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Everything posted by mikawa
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Another thing that makes it impossible is that same Kanji can be read 2 - 3 different ways. Kanji for mountain/hill can be read as yama or shan/san. If someone hands me a biz card with their name in Kanji, even if I know their Kanji meaning, I would not know how to pronounce his name. Not to mention sometimes Japanese names can have VERY strange pronunciations
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Toma's finding it increasingly difficult as he moves up in the amateur sumo world, maybe he'll go along the lines of Yamamoto?Saitama Sakae have always been there or there abouts, though interestingly, Tottori's team features 2 talents (and former club mates) from Aomori, namely Ishioka Mikiya (石岡 弥輝也) and Echigoya Tomoki (越後谷 知樹)
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Maybe amateur sumo in Japan wasn't as easy as he thought it would be?
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So less than a week after claiming the wanpaku title, Ehime have managed to bag the high school title as well. Looks like it's their time in the spotlight :)Yamaguchi Reo (山口 怜央) is certainly a big name in amateur sumo, having been a semi-finalist (and quarter-finalist the following year) at wanpaku, and a few years later, runner-up in the middle school championships (to Kumamoto's Kawakami Ryuko 川上 竜虎). The runner-up, Nakamura Taiki (中村 泰輝), reached the last 32 at wanpaku, and won the middle school competition at this year's Hakuho Cup. This means that Nakamura came second at Inter-High, as a first year. That's very impressive indeed, and suggests that he's a name to watch out for over the next few years. Former Hakuho Cup winner, Kumamoto's Kawasoe Keita (川副 圭太), who knocked out Byamba, and Chiba's Ito Chikashi (伊藤 周), who won a recent Kanto tournament, both finished in the quarter-finals.
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32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
Part 8 - Looking Ahead (Grade 6) Now that the Grade 6s' final Wanpaku Tournament has come to a close, there are not many opportunities left for them to compete as a year group (with only the Primary School Championships and the Hakuho Cup coming between them and entering middle school). As such, it would be useful to list all the major names in Grade 6 in order of their overall strength (taking into account all the major tournaments they have competed in up until now), and commenting on each of them as a rikishi, including a prediction as to how well they may do in Ozumo if they decide to enter in the future. (photos to come in a few weeks' time) #1 Uchida Kyota (内田 京汰, Shizuoka) Admittedly, it had been a tough decision to choose which one of Narita and Uchida to put as the number one rikishi in their year group. In the end, the decision was based on the fact that Uchida has won the Hakuho Cup but Narita has not, Uchida has won the Primary School Championships but Narita has not, and now Uchida has won the Wanpaku Tournament as well. Heart: ☆☆☆☆☆ Skill: ☆☆☆☆☆ Body: ☆☆☆☆☆ Uchida Kyota has been keeping his weight in check for the past couple of years, which has helped him to greatly improve his techniques in sumo. He is equally good in oshi- and yotsu-zumo, and can adapt his style against different opponents (a skills battle against Sosorufu and a power battle against Narita). Would expect him to win the middle school championships in three years' time, he is certainly sekitori material. #2 Narita Rikido (成田 力道, Aomori) Heart: ☆☆☆ Skill: ☆☆☆☆ Body: ☆☆☆☆☆ Narita Rikido has extraordinary power and strength for his age, and along with his big body, has helped him claim two Wanpaku titles. He has a devastating tsuppari attack, which is very effective against most opponents, but once someone like Uchida or Sosorufu is able to get into a belt fight with him, Narita has shown some weaknesses. One scene I remember from last year's Sports Japan on NHK is Narita breaking into tears ahead of his semi-final bout against Uchida, because his tsuppari attack