Kinboshi Sumo Club

[mikawa 1,794]

Following Kotoshogiku's heroics at this year's Hatsu Basho and getting the first Japanese Yusho in 10 years, a TV show called Guru Nai (ぐるナイ) decided to take this opportunity to create a series of special programs about sumo. Their aim? To find some talented kids from Aomori, and try and nurture them into "the next Japanese Yokozuna".

To achieve this, they recruited some kids and formed their own sumo club - Kinboshi Sumo Club. Then, they would learn the basics of sumo, participate in this year's Hakuho Cup, train some more, and then try to quality for this year's Wanpaku Tournament. Their coach is none other than Hanada Masaru (moto-Wakanohana III), the last Japanese Yokozuna.

The club has managed to attract 5 members, and there are some very interesting characters in there.

First of all, we have the club's captain, Kimura Kiri (木村 喜人). He has the biggest body in his entire year group, but has no prior sporting experience:

And then, we have Yasuda Hikaru （安田 光）, the so-called Champion of Motivation （やる気 チャンピオン）. He has had swimming lessons before this, and is the club's celebrity:

Next up, we have the 3 Kanazawa brothers, with the eldest being Kanazawa Riku （金澤 立空）. He is a long-time member of a wrestling club, and has qualified (once) for the National Wrestling Championships:

Second oldest is the club's ace, Kanazawa Sorato （金澤 空大）. He has won the All Japan Wrestling Championships no less than 4 times, back to back:

Youngest of the 3 is the club's mascot, Kanazawa Towa （金澤 永和）. He has twice won the North Japan Wrestling Championships, and is best known for defeating Mahato (Hakuho's son):

Edited June 13, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #1 (2016.1.28): Project Start - Kinboshi Sumo Club

In order to find and nurture the next Japanese Yokozuna, staff from Guru Nai set up Kinboshi Sumo Club in Aomori, and are able to recruit 8 members (none of them having any prior experience in sumo), whose backgrounds include swimming, wrestling, judo, baseball etc.

Having had a taster of what sumo's like, and the chance to go up against Narita Rikido (成田 力道), Aomori's 2-time Wanpaku Yokozuna, 3 of the kids decide to go back to their own ways, leaving 5 kids to officially become members of the club:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3peqw3

Edited June 17, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #2 (2016.2.4): First Challenge - Mitaka Sumo Club

After a few training sessions, Kinboshi Sumo Club travel down to Ichikawa City in Chiba to have a friendly match with Mitaka Sumo Club, who were runners-up in last year's All Japan Youth Sumo Championships (a team competition for clubs/dojos).

On the whole, Mitaka are not as strong as the result may suggest, as they were carried through to the final by 2 members who were amongst the best in their respective year groups, Kodama Hayato ((児玉 颯飛) and Hanafusa Kai (花房 海). Hanafusa Kai was absent for this match, so Kinboshi Sumo Club had a chance of winning.

Ultimately, it comes down to a deciding bout between Kanazawa Sorato (金澤 空大) and Kodama Hayato. Sorato is a 4-time national champion in wrestling, though has no prior experience in sumo; while Hayato would go on to win this year's Hakuho Cup and is currently the best in his year group, albeit still in Grade 2 at the time, and so is 2 years younger than Sorato. They didn't disappoint.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x42wpd0

Edited June 17, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #3 (2016.3.3): Tournament Day - Hakuho Cup

The kids from Kinboshi Sumo Club face their first real test, as they are invited to the Kokugikan Stadium by the great Yokozuna himself to compete in the 6^th Hakuho Cup. It is possibly the biggest tournament ever held in amateur sumo, with more than 1000 kids from 5 different countries gather to aim for the top. Each of the 5 club members face a potentially tricky opponent in their first bout.

First up is the North Japan wrestling champion and the youngest member of the club, Kanazawa Towa （金澤 永和）. He faces off against Hakuho's son, Wada Mahato (和田 真羽人). Both of them are in their first ever competitive bout, so they are understandably a bit nervous.

After lunch, and on a different dohyo, Yasuda Hikaru （安田 光） faces Matan Gal, one of the kids from Hawaii. Hikaru is even more nervous (and a little scared), as he knows a big kid called Komatsu Kaito (小松 海斗) is waiting in the next round. Kaito has qualified for the Wanpaku Tournament once (in Grade 5 in 2015), though he lost in his first bout there (against Komiyama Toa (小宮山 翔海), whose name will come up again, as he is one of the best in his year group).

Back on the central dohyo, club captain Kimura Kiri (木村 喜人) faces Tamura Kodai (田村 昂大), a boy half his size (35kg compared to 70kg). This is sumo though, so size isn't everything. Interestingly though, their opponent in the next round is actually Ichikizaki Daisuke (市来崎 大祐), the reigning Primary School Yokozuna, and eventual runner-up in the tournament.

