orandashoho

Day 15 -- Shodai

I'm sorry, but I 'm running behind on so many things that I can't pay serious attention to the sumo games. Day 13 --Shodai

He's Izutsu oyakata's younger brother.  Also, Shikoroyama-beya originally branched off from Izutsu. Both brothers wreslted for Izutsu, and their father was a previous Izutsu-oyakata. A lot of ties. Thanks for putting me straight with this information.

Why Shirokoyama? He's not even in the same ichimon.

Doing sensible training and becoming more confident, is my guess. He may have adapted to what is possible. He sees what works and concentrates on that. Whether that will be enough when he gets to the Makushita joi, let alone in the paid ranks, is a big question.

Day 10 -- Endo

Well, for want of a better idea... Day 8 -- Endo

Day 7 -- Endo

Takakeisho

Day 6 -- Mitakeumi

Day 5 -- Mitakeumi

It was getting to be almost impossible when I was there two years ago, and I arrived a week early not to have to disrupt proceedings when everyone was too busy concentrating on the tournament to allow foreign visitors, who would not know how to sit still for hours on end and not be a nuisance. Foreign tourists had gotten a bad name by then. Calling did not turn out to work. The only possibility was to wrangle an invitation somehow. In the end I went to stand outside Oitekaze-beya, which has floor-to-ceiling windows with a good view on the Oyakata's back and the proceedings in front of him. Endo hadn't come out, but everyone else had, and a week before the basho they were training hard. It was well worth the trip. Training does not stop because there is a basho, but unless you have connections, I'd say you have little chance.

And Kyokutenho!

Day 4 -- Goeido

Maybe he just entered to perform a dohyo-iri with his own to deshi -- the Dream Team -- just in case one of them drops out of Makuuchi next basho.