hadn't been working quite as well for him in the quarter-final, and had to be comforted by his dad. It may be harsh to say this, but I think that Narita may not have the heart and determination required when things are not going so well for him. Probably Sandanme. #3 Sosorufu (アルタンゲレル ソソルフ, Mongolia) Heart: ☆☆☆☆☆ Skill: ☆☆☆☆☆ Body: ☆☆☆ As with what might be expected from a Mongolian rikishi, Sosorufu has tremendous fighting spirit and a lot of skills to back it up. His strength is very good as well, and can find ways to win a bout from a disadvantageous position. If he decides to enter Ozumo in the future and develop a bigger body the way Harumafuji did, then Sosorufu can certainly make it to sekitori, maybe even makuuchi. #4 Mochizuki Masaya (望月 大矢, Shizuoka) Heart: ☆☆☆☆ Skill: ☆☆☆ Body: ☆☆☆☆☆ Mochizuki Masaya has a good build and prefers a yotsu-style of sumo, and has good strength to support it. He has a good set of skills, and is always up for the fight. Likely Sandanme / Makushita, though I would be surprised if he does decide to enter Ozumo. #5 Sugahara Haruka (菅原 悠翔, Shizuoka) Heart: ☆☆☆☆ Skill: ☆☆☆ Body: ☆☆☆☆☆ Sugahara Haruka is very lively outside the ring, but is very serious in it. He has a good build, and has the strength to engage in oshi- or yotsu-zumo. His skill set does have room for improvement though, and so should be Sandanme. #6 Honda Gotaro (本田 豪太郎, Kumamoto) Heart: ☆☆☆ Skill: ☆☆☆ Body: ☆☆☆☆☆ Honda Gotaro has shown two sides of him at national level competitions. On the one hand, he is a strong rikishi with plenty of skill, and simply doesn't lose to anyone but the toughest opponents (which is why he's reached so many quarter-finals); on the other hand however, he has shown to lack enough of a fighting spirit when he IS facing the big names (or if it's the latter stages), whom he always loses to. A case of unfulfilled potential in all honesty, hence Sandanme. #7 Miura Tomokazu (三浦 智一, Aomori) Heart: ☆☆☆☆ Skill: ☆☆☆ Body: ☆☆☆☆ Miura Tomokazu has a slim build relative to the other big names in his year group, but he is very tall, and also very strong, with a good set of skills as well. Sandanme / Makushita. #8 Komiyama Toa (小宮山 翔海, Tokyo) Heart: ☆☆☆☆ Skill: ☆☆☆ Body: ☆☆☆ Komiyama Toa is one of those rikishi who can be easily underestimated due to his slim build. In fact, he is a strong kid with plenty of skill and ring sense, and is a tough opposition to face. Sandanme. To be continued...... -
Part 1 - Introduction The Wanpaku Tournament (第32回わんぱく相撲全国大会) is possibly the largest tournament in amateur sumo in terms of number of participants, with over 40,000 primary school kids from all over Japan (and parts of Mongolia) vying for a place in the Wanpaku National Championships, which is held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan end of July / start of August. Only about 400 make it to the finals, where entry is free. The Wanpaku National Championships is the first real chance to see who has what it takes to make it in Ozumo, and who has the potential to become Makuuchi regulars, or even sanyaku regulars in the future. Size is a bigger factor at Wanpaku level, and as such, other aspects of their sumo provide a better indication of their future potential in Ozumo, such as skill (Furukawa Haruki), strategical awareness (Sato Takanobu), power (Utetsu Fumiya) and fighting spirit (Kawazoe Fuma).Because of this, not many Wanpaku Yokozunae actually succeed in Ozumo, though it should be said that most of the Japanese rikishi we see in Makuuchi today have done well at Wanpaku (Kisenosato and Tochiozan are both Wanpaku quarter-finalists). Below are a selection of famous rikishi back in their Wanpaku days (from left to right: Kisenosato, Tochiozan, Futeno, Goeido, Mitakeumi): In recent years, Wanpaku has become an international tournament, with qualifiers in Mongolia for 3 years running (2014, 2015, 2016), and a qualifier in Hawaii last year. There has also been full live coverage of the event on Ustream for the past few years (26th to 30th), and on Niconico last year. It is now confirmed that there will be live coverage of this year's event on Niconico.
