apraxin

...and confirmed: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190520/k10011922041000.html. Takakeisho re-kyujo from Day 9. Doesn't specify that this the first time an Ozeki's gone kyujo twice in one basho, but says it's 'an extremely irregular occurrence'.

Oh man, that pic:

It's being reported by NHK too now: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190119/k10011783581000.html Cites 'pain in the left knee' as the reason, but no diagnosis beyond that.

NHK reporting Kakuryu will be kyujo for day 6: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190118/k10011782121000.html?utm_int=all_side_ranking-social_003

Misread that as Takakeisho and mind-boggled for a moment!

I just see it as being particularly worrisome for Kise. My understanding is that if the YDC is going on record with an official Encouragement, it's them gently clearing their collective throat and indicating to the Encouraged that there could be more to come if they don't see improvement. Which isn't a huge deal if it's one basho of un yokozuna-like sumo to cover an injury, or a lack of hinkaku etc., but given the length of Kise's ongoing injury, the way his basho went so horribly, and how pressure and expectation have more often seemed to be a demotivator than a motivator for him, it seems somewhat ominous for his future.

Oof - the post-basho YDC meeting today handed down a formal resolution of 'Encouragement' for Kisenosato, chairman Kitamura citing his performance and saying that he should be showing physical strength and ability comensurate with his position and 'the disappointment of the fans who had earnestly hoped for his recovery at the Kyushu basho was great': https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20181126/k10011723551000.html Sounds like they may be running out of patience.

Not sure if this is best posted here, but probably doesn't warrant it's own thread - an Ootake-beya makushita rikishi has apparently prepared for the tournament by driving drunk and getting into a car accident, per NHK: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20181110/k10011705681000.html. He is not named in the article, and is apparently being 'questioned about the circumstances' by police and not arrested, but Ootake's response 'Even though I told them not to do anything that would disappoint Sumo fans... I feel this is inexcusable.' makes it seem probable that the reports are accurate. PR chief Shibatayama says they Kyokai will respond promptly once the police report findings.

Not much more detail on this as yet. NHK reports his passing at 70. No details, and the article gives an account of his sumo career but has nothing beyond his retirement except that he worked as 'a pro-wrestler and TV personality' and no details of his later life. People in his hometown of Nanao react: 'He was a superstar who I've admired since childhood, I can't help being saddened by news of his death' - a man in his 50s. 'As a local hero, I always cheered for him, I was very sad to hear of his passing' - a man in his 80s.

Squinting at the picture, I'm 95% sure the visible part of the caption is 'Showa 37, May', so I think your instinct is right on this one.

'(A person affiliated with the Kyokai says "This basho) he has been so strong that it was hard to even imagine him losing." '

NHK latest: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20180122/k10011296761000.html. - Oosunarashi's lawyer accompanied him and Ootake to the meeting. - Lawyer says Oosunarashi's pregnant wife was driving, but Oosunarashi moved into the driver's seat 'to protect her' after the accident. He admits not telling either the Kyokai or his Oyakata about the accident. - Kyujo from tomorrow, Ootake says 'there's no way he can do sumo with things as they are'. - Ootake apologizes to the Kyokai for adding to their troubles at a difficult time and to all sumo fans for disappointing them - 'after the troubles last year I told my guys so many times the only way to end these problems is to live honestly, I'm in shock, I can't think what to say,'

Oh, and the 'young person' in question was a junior gyoji. Shikimori has apparently apologized to him and he has accepted the apology, the issue will not be reported to the police. Internal punishment to be decided at an emergency meeting of the rijikai.

Don't know if this should be it's own thread or if it folds into this as a general ongoing scandal, but NHK is reporting that at the winter jungyo in Okinawa, Shikimori Inosuke got drunk at a hotel during dinner and then sexually harassed/assaulted the 'young person in their teens' who was tasked with escorting him back to his room by 'kissing them several times and fondling their chest': https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20180105/k10011280481000.html Shikimori is quoted as saying he was so drunk he has no memory of the incident, and does not know why he did it. Hakkaku rijicho says his actions are pathetic and unbecoming of a top gyoji.

Ok. -Is there yaocho in the sense that a nebulous 'they' are fixing a huge number of bouts, determining who wins the yusho, etc, according to some predetermined plan? No. There is no evidence of this at all, and the actual results of the last decade or so go against the usual conspiracy narrative of what 'they' want. Kise still doesn't have a single yusho. There's been no Japanese yokozuna for more than 13 years. Hakuho has broken pretty much every longstanding record of Taio and Chiyonofuji. A series of young Japanese hopefuls have burst into makuuchi amid great media fanfare and then settled down into maegashira mediocrity. Could this same 'they' influence the results of certain individual bouts to the benefit of their favored rikishi? It's not impossible and would require much less effort than rigging things on a grand scale, but again there's no evidence, and based on the results 'they' either really love Hakuho or are really bad at match fixing. -Is there yaocho in the sense that rikishi are throwing seemingly random matches of their own volition, for financial gain? It's as possible as it is in any other sport. In the absence of any positive evidence, I don't think it's happening currently, but wouldn't be shocked beyond belief if it comes to light. -Is there mukiryoku in the sense that rikishi will go easy on an opponent who needs the win, in return for a quid pro quo later? After watching years of Kaio limp to another 8-7 against a suddenly listless opponent, I think it's quite likely. Is it widespread? Well, it's based on the idea of people begging wins to keep from a losing record, so unless the whole division is fine with a status quo and 8-7s all round, I'd think it's mostly restricted to the ozeki and guys with 7-7s on the last day. Just my guess though, as once again there's no evidence. -Is there mukiryoku in the sense that once someone has a certain number of wins they don't fight as hard, either because they're nursing an injury or because they don't give a damn now they have their kachikoshi? Almost certainly. But that's the same as in any sport with this sort of tournament format. A football team in mid-table on the last day of the season facing a team with a chance of winning the championship or being relegated will likely not play with the same spirit as their opponent. It would be nice if everyone went all-out all the time, but it's not unique to sumo and it's a stretch to call it 'fixing' the result. My issue with Mike is not that he suggests that yaocho is a thing, it's that he's so certain in everything he writes when all it's based on is his watching the bouts and having an opinion. Just from a quick scan of his latest report: Sadogatake bought Kotooshu's yusho, Ikioi's 10-5 is a fraud, and Akiseyama needed two yaocho wins to get a 4-11. All stated as 100% fact, based on...? Does Mike have a mole inside the match-fixing committee? The ability to read the hearts of men when he sees a video of them?