Shortly after that, Kanazawa Sorato （金澤 空大）, who's in the same year as Kiri, faces a tough challenge against Suzuki Yudai (鈴木 優大), a finalist at last year's Wanpaku Tournament (though he also lost in his first bout). If Sorato wins (it was a very good match), he will go on to face an even tougher challenge in Suzuki Nozomi (鈴木 希), who reached the last 16 at last year's Wanpaku Tournament.

Last but not least, Kanazawa Riku （金澤 立空） faces Suzuki Daisuke (鈴木 大介), who reached the last 64 at the Wanpaku Tournament 3 years ago.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3vlapn

Edited June 17, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #4 (2016.4.21): A New School Year - Aomori Degeiko

After their valiant effort at the Hakuho Cup, all the club members know that they still have a lot to learn about sumo. To help them overcome their weaknesses, coach Hanada Masaru gives each of them a task to focus on, in training and at home, and they are all expected to keep a diary of their progress.

For Yasuda Hikaru （安田 光）, he is required to do 5 push-ups every day in order to improve his upper body strength. Comparatively, club captain Kimura Kiri (木村 喜人) needs to do 20 shikos every day in order to improve his lower body strength (Kiri decided to add in some squating exercises for good measure, with unforeseen consequences).

For Kanazawa Towa （金澤 永和） and Kanazawa Sorato （金澤 空大）, they have other people leaning onto them, and then pushing them upright again (to train their waist muscles); while Kanazawa Riku （金澤 立空） has to flip over tyres (and Towa) so that he could have a better attack from a low position.

On top of that, program staff have arranged some degeiko sessions around Aomori. Their first stop is Asahifuji Junior Sumo Club， where Hikaru faces a strong opponent in Yamanaka Yuga (山中 夢羽駕). As in the Hakuho Cup, Hikaru is overcome with fear, and burst into tears.

Over in Inaka-kan Sumo Club, Towa has some exciting bouts with Kudo Kosei (工藤 光晟), a boy one year his senior; while Riku gambarises against Tochinai Hinata（栩内 陽向）, someone who's qualified for the Wanpaku Tournament all 3 times (albeit losing in his first bout each time).

And last but not least, the club pays a visit to Nakadomari Sumo Club, currently the strongest club in Aomori. Their former and current members include the 2-time Wanpaku Yokozuna Shinpo Kyoya (新保 杏也); the Wanpaku semi-finalist, former Middle School Yokozuna, and up-and-coming Ozumo rikishi Onosho (打越 奎也); another Wanpaku and later Middle School semi-finalist Ishioka Mikiya (石岡 弥輝也); and of course, the current 2-time Wanpaku Yokozuna, Narita Rikido (成田 力道). Both Kiri and Sorato have a tough task on their hands as they square off against Nara Subaru (奈良 昴), who reached the last 16 at last year's Wanpaku Tournament, losing to the eventual winner, Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介).

Afterwards, Kinboshi Sumo Club welcomes a new member called Munakata Seiren (棟方 聖連), a relative of Kimigahama Oyakata (former Maegashira Hochiyama).

Lastly, the Kanazawa siblings say a tearful farewell to their team-mates, as their whole family are moving down to Chiba, though they will remain members of the club, and will spend more time with the others in future programs.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x461qw4

Edited June 17, 2016 by mikawa

[egparis18 622]

Is the boy on the left wearing protective headgear?

[mikawa 1,794]

Is the boy on the left wearing protective headgear?

Yes, it's to protect their heads during tachi-ai

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #5 (2016.5.12): To Kumamoto - JKA Treasure Club

In support of those affected by the recent earthquake in Kumamoto, Kinboshi Sumo Club travel down to Kumamoto to spend some time training with the kids there, and their first stop is JKA Treasure Club, a sumo club known for their strictness. Before they get there, program staff set 2 targets for Yasuda Hikaru （安田 光） to help him improve his mental strength - "No Tears" and "Don't Give-Up".

Once they're there, Kanazawa Towa （金澤 永和） finds himself a training partner in Toda Hayato (戸田 勇翔), the best in Kumamoto for his age group. Both of them have 4 teeth missing at the time, and they quickly become good friends.

For club captain Kimura Kiri (木村 喜人), new member Munakata Seiren (棟方 聖連) and club ace Kanazawa Sorato （金澤 空大）, their training partner is the aforementioned Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介), who is the current Wanpaku Yokozuna and winner of this year's Hakuho Cup. Yamashita Shosuke also came second in last year's Primary School Championships, and is the only person whom Sakamoto Shoma (坂本 正真), younger son of Tokitsukaze Oyakata (former Maegashira Tokitsuumi) and multiple Hakuho Cup winner, can't beat.