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32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
The organising standard has certainly dropped this year, with a lot more mistakes / oversights occurring. First there was a lack of furigana next to the competitors' names in the tournament draw, then when they are leading each year group out from the hanamichi (in a zigzag way to form rows facing the dohyo), sometimes they would get the direction of the first row wrong, other times getting the back few rows a bit clustered, not to mention quite a few mistakes made by the announcer, for example saying the name of rikishi #59 instead of rikishi #58 and messing up a few pronunciations. There was even once where the shimpan got east and west mixed up following a mono-ii, resulting in many confused faces in the audience. All in all though, the atmosphere in the arena was very good, with loud cheers and applause from the audience all round, and all the competitors tried their best, win or lose. -
32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
Part 7 - Results and Report (Grade 6) Winner: Uchida Kyota (内田 京汰, Shizuoka) Runner-up: Narita Rikido (成田 力道, Aomori) Semi-final: Miura Tomokazu (三浦 智一, Aomori) Semi-final: Sosorufu (アルタンゲレル ソソルフ, Mongolia) Quarter-final: Shoda Haruto (正田 悠倫, Hokkaido) Quarter-final: Takko Masei (田子 麻聖, Akita) Quarter-final: Kando Akira (神藤 輝, Osaka) Quarter-final: Mochizuki Masaya (望月 大矢, Shizuoka) Before delving into the results, it is worth mentioning that this year group is unlike any other in recorded Wanpaku history, in that before Sosorufu came along earlier this year, every major competition for their year group was won by either Narita Rikido (成田 力道) or Uchida Kyota (内田 京汰), with no exceptions. That's 5 entire years of total dominance by the two 'fields', and as you'd expect, a bout between them is effectively the final. Below is a list of their achievements for reference: Grade 1 Hakuho Cup: Uchida (winner) Grade 2 Hakuho Cup: Uchida (winner) Grade 3 National Primary School Championships: Narita (runner-up, in the Grade 4 or lower competition) Hakuho Cup: Uchida (winner) Grade 4 Wanpaku Tournament: Narita (winner), Uchida (semi-finals) National Primary School Championships: Uchida (winner), Narita (runner-up) Hakuho Cup: Uchida (winner), Narita (semi-finals) Grade 5 Wanpaku Tournament: Narita (winner), Uchida (semi-finals) National Primary School Championships: Uchida (winner), Narita (runner-up) Hakuho Cup: Narita (runner-up) Not only are they big for their age, but also with the added bonus of Narita's Baruto-esque power and Uchida's superb tactical awareness and skill, the two of them are just so much better than everyone else in their year group. With the majestic dragon of Aomori on one side and the ferocious tiger of Shizuoka on the other, they are the ultimate rivals for each other. And so, when the draw was released for this year's Grade 6 competition (putting Narita Rikido and Uchida Kyota in different halves), there was great anticipation / expectation for a destined final between the two, an ultra-exciting showdown that would be worthy of their era in Wanpaku. They duly made their way through the field (pun not intended) today to reach that final, and fair to say, they didn't disappoint. Such was the excitement and tension in the air that the gyoji had to call matta and restart the bout 3 times (this has NEVER happened at Wanpaku). Once the bout got under way, Narita immediately released a whole barrel of tsuppari attacks, against which Uchida was able to stand his ground. Uchida then tries multiple times to get under Narita's attack and grab his opponent's mawashi, but Narita defended well against that. After an almighty battle between their conflicting styles, Uchida was finally able to get a firm hold of Narita's mawashi, and yorikiri him out for his first Wanpaku title. They will most likely