Dohyo-iri Question

[Bilu 0]

Though I have watched the feed several times already, only today was I on-time for the Yokozuna dohyo-iri.

A big surprise...

I was under the false(!) impression that the Yokozuna share the duty, i.e. they get to do it only every other day. I was really surprised to see Hakuho perform right after Asashoryu.

So, this is the deal? And what happens if there are, say, 4 Yokozuna - all of them perform each day?

Many thanks.

[昭和五十八太郎 0]

YEah, to the best of my knowledge the only thing that changes is the order in which the Yokozuna do the dohyo-iri in. When we've had 2 or more Yokozuna they have always all done the yokozuna dohyo iri. My memory may serve me poorly, but I'm sure there was a period where you did have 4 yokozuna who all did it at once. Luckily that period doesn't last too long. :P

[Kuroyama 715]

YEah, to the best of my knowledge the only thing that changes is the order in which the Yokozuna do the dohyo-iri in. When we've had 2 or more Yokozuna they have always all done the yokozuna dohyo iri. My memory may serve me poorly, but I'm sure there was a period where you did have 4 yokozuna who all did it at once. Luckily that period doesn't last too long. :P

At one point there was a video posted of (IIRC) Takanohana, Wakanohana, Akebono, Musashimaru -- not in that order, I think -- performing their yokozuna dohyo-iri one after the other.

With 2 yokozuna they alternate east and west going first in the same way they do the makuuchi dohyo-iri.

[昭和五十八太郎 0]

Yeah, it was the old Taka-Waka Akebono and the Moose that I was remembering. But with Akebono being injured, Musashimaru going down for a bit, and Takanohana having the knee-injury and Wakanohana retiring, I couldn't remember if they were together all four very often. It was a while ago. :P

[Asashosakari 18,674]

Yeah, it was the old Taka-Waka Akebono and the Moose that I was remembering. But with Akebono being injured, Musashimaru going down for a bit, and Takanohana having the knee-injury and Wakanohana retiring, I couldn't remember if they were together all four very often. It was a while ago. :P

Seven times, to be exact. (The nine days listed minus 1999.09.03 and 2000.03.06 where one yokozuna was on the schedule but did not compete.)

[昭和五十八太郎 0]

Yeah, it was the old Taka-Waka Akebono and the Moose that I was remembering. But with Akebono being injured, Musashimaru going down for a bit, and Takanohana having the knee-injury and Wakanohana retiring, I couldn't remember if they were together all four very often. It was a while ago. :P

Seven times, to be exact. (The nine days listed minus 1999.09.03 and 2000.03.06 where one yokozuna was on the schedule but did not compete.)

7 days. Oh well, at least my memory wasn't failing me. Those were the 'golden years' for me, but even Golden Years can fade in memory. Yes, even at the ripe old age of 24. :P :P

Thank you for finding that statistic, very nice to see such diligent and quick replies.

[sekihiryu 51]

I think there should be just one Yokozuna dohyo iri a day, I would fall asleep if there were 4!

Sumo is a funny old thing.....

[Jonosuke 28]

I will take it more like a priest giving you a blessing.

So even if you've fallen out of one denomination, you still get blessed if you got more than one doing it for you.

If you haven't then you get doubly blessed.

But then again there are those who just see a glimpse of the universe every time they shout, "Dokkoi-Sho!"

[Orion 431]

I think there should be just one Yokozuna dohyo iri a day, I would fall asleep if there were 4!

Sumo is a funny old thing.....

In fact it is very interesting to see the different styles and personalities, even though there are only two basic styles, Unryu and Shiranui. The shape of the arms above the head (nobody ever did it quite like Taiho), the hand-clapping and symbolic washing, and especially the seriagari (Kitanoumi was notoriously poor at it) can be very different. The contrast between the heavy looming presence of Akebono and the light, sharp Takanohana was unforgettable.

Orion

[昭和五十八太郎 0]

I think that it is great fun to have all the yokozuna enter. I mean even if you didn't realize there is a different style to some of them, and that they really bring out the best of their own style in each entrance, it's also just a matter of plain respect. You wouldn't have only half the rikishi come in every other day because they technically do the same thing. It's part of the tradition that makes Sumo so grand. :-D