Kaninoyama

PM Abe is set to declare a State of Emergency for Japan tomorrow. This can't bode well for the prospects of the May Basho. Source

This is what Shibatayama Oyakata said: "At that point we'd convene a directors' meeting and consider what direction to take. I can't say we'd cancel, but that would also be a possibility."

It will probably come down to basho as usual, again without spectators, or cancel. Tokyo just crossed 100 infections in a single day for the first time, so things are not trending in a positive direction. I predict either another basho with no spectators or cancellation.

Giving the reasons for delaying the start of the basho for two weeks, Hakkaku Rijicho said: "We cannot say the situation is improving day by day. While we are aiming to hold a normal basho, we will consider flexibly from all angles, including holding it but at a reduced scale, holding it without spectators, or canceling it." Source

What changes over those two weeks?

From the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Japan Wiki: "The main concern of the Japanese medical establishment was an overcrowding of hospitals by uninfected patients with light cold symptoms who believed that they had COVID-19. Medical representatives claimed that such a panic would strain medical resources and risk exposing those uninfected patients to the disease itself." And: "On 17 February, the Ministry of Health released its consultation guidelines (Japanese: 新型コロナウイルス感染症についての相談・受診の目安について) to each of the municipal and prefectural governments and their public health centers.[93] The document instructs doctors and public health nurses who staff the consultation centres to limit consultations to people with the following conditions: (1) cold symptoms and a fever of at least 37.5 Celsius for over four days while taking antipyretic medication; and (2) extreme fatigue and breathing difficulties. The elderly, people with pre-existing conditions, and pregnant women with cold symptoms can receive consultation if they have had them for two days. The guidelines also note that people who are dissatisfied with their consultation results can visit one of the specialized outpatient wards (帰国者・接触者外来) for further talks." Further: "After reviewing and discussing the existing data on the disease, the committee stated that universal PCR testing was impossible due to a shortage of testing facilities and providers, and recommended that the government instead limit the application of available test kits to patients that are at a high risk of complications in order to stockpile for a large cluster. Participants also noted that Japan's medical facilities are vulnerable to "chaos," elaborating that several of the hospital beds and resources in the Tokyo area are already preoccupied with caring for the surge of 700 infected patients from the Diamond Princess. They reiterated their warning that a rush of alarmed uninfected outpatients with light symptoms of the disease could overwhelm hospitals and turn waiting rooms into "breeding grounds" of COVID-19." The above clearly indicates a strategy to limit testing for two basic purposes: 1) deal with the shortage of testing facilities and providers (as you pointed out); but also 2) to avoid a "rush of alarmed uninfected outpatients with light symptoms of the disease could overwhelm hospitals and turn waiting rooms into "breeding grounds" of COVID-19." It isn't necessarily an either or situation here.

If only Japan shared your sense of urgency.

It's tragic, but it may be the kick in the pants Japan needs to get people here to start taking the virus seriously.

Not a debate, but can one of the sumo elders enlighten us novices as to when "hands down" became mandatory? In sumo clips from the past, they did start from a standing position. But as long as I've been watching it (mid 90s), it's been hands down. When and why did it change?

Or short one, as he rises quickly to Yokozuna?

This directive was at least one weekend too late IMO. Last weekend was a 3-day holiday weekend, during which the parks were full of cherry blossom viewers and the streets of Tokyo were full of people as usual. We're starting to see the effects of that roll in. The initial good results by Japan in keeping infection numbers down have lulled the country into a sense of complacency, and now we are all about to pay for it.

True. And in this context it is somewhat affectionate and not derogatory.

Not the first time he's addressed Mainoumi in this way. I found this from Kitanoumi's column from Kyushu last year. やはり舞の海君は見る目がない。気の毒に。忘れていたが、高安がすごい相撲で勝った。本当にけがをしているのか疑わしい。これは冗談。本人は腕が折れてもやらねばと思っているだろう。逆に思いもよらぬ好成績をあげられることもある。「愛は強し」である。婚約者のために死力を尽くす高安は侮れないぞ。 https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20191111-00010006-chuspo-spo Dunno, their back and forth has always felt like playful banter to me. Could be wrong.

Injury.

Are we sure it wasn't just jovial back-and-forth banter? I wasn't paying attention when this exchange happened; just wondering.