meet again before entering middle school, but today's bout was certainly of epic proportions. The biggest threat for a Narita-Uchida final is this year's Hakuho Cup winner, Team Mongolia's Sosorufu. In order to set up a repeat of this year's Hakuho Cup final against Narita Rikido, Sosorufu needed to beat big names in both the quarter-finals and the semi-finals. His quarter-final against Shizuoka's Mochizuki Masaya (望月 大矢) was a good bout, with Mochizuki having defended well at the edge. In the semi-finals however, the equally skilled but bigger and stronger Uchida Kyota (内田 京汰) proved to be too much of a challenge. Nevertheless, semi-finals is the best result (joint) of any rikishi from Mongolia at the Wanpaku Tournament. Will we be seeing a Mongolian kid claiming the Wanpaku title somewhere in the near future? Possibly. The other semi-final was an all-Aomori affair as Narita Rikido (成田 力道) faced the tall, relatively thin, but strong Miura Tomokazu (三浦 智一), which Narita was able to win comfortably. Narita's quarter-final against Hokkaido's Shoda Haruto (正田 悠倫) however, was a truly crazy bout, with Narita actually coming close to losing (which would have been one of the biggest shocks in Wanpaku history), but his power came through for him this time. Akita's Takko Masei (田子 麻聖)'s journey to the quarter-finals was made easier as Ibaraki's Shinozaki Sota (篠崎 颯太) surprisingly lost in his first bout. Just a minute later, Kanagawa's Yoda Shigeki (依田 蒼基) also lost in his first bout, which capped a very disappointing day for Team Zama, as all three of their members lost in their first bouts (including Grade 4's Hirano Sorato (平野 修良斗). Takko's opponent in the last 16 was to be decided by an epic clash between two major names in their year group, Kumamoto's Honda Gotaro (本田 豪太郎) and Shizuoka's Sugahara Haruka (菅原 悠翔), which Sugahara won in a battle of strength. Honda is very good, no doubt about that, but he seems to not have enough fighting spirit within him when it really matters, either in the latter stages of a national tounament or when he's up against a tough opponent. Three national finals did his club (Udo Junior Sumo Club) reach in the past few years, three times did Honda lose in his bout. As for the other contenders, the Tokyo champion Komiyama Toa (小宮山 翔海) had a shaky performance in his first two bouts, and then lost in the third one (last 32). Try as he may, Kanagawa's Kohara Sota (小原 颯太) just couldn't find a way to beat his bigger opponent in his second bout (last 64), while Kagoshima's Niishima Ibuki (新島 伊武起) was knocked out in his first bout by Osaka's Kando Akira (神藤 輝). -
32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
Part 6 - Results and Report (Grade 5) Winner: Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介, Kagoshima) Runner-up: Sakamoto Shoma (坂本 正真, Tokyo) Semi-final: Yokoyama Tsukasa (横山 司, Tokyo) Semi-final: Yamashina Takahiro (山科 啓容, Mie) Quarter-final: Matsuda Ten (松田 天, Tottori) Quarter-final: Nara Subaru (奈良 昴, Aomori) Quarter-final: Ote Kira (大手 希星, Kumamoto) Quarter-final: Tanimura Ryuki (谷村 竜喜, Toyama) This year's Grade 5 competition ended the same way it did a year ago, with Tokyo's Sakamoto Shoma (坂本 正真, Tokitsukaze-oyakata's younger son) facing Kagoshima's Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介) in the final. The bout went exactly the same way it did last year, with Sakamoto Shoma going for and getting a morozashi (as he does in every single bout), and then being thrown down by Yamashita Shosuke (last year was uwatenage, this year kubinage). Giving his size and strength, Sakamoto Shoma is able to use this style of sumo to overcome pretty much every other rikishi in his year group, everyone that is, apart from the equally strong and more technically gifted Yamashita Shosuke. And so, the humble Yamashita Shosuke becomes a 2-time Wanpaku Yokozuna, while the Sakamotos (including his brother