenzan and almost-Sekitori Goto who topped at Ms1e in 2002.01. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks a lot, this will help. Regards, Thierry

Tough time for the Hanada family... God bless the prince of sumo. (I am not worthy...) Does someone know how many sekitori were raised by Fujishima / Futagoyama oyakata ? I guess the first one was Takatoriki, but I am not sure. Regards, Chienoshima

Here is an adverstisement for Chiyotaikai's restaurant with a fairly french name, which is Chez Taikai You can also check his website : http://www.chez-taikai.jp/ Regards, Chienoshima

Hi sumo maniac and experts, As I am translating rikishi quotes for Le Monde Du Sumo, there is something strange about Chiyotaikai which comes out each bacho. Although this guy is an ozeki, he did not win that much kensho. I guess he had always won the smallest amount of kensho among yokozuna and ozeki. Does someone have an explanation for this ? In my opinion, even though I am not a Chiyotaikai fan, I don't like this situation at all. Yes, his pulling habit is not the best to please the customers, but he is still a japanese ozeki and they should support him. Even in his native island in Kyushu, the man did not get so much kensho. As a matter of fact, this affects his mind and maybe his fighting spirit to put a good bout at the end of the day. You can feel his frustation among his quotes, almost on a daily basis. What about his koen-kai (association of supporters) ? Why they don't spend some incentative to help him to clinch more yusho ? In this Haru basho 2005, Chiyotaikai has a fair 3-1 score after 4 days, he is a japanese ozeki and he is not even in the TOP 10 rikishi earning the most kensho, according to Nikkan. That is quite pitifull. One should keep in mind that Chiyotaikai with its 3 yusho is one of the best ozeki of all time. I truly do not understand what is going on around him. Any idea ? Best regards, Chienoshima

Again some pretty bad news on Futagoyama's health. According to Mainichi, it seems that Futagoyama's situation was critical during this week-end, and the former ozeki was close to death on sunday morning at 3.00 A.M. His leath was so weak, that his son, Takanohana oyakata, went on kyujo for the shonichi and got back to Tokyo in a hurry. Right now, this huge crisis is over, and Futagoyama's heath got back to its "usual" level. Accordingly, Takanohana oyakata went back to Osaka to attend the Haru basho as a shimpan. On his way back to Osaka, Takanohana said : "I can't say his condition is good, and there is a high probablity that I may soon got back to Tokyo. However, during honbasho, my responsability is quite high, and I do not bother the NSK that much with my personnal issue." I wish the best for the great Futagoyama, but some dramatic event may come soon... (Applauding...) Regards, Chienoshima