Basho and quake.....

[Zingo 0]

Just reading further about the horrific quake/tsunami that struck Japan... Just reflecting.... Osaka being quite far away from the epicentre, but would any ongoing basho have been cancelled? or just continued "as usual" if not cancelled prior to catastroph? If it had been a Tokyo basho?

[Peterao 3]

We'll never know. All baseball and soccer games were canceled, but a tennis challenger event in Kyoto went on as scheduled. The Kyokai would have had to make the call.

[alpineviolet 0]

I couldn't see another thread to put this in, so I figured I'd put it in here since it's related to the earthquake (I don't think the yaocho thread is the best spot for earthquake-related sumo news, but anyway...)

Tsunami washes away sumo training complex in Fukushima

Also, this one, which I unfortunately am not skilled enough to translate. Maybe someone else can help? Michinoku-beya rikishi help some children evacuate?

And I think this one is saying Michinoku-beya's associated chanko restaurant helped feed 150 people who were stranded.

Sorry if I misunderstood anything, but I thought these might be of interest. Now I'm going to work on my Japanese lessons (seriously).

[sekitori 492]

Just reading further about the horrific quake/tsunami that struck Japan... Just reflecting.... Osaka being quite far away from the epicentre, but would any ongoing basho have been cancelled? or just continued "as usual" if not cancelled prior to catastroph? If it had been a Tokyo basho?

Sumo's reputation has already been under fire because of the gambling and yaocho scandals. In these tragic circumstances, if a basho at any venue went on as scheduled, the public would have viewed it as a complete lack of sensitivity on the part of the NSK. Sumo has had enough negative publicity already, and holding a basho at this time could have destroyed any good will that was remaining. Although it's not exactly a proper term to use, it's sumo's "good fortune" that the Haru basho was already cancelled.

[Treblemaker 254]

Considering just how many people are missing and might have been washed away, and with Japan facing a triple crisis (with the nuclear reactor issues), a basho might be the very last thing on people's minds right now. Give it some time, maybe by late summer, perhaps even by 2012...

Watch videos of whole villages being washed away. Watch the lid blow off that nuclear plant, see cars tumble and float (with people inside) in that other video and realize that absolutely NONE of this is anyone's fault (unlike Three-Mile Island or Chernobyl).

I just hope the right people are in the right spot to make the right decisions and the right moves.

If any country or people can bounce back from something as horrific as this, it's the Japanese. I wish them well.

[Asameshimae 220]

"Considering just how many people are missing and might have been washed away, and with Japan facing a triple crisis (with the nuclear reactor issues), a basho might be the very last thing on people's minds right now. Give it some time, maybe by late summer, perhaps even by 2012..."

You took the words right out of my mouth. Basho Schmasho, I'm waiting for the next update from Chief spokesman Edano. He is my new hero. I won't believe anything I hear until I hear it from his mouth.

[Jaak 7]

How were the 1995 Hatsu and Haru bashos affected by the Kobe earthquake on 17th January? Something like 5000 killed, and by March, Sanyo Shinkansen was not reopened yet....

[Treblemaker 254]

How were the 1995 Hatsu and Haru bashos affected by the Kobe earthquake on 17th January? Something like 5000 killed, and by March, Sanyo Shinkansen was not reopened yet....

From all that I've read and seen, there's apparently no comparison. This quake was 700 times more powerful than the Kobe one, coupled with a tsunami, the latter going up and over the 10 metre high breakwaters as if they were a curb on the street.

[Tamagoyama 0]

Kobe Quake: The number is 6434 people gone and over 300,000 homeless. While it pales in comparison to the ongoing tragedy of the Sendai quake and tsunami, we who live in Kobe try to remember each year on 17 January with 6434 candles with the name of every lost person on its own candle.

Regards

Tamagoyama

How were the 1995 Hatsu and Haru bashos affected by the Kobe earthquake on 17th January? Something like 5000 killed, and by March, Sanyo Shinkansen was not reopened yet....

[Manekineko 200]

Fukushima talk split to its own thread.

[Kintamayama 45,974]

The training facility which was washed away in Fukushima belonged to Tamanoi beya.

The two Ibaraki heyas Shikihide and Tatsunami have asked the Kyokai for permission to take refuge outside of Tokyo in the wake of the quake. The Kyokai has put that on hold for now for fear other heyas may ask for permission as well. Shikihide beya is considering taking refuge at their Kyushu lodgings. "Pending the Kyokai's permission, we are all set to leave at any moment," said Mrs. Shikihide. Tatsunami Oyakata is considering going to either the Osaka lodgings or the Kyushu lodgings. "There's the nuclear plant problem and we are suffering a shortage of food. The rikishi can't do any serious keiko," he explained. "At least one more heya has asked for permission to leave. At this time, we have asked all heya to stay put. We will have to come to a decision regarding this issue very soon," said PR manager Nishonoseki Oyakata. Asked about how the Kyokai plans to assist the stricken areas, he said: "We will be donating money and will do our best to cooperate in any way we can."

Edited March 15, 2011 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,974]

Ex-Asashouryuu has pledged to aid the quake victims. Ex-Asa who is in Mongolia, paid a visit to the Japanese embassy and said: "I would like to be as useful as I can to my second homeland. I will be following the situation closely and hopefully will be able to bring the collected goods to the stricken areas in person. "

[Peterao 3]

The training facility which was washed away in Fukushima belonged to Tamanoi beya.

The two Ibaraki heyas Shikihide and Tatsunami have asked the Kyokai for permission to take refuge outside of Tokyo in the wake of the quake. The Kyokai has put that on hold for now for fear other heyas may ask for permission as well.