Sakamoto Hirokazu 坂本 博一) end up with a 3rd successive runners-up medal. Sakamoto needs a different approach next time. Sakamoto Shoma's path to the final had been smooth, including a comfortable win in the last 16 against Shizuoka's Suzuki Nozomi (鈴木 希, though admittedly Suzuki did have an exhausting bout against Akita's Kagaya Ryota (加賀谷 涼太) in the previous round). On the other hand, Yamashita Shosuke had to face a very big and fairly strong opponent in the semi-finals in Tokyo's Yokoyama Tsukasa (横山 司), struggling a bit to get Yokoyama over the tawara. Yokoyama Tsukasa (横山 司) won this year's Tokyo prefectural qualifiers (with a reversal win in the semi-finals against Sakamoto Shoma), and in today's tournament is responsible for the defeats of no less than 3 contenders (Chiba's Aino Shogo 相野 祥吾, Hyogo's Taniguchi Yusa 谷口 優冴 and Saitama's Onozawa Ayato 斧澤 亜矢斗). Onozawa Ayato tried very very hard in the last 16 against Yokoyama Tsukasa, only to be thrown down when the win was in sight. Speaking of Onozawa Ayato, remember when I mentioned that he defeated a certain Ote Kira (大手 希星) from Kumamoto in his first bout last year (in the Udo Junior Sumo Club thread)? Well, the same Ote Kira managed to get all the way to the quarter-finals this year (getting a major victory over Osaka's Tasaki Masami 田崎 正美 in the last 16), where he came up short against Sakamoto Shoma. If he hadn't faced such a tough opponent last year, then his name would most likely have been included in this year's contenders list. Kinboshi Sumo Club's ace, Chiba's Kanazawa Sorato (金澤 空大), proved extremely popular with the spectators (no doubt due to his fame on Guru Nai), and won his first bout with a well-executed throw. However, he had a less-than-ideal tachi-ai in his next bout, and wasn't able to turn things around. As for the contenders, Aomori's Nara Subaru (奈良 昴) reached the quarter-finals, where he once again was no match for the defending Yokozuna, Kagoshima's Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介); while the judo-rikishi Yamashita Takahiro (山科 啓容) went one better by reaching the semi-finals (thanks to a bunch of leg trips), where he lost to Tokyo's Sakamoto Shoma (坂本 正真). However, a major shock occurred when the Shizuoka champion Suzuki Masane (鈴木 真実) bowed out in his secound bout, and a couple of minutes later, Fukui's Kitayama Keigo (北山 慶悟) couldn't negotiate that tricky bout in the last 64 against Hyogo's Matsunaga Akane (松永 聖鐘). Having reached 4 successive national finals over the past year and winning 3 of them (2 Wanpakus and a Hakuho Cup, finishing second in the Primary School Championships), one gets the impression that unless the current Primary School Yokozuna, Kagoshima's Ichikizaki Daisuke, can qualify for next year's Wanpaku Tournament (as he did so in Grade 4 but not in Grade 5), then there's nothing stopping Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介) from taking the title again next year and completing the set. -
32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
Part 5 - Results and Report (Grade 4) Winner: Fukuhara Joichiro (福原 丈一朗, Ehime) Runner-up: Sugimoto Satose (杉本 智斗勢, Wakayama) Semi-final: Nishijima Yura (西島 悠来, Chiba) Semi-final: Nishide Daiki (西出 大毅, Wakayama) Quarter-final: Uchiyama Ryunosuke (内山 龍之介, Niigata) Quarter-final: Hattori Koyo (服部 公洋, Gifu) Quarter-final: Nakano Kanato (仲野 奏人, Fukui) Quarter-final: Takei Ginji (武井 銀士, Shizuoka) This year's Grade 4 competition was a landmark event, as it marked the first time ever that Chiba's Nishijima Yura (西島 悠来) lost a bout in a national-level tournament (he previously went through 3 Hakuho Cups unbeaten). Perhaps fittingly, the kid who defeated him was Ehime's Fukuhara Joichiro ()福原 丈一朗, who went on to claim the title. This also marks the first time ever that a rikishi from Ehime became Wanpaku Yokozuna. Unlike previous Grade 4 competitions (which were usually won by a