Arena Preparation - 2013 Nagoya

[Yubinhaad 11,975]

Some pictures showing the preparations in the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, including the masu-seki seat scaffolding and the tsuriyane. Hopefully there will be more dohyo preparation pictures over the next few days.

The tsuriyane is completed and raised above the dohyo, but still with the tassles and curtains to be attached.

[Mukonoso 273]

Wow, thanks. First time I've seen the tsuriyane being assembled. It always amazes me how these temporary structures get put together when they have so many parts.

Do you know if the parts travel to the different basho or a set is kept in storage in each host city?

[Treblemaker 254]

Me too - WOW... A ton of effort - especially the erecting of the seating - for what is essentially a two-week show.

Thanks for these pics. A real educational eye-opener.

[krindel 688]

Excellent set of pics, really impressive to see all that work done. I'll assume that the scaffolding and tsuriyane assembly are done by specialized crews, not the yobidashi?

[Yubinhaad 11,975]

More pictures have been rolling in during the last day or so, so here is part two.

The masu-seki stands are completed, soon the tamari-seki areas will be finished too.

Now the yobidashi have begun working on the dohyo, hammering down the clay to make sure it is tightly packed.

The tawara production line.

Small chips of stone are included to add weight and firmness to the tawara.

Children from local schools visited the arena to observe the dohyo construction.

[Naganoyama 6,043]

Thanks for another really excellent piece of work!

[Benevolance 2,534]

I have to admire a sport whose venue is assembled largely by using beer bottles.

[Yubinhaad 11,975]

Part three, showing the yobidashi fitting 52 of the 66 tawara bales which are used in a honbasho dohyo.

16 shobudawara (the main ring)

4 tokudawara (the bales set outside the gaps of the main ring)

28 kadodawara (the straight bales lining the outer edges of the dohyo)

4 agedawara (the corner bales)

The remaining bales to be fitted are the ten fumidawara for the steps (shown below), and two slightly smaller bales for each corner niche, beneath the chikara-mizu pails.

[Yubinhaad 11,975]

The steps and corner niches are carved into the dohyo, and finally the curtains and tassles are attached to the tsuriyane.

This hole is carved out in the centre for the shizumemono, the items which will be placed inside during tomorrow's dohyo-matsuri. These are washed rice, dried chestnuts, dried kelp, dried squid, salt and the fruit of a torreya nucifera (an evergreen tree, I believe). A little sake is also poured in.

At the back of the arena, the Juryo and Makuuchi torikumi are displayed each day on an illuminated board.

[Xris 2]

Thank you for all these very interesting and very nice pictures !

[Yubinhaad 11,975]

The dohyo-matsuri was held today in the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, completing preparations for the 2013 Nagoya basho. Some pictures and a video.

As always, all sanyaku rikishi were in attendance.

The participating gyoji were Shikimori Inosuke, newly-promoted Makuuchi gyoji Kimura Akijiro, and Juryo gyoji Kimura Kenjiro.

Akijiro and Kenjiro offer sake to the attendees.

Concluding the ceremony, tate yobidashi Hideo leads the taiko drums around the dohyo. Tasuke and Kunio were the drummers this time.

[Treblemaker 254]

Fantastic. Thank you.