If they are currently in Ibaraki, then I wouldn't be against granting them an exception. Radiation levels in Ibaraki are 10-20 times that of Kanagawa, which themselves are 3-5 times normal. No immediate concerns, but if the situation is long term it could amount to non-trivial exposure.

[Kotoviki 16]

The training facility which was washed away in Fukushima belonged to Tamanoi beya.

The two Ibaraki heyas Shikihide and Tatsunami have asked the Kyokai for permission to take refuge outside of Tokyo in the wake of the quake. The Kyokai has put that on hold for now for fear other heyas may ask for permission as well.

If they are currently in Ibaraki, then I wouldn't be against granting them an exception. Radiation levels in Ibaraki are 10-20 times that of Kanagawa, which themselves are 3-5 times normal. No immediate concerns, but if the situation is long term it could amount to non-trivial exposure.

The Kyokai should at least make arrangements for them to bunk with other heyas in Tokyo if they don't want them going off to Kyushu or Osaka!

[Jaak 7]

Kobe Quake: The number is 6434 people gone and over 300,000 homeless. While it pales in comparison to the ongoing tragedy of the Sendai quake and tsunami,

How were the 1995 Hatsu and Haru bashos affected by the Kobe earthquake on 17th January? Something like 5000 killed, and by March, Sanyo Shinkansen was not reopened yet....

What is the body count now? About 10 000? More than Kobe earthquake - but Kobe earthquake does not "pale" (yet?).

[Peterao 3]

The training facility which was washed away in Fukushima belonged to Tamanoi beya.

The two Ibaraki heyas Shikihide and Tatsunami have asked the Kyokai for permission to take refuge outside of Tokyo in the wake of the quake. The Kyokai has put that on hold for now for fear other heyas may ask for permission as well.

If they are currently in Ibaraki, then I wouldn't be against granting them an exception. Radiation levels in Ibaraki are 10-20 times that of Kanagawa, which themselves are 3-5 times normal. No immediate concerns, but if the situation is long term it could amount to non-trivial exposure.

The Kyokai should at least make arrangements for them to bunk with other heyas in Tokyo if they don't want them going off to Kyushu or Osaka!

Of course, if they had all been good gachinko boys, they'd all already be safe® in Osaka.

Maybe _that's_ the "punishment from the gods" that Hidenobaka was talking about...

[Peterao 3]

Kobe Quake: The number is 6434 people gone and over 300,000 homeless. While it pales in comparison to the ongoing tragedy of the Sendai quake and tsunami,

How were the 1995 Hatsu and Haru bashos affected by the Kobe earthquake on 17th January? Something like 5000 killed, and by March, Sanyo Shinkansen was not reopened yet....

What is the body count now? About 10 000? More than Kobe earthquake - but Kobe earthquake does not "pale" (yet?).

Kobe earthquake pales to this. It will just take a while for the numbers to begin reflecting the true magnitude of what we are experiencing.

[Peterao 3]

Guess u're all right... No basho under given circumstances... Now moving to may... Assuming that it stops here... No further nuclear break downs... Thinking away any yachoo tingys... Any basho in Tokyo in may? ...guess not...

Well the stubborn old farts in the baseball Central League are going on with their baseball schedule as scheduled (the Pacific League is postponing their start) despite the rolling blackouts and various ongoing crises. So Ozumo might decide that they need to stomp out the bad gods with their shiko or such.

If there were going to be a May Basho, it should be in Osaka, as they have a better infrastructure for handling large events at this time.

Edited March 16, 2011 by Peterao

[Kintamayama 45,974]

Baruto flees?

[Treblemaker 254]

Well, I hope your optimism is right and proved correct. Time will tell. I hope my concerns are proved ungrounded.

[Kintamayama 45,974]

Various fall outs from the fallout:

Hakkaku-beya: Since yesterday, no keiko with mawashi. "As there are numerous aftershocks, we don't want the rikishi running around in their mawashi in case of an emergency," explained the Oyakata. Usually, the guys wear a mawashi for morning training and jerseys in the afternoon. Now, they wear jerseys in the morning as well. "It feels strange wearing jerseys in the morning, but we're in a strange situation overall so there is nothing to be done," said Sandanme rikishi Suzaku.

Tamanoi beya had to cancel its morning keiko today due to a planned power blackout. "I don't want anyone to get hurt, so.." said the shisho. He told the rikishi to do a serious session in the afternoon after the power will return.

Naruto beya (known for its Spartan ways..) turned off the lights in anticipation of a blackout and went ahead with the morning keiko. "Not really a problem.. even if it's a bit dark the eyes get used to it rather quickly. On the contrary, it should sharpen up their other senses," explained the Oyakata. "If they can't train in the morning, they'll do it midday. If not midday, at night. Keiko is their job so whatever happens they will do it," he declared.

Edited March 17, 2011 by Kintamayama

[Peterao 3]

Baruto flees?

Maybe nobody told him that Haru Basho was canceled?

[Fay 1,677]

Onoe okamisan has decided to move to Osaka with the heya last night, without permission of the kyokai as it seems. It also seems some Onoe rikishi stay in Tokyo.

Many other oyakata want to help in the north, make chanko and something.

[Kintamayama 45,974]

Tatsunami Oyakata is considering going to either the Osaka lodgings or the Kyushu lodgings. "There's the nuclear plant problem and we are suffering a shortage of food."

No more food shortage for Tatsunami, thanks to their supporters' help. "We're back to the normal supply of food, but we are still short on gasoline," said the Oyakata. Mongolian Moukonami's wife and child have left for Mongolia. Jonidan Kozakura's parents' house was damaged by the quake and his father has fallen ill. "We are ready to go to the stricken area and help distribute food. We are only waiting for the Kyokai's permission," added the Oyakata.

[Kintamayama 45,974]