largely-built kid), this year was a very skilful affair, with many competitors showing great strategical awareness as well as good technique. There was Tokyo's Saito Chugo (斎藤 忠剛) cleverly dodging his bigger opponent's attacks, and then going in for a low yorikiri when the opportunity arose (which drew thunderous applause from the crowd, though he did lose in his next bout); there was Fukushima's Tanji Jun (丹治 純), who out-manoeuvred Hirano Shurato (平野 修良斗) in their first bout (in a shock result); there was Kanagawa's Nasukawa Shoki (奈須川 将輝), who skilfully overcame one bigger opponent after another to reach the last 16; and there was also Wakayama's Nishide Daiki ()西出 大毅, throwing down one opponent after another (showing why he was able to keep the 2nd best rikishi in their year group, Nakanishi Kaishin (中西 海心) from qualifying for the Wanpaku Tournament this year). As for the predictions, Osaka's Jo Hiroki (城 皓貴) did indeed win his first bout comfortably before losing to Nishijima Yura (西島 悠来), though Saitama's Samejima Hikaru (鮫島 輝) only managed to reach the last 64. -
32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
Because this will be a full and detailed report on today's 32nd Wanpaku National Championships (attended in person today, along with Nishinoshima) and will be including an extra section at the end, the report will be divided into different sections. So here goes...... -
Before I begin writing the report on today's 32nd Wanpaku National Championships, it should be mentioned here that Kanazawa Sorato today won his first bout by a very good throw, but had a less-than-ideal tachi-ai in his second bout, and so bowed out in the last 64. At the end of the tournament, managed to catch Sorato in the corridors, and so took the opportunity to inform him that us members of the sumoforum are fully supportive of him and his club, and wished him good luck for the future. :-) Just a few minutes later, met Riku, Towa and their father in the main hall, and so passed on the same message to them as well. :-) (p.s. was definitely surprised at Riku's height, even with what's mentioned in the videos......)
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R.I.P. Chiyonofuji, one of the most admired Yokozuna of all time
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Visited Mitaka Sumo Club today, and was able to watch a training session in full. Because their main keiko session is the Sunday one, only 8 members came today, including a Grade 4, two Grade 3s, two Grade 2s, two Grade 1s, and I'm pleased to say, their ace Hanafusa Kai. Hanafusa is a reserved kid who doesn't talk much. When Hanafusa got there (by riding a bicycle), it was still early, and so he began by removing the cover from the dohyo (and other things, such as bags of soil), others soon joined in. Their coach hadn't yet arrived, so Hanafusa acted as coach, and got his kohai's to do some stretching exercises, some shiko, matawari, suriashi, and rolling exercises. Their mums watched on from the sidelines. Their coach, Yoshiyasu-sensei, arrived just as they were starting a butsukari session, which was then followed by moshi-ai (during which Hanafusa trained at the side of the dohyo). Butsukari wasn't always winner stays on, and there were some funny moments when deciding who should be next. As the bouts rolled in, their coach offered pieces of advice, and stopped a bout when someone's neck got into a dangerous position. After that, the coach had some teaching bouts with the 2 older kids. Even though Hanafusa is quite silent most of the time, when he's in the ring, he certainly showed a lot of determination. The keiko came to a close with the usual warming down exercises, and everyone joined in to get the covers (and other stuff) back on. The kids certainly had a lot of fun doing sumo, and I wished Hanafusa (who's currently in his first year of middle school) good luck at the end.