Yasuda Hikaru's training partner is Tatefuru Tsuneaki (立古 常明), JKA Treasure Club's captain and a kid who specialises in Yorikiri. When asked about which kimarite he specialises in, Hikaru replies "Run-away Sumo" ......

Following the usual training routines, all the kids go outside to participate in a special 1-to-1 challenge - running up 120 steps non-stop. They all give it their best, and are all exhausted afterwards.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4a2od4

Edited June 17, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #6 (2016.5.19): Facing the Best - Udo Junior Sumo Club

To see how brave they are, program staff get the kids to practise suri-ashi, along a haunted path, and at night. What happens next is to be expected.

After that, the club travel to Udo City in central Kumamoto to face the strongest sumo club in Japan - Udo Junior Sumo Club. Their story in recent years has been one of multiple glories, and equally, missed potentials (somewhat comparable to Jimmy White in snooker and the New England Patriots in Super Bowls 42 and 46).

Sumo clubs in Japan attract kids from the local and surrounding areas, and as such, their members' ages and abilities are a bit of a dice roll. For a club to produce 2-3 talented rikishi whose ages are within a few years of each other means that the club is able to put together a team strong enough to compete for the National Club Championships (as was the case with last year's finalists, Iruma Junior Sumo Club and Mitaka Sumo Club).

For a club to produce a string of top-class rikishi (not just talented) who are all good enough to reach the quarter-finals and beyond at national championships, that's only happened twice in the past 10 years.

The first instance was the era of Aomori's Nakadomari Sumo Club (2006 - 2009), who produced a number of top-level rikishi in succession of one another. Here's a list of said rikishi, and the year in which they first appeared at the Wanpaku Tournament (in Grade 4), along with their best result at Wanpaku:

2004: Osanai Riki (小山内 力樹), winner

2005: Shinpo Kyoya (新保 杏也), winner (twice)

2006: Utetsu Fumiya (打越 奎也), semi-finals

2007: Kikuchi Hiroshige (菊池 大史芽), winner

2008: Echigoya Tomoki (越後谷 知樹), runner-up

2009: Ishioka Mikiya (石岡 弥輝也), semi-finals

Indeed, the Goshogawara Team at the 25^th Wanpaku Tournament, which consisted of Kikuchi (winner), Echigoya (runner-up) and Ishioka (quarter-finals), achieved the best results of any team at Wanpaku in recorded history. No other team could come close to this, that is, until the Uki Team of the past few years.

Here's a list of the top-level rikishi that Udo Junior Sumo Club have produced in the past few years, including the year in which they first appeared at the Wanpaku Tournament (in Grade 4), and their best result at Wanpaku:

2008: Kawakami Ryuko (川上 竜虎), quarter-finals

2009: Kawazoe Keita (川副 圭太), last 32

2010: Tsuzawa Taichi (津澤 太一), semi-finals

2011: Kusano Naoya (草野 直哉), semi-finals

2012: Hanaoka Masaki (花岡 真生), winner (twice)

2013: Kawazoe Fuma (川副 楓馬), runner-up

2014: Honda Gotaro (本田 豪太郎), quarter-finals

The Uki Team at the 29^th Wanpaku Tournament, which consisted of Kusano (quarter-finals), Hanaoka (winner) and Kawazoe Fuma (runner-up), actually matched Goshogawara Team's record-setting performance from 4 years earlier, and went on to claim the team title at the 30^th Wanpaku Tournament as well, this time with Hanaoka (winner), Kawazoe Fuma (quarter-finals) and Honda (quarter-finals).

Apart from their results at Wanpaku, Kawakami Ryuko is also a Middle Sumo Yokozuna; while Kawazoe Keita and his younger brother Kawazoe Fuma are both winners of the Hakuho Cup. Kawazoe Fuma is also the current Primary Sumo Yokozuna, and Honda Gotaro is a regular quarter-finalist at all of the national-level tournaments.

With such a star-studded line-up, Udo Junior Sumo Club have reached the final of the National Club Championships and the Hakuho Cup 3 times in the past 3 years, and yet failed to win any of them. Their 3-2 loss in the 2013 National Club Championships final to Tsugaru Sumo Club (from Aomori) sums it up, when 2-time Wanpaku Yokozuna Hanaoka Masaki surprisingly lost to Narumi Shoma (鳴海 匠馬), whose best result at Wanpaku was reaching the quarter-finals. To think, they actually destroyed 4-1'd and 5-0'd all opposition on their way to that year's final. Hence "missed potentials".

