Yamanashi

200 Billion dollars??

I'll admit, I'd never heard of the Chuckle Brothers. I had to look them up on Wikipedia myself. It seems to be a show that could only appear in England! The pantomime circuit is also uniquely English, I think. Thanks for the posts.

An NHK World VOD item on the Nippon Connection film festival in Frankfurt includes a review and clips from "The Chrysanthemum and the Guillotine"; available through 8/18/2018: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/vod/jflicks/2036046/

According to the archives of this site, Hiyonoyama et al. showed up in 2009. I can't be the only hominid on this planet who notices the resemblance to another 2009 rollout -- Angry Birds. Did the Finns file a lawsuit, and INWN?

Apparently, bowling with Takakaze, Kotoeko, and the gang.

One of the top three eaters of all time is, of course, Nagano-born Takeru Kobayashi, now 40 years old and semi-retired; his world records include eating 93 hamburgers in 8 minutes and 150 rice balls in 30 minutes (= 20lbs = 9 kg of rice). His competitive dimensions: 173 cm, 58 kg.

Nice sentiment. However, as the censor of poetry would point out (except he didn't): This may work in Portuguese, but in English (translation?) your Haiku scans as 4-6-5, instead of 5-7-5.

I think I see Tochinoshin's glass, distorted as through a lens, behind the pitcher. Of course, if we're going all conspiracy-theory, let me say that "no human being would stack cookies that way ... "

Sorry for the ironic cough; my sly winky emoji was disabled.

Kotomitsuki was intai as Ozeki in 2010 ... cough ...

Bando (Izutsu): Good God, there's almost nobody left in that heya!

Very strange denouement: May 1988 -- reaches Juryo (J13W), wins yusho July 1988 -- goes 0-10 and kyujo next 3 basho -- out, now Sd83e! March 1989 -- Sandanme yusho (7-0) next 3 basho -- MKs next 2 basho -- out, now at Jd78W March 1990 -- Jonidan yusho (7-0) 3-year climb to Ms10 2-year fall to Sd68W, 1-6, intai before falling to Jonidan. According to an article, "he suffered a left knee medial collateral ligament injury in training with members of the Nihon University sumo club (including later top division wrestler Daishoyama) and was forced to withdraw from the next tournament after ten straight losses. He had been ineligible for the kōshō seido rank protection as the injury had not taken place in a tournament, and he was demoted to makushita."

Mitakeumi: agree! Yoshikaze: agree!! Takayasu: I wonder. Yokozuna can't compete while damaged because 1) it's beneath their dignity and 2) it costs the NSK money for kinboshi. Ozeki, on the other hand, have less of 1) and none of 2). Imagine if this basho had no Y/O at all after day 6? Not good at all for sumo. Takayasu was clearly hurt, and after the Kaisei and Ichinojo bouts he could have pulled out and did the sekiwakezeki (or whatever) next basho; but he stayed in there. No matter what you think of the decision in the Mitakeumi/Takayasu bout, M's yusho is more legit because he had to face a couple of Ozeki's.

A slight breach of etiquette, allowing the sea bream to touch the tablecloth ... of course, the freakin' fish is longer than his arm.

OTOH, he trains with Tochinoshin. I thought I saw echos of Tochinoshin's new style in Mitakeumi's first week this basho: a lot of arm and shoulder swinging to turn and block.