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For the middle weight juniors from Japan: Ishizaki, Meitoku-Gijuku high 3rd year.http://www.kochinews.co.jp/article/35104/ Ishizaki Takuma (石崎 拓馬) comes from Osaka, and is a powerful and clever rikishi, despite his height (or lack there of). He has an equally talented younger brother called Ishizaki Ryoma (石崎 涼馬), who knocked out Toma Tsuguto (当真 嗣斗), yes, that 'monster' from Okinawa, in last year's Middle School Championships.
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32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
Visited Tachikawa Renseikan Sumo Club today, and got confirmation (from his mum) that Grade 4's #22 is pronounced Hirano Shurato (平野 修良斗) -
6th All Japan University Sumo Kanazawa Tournament (2016-7-17)
mikawa posted a topic in Amasumo Discussions
This tournament was held in Kanazawa City in Ishikawa last Sunday, and here are the main results: Individual Competition: 1st: Shiroyama Seira (城山 聖羅), Toyo University 2nd: Miwa Hayato (三輪 隼斗), Nippon Sport Science University 3rd: Minami Yuta (南 友太), Nippon Sport Science University 3rd: Yago Takanori (矢後 太規), Chuo University Shiroyama Seira (城山 聖羅): Miwa Hayato (三輪 隼斗): Team Competition: 1st: Nihon University 2nd: Toyo University 3rd: Nippon Sport Science University 3rd: Kanazawa Gakuin University 5th: Takushoku University 5th: Tokyo University of Agriculture 5th: Kindai University 5th: Chuo University The winning team for Nihon University consisted of Turbold, Katamura Keiya (片村 敬也), Nakajima Nozomi (中島 望), Kizaki Shinnosuke (木崎 伸之助) and Osanai Riki (小山内 力樹): The runners up, Toyo University, featured Shiroishi Masahito (白石 雅仁), Shiroyama Seira (城山 聖羅), Murata Ryo (村田 亮), Nishino Tomonori (西野 倫理) and Onami Atsushi (大波 渥): Whilst Nihon University has always been a powerhouse in University Sumo, Toyo University have in recent years attracted some very talented rikishi to their ranks, not least the 2-time High School Yokozuna who's already made a name for himself at University level - Shiroyama Seira (城山 聖羅). -
Basho Talk - Nagoya Basho 2016 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++
mikawa replied to kuroimori's topic in Honbasho Talk
3-0. Met twice with Haru on 14-0 and once on 13-0. Last such meeting more than three years ago, though.Additionally they've met once while tied 14-0 (Haru won), once while tied 13-1 (ditto), and once while tied 12-0 (Haru lost). But even the last of those bouts was more than two and a half years ago. In other words, including their two playoffs tomorrow's bout will only be the 9th time in 41 meetings since Harumafuji became ozeki where he isn't trailing... Thanks for the detailed info :-) , it seems that when Harumafuji isn't trailing, he's actually expected to beat Hakuho. Let's see if that'll be the case tomorrow -
Basho Talk - Nagoya Basho 2016 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++
mikawa replied to kuroimori's topic in Honbasho Talk
out of interest, does anyone know what Harumafuji's record against Hakuho is when he's ahead of Hakuho? -
Basho Talk - Nagoya Basho 2016 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++
mikawa replied to kuroimori's topic in Honbasho Talk
so Kisenosato (and Takanoiwa as it seems) still has a chance at yusho, however, I don't think Harumafuji is going to lose tomorrow though, the way he's performed this basho -
Basho Talk - Nagoya Basho 2016 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++
mikawa replied to kuroimori's topic in Honbasho Talk
and Sakamoto has yet another 4-3 to his name, wouldn't be surprised if he gets 4-3 next basho as well -
Basho Talk - Nagoya Basho 2016 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++
mikawa replied to kuroimori's topic in Honbasho Talk
Kisenosato doesn't seem to be able to beat the Yokozunae when it matters (and then there's Aki basho last year). It must be pretty frustrating for him, especially after Kotoshogiku's yusho six months ago -
32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
Yup, all the bouts take place on the same dohyo, with each bout involving bow -> sonkyo -> tachi-ai -> bow, and that's it (the quarter-finals and beyond include an extra step). In terms of pace, Wanpaku is certainly quicker than Ozumo. In fact, it's quicker even than middle school, high school and college tournaments. I've done a comparison of the kimarites used for Honbasho and for Wanpaku, and here are the results: Kimarite Ozumo Wanpaku Hatakikomi 8.7% 2.9% Hikiotoshi 3.8% 2.6% Kotenage 1.5% 1.0% Okuridashi 3.9% 4.2% Oshidashi 22.1% 21.8% Oshitaoshi 3.6% 5.5% Shitatenage 3.4% 1.8% Soto / Uchigake 0.6% 1.0% Sukuinage 1.9% 4.7% Tsukidashi 2.5% 1.3% Tsukiotoshi 5.3% 2.6% Tsukitaoshi 0.3% 1.0% Tsuridashi 0.1% 0.5% Utchari 0.2% 0.8% Uwatenage 5.8% 8.1% Yorikiri 26.2% 27.8% Yoritaoshi 5.5% 8.9% Other 4.5% 3.1% -
32nd Wanpaku National Championships (2016-7-31)
mikawa replied to mikawa's topic in Amasumo Discussions
As with last year, the 32nd Wanpaku National Championships will be streamed LIVE on Niconico (http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv269492024) on Sunday 31st July. IIRC, you will need to register on the website in order to watch the tournament. The live streaming should be starting at 8:00am JST with the opening ceremony, and finishing a mere 10 hours later, at 6:00pm JST (after the awards ceremony). This year, 131 teams from across Japan (including 1 from Mongolia) will be taking part, with 392 wanpaku rikishi all aiming for the title of Wanpaku Yokozuna. Here are the day's schedules (times are JST): 8:00 - Opening Ceremony (Speech from the head of the Wanpaku Organizing Committee and from an NSK representative, most likely the Rijichō himself. After that, Team Amami Oshima will be returning the Team Trophy, followed by a competitors' oath) 9:10 - Grade 4, Rounds 1 & 2 ( 131 -> 128 -> 64 ) 10:20 - Grade 5, Rounds 1 & 2 ( 131 -> 128 -> 64 ) 11:30 - Grade 6, Rounds 1 & 2 ( 131 -> 128 -> 64 ) 12:55 - Wanpaku Yokozuna's dohyo-iri, featuring last year's Grade 5 Yokozuna, Narita Rikido (成田 力道), followed by last year's Grade 4 Yokozuna, Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介). 13:10 - Grade 4, Rounds 3, 4 & 5 ( 64 -> 32 -> 16 -> 8) 14:10 - Grade 5, Rounds 3, 4 & 5 ( 64 -> 32 -> 16 -> 8) 15:10 - Grade 6, Rounds 3, 4 & 5 ( 64 -> 32 -> 16 -> 8) 16:10 - Grade 4, 5 & 6 Quarter-finals Grade 4, 5 & 6 Semi-finals Grade 4, 5 & 6 Final 16:45 - Wanpaku Yumitori-shiki 17:00 - Awards Ceremony for Wanpaku Yokozuna / Ozeki (runner-up) / Sekiwake (last 4) / Komusubi (last 8), and for the best finishing teams. Which of those kids will make it in Ozumo after they grow up is anyone's guess, but it will certainly be an exciting tournament, with bouts quickly flowing from one to the next. Expect tears, fist-pumps, a lot of nerves, and even more words of encouragement shouted from the stands. Hopefully, the contenders listed in this post will help in getting to know the big names of Wanpaku, and I will certainly be rooting for them in the Kokugikan a week on Sunday. Hakkeyoi, nokotta! -
He's the 2-time high school yokozuna, Shiroyama Seira (城山 聖羅), He just started college this year, and has already been making his mark. His name will be propping up quite a few times over the next few years, certainly a candidate for college / amateur yokozuna in 2-3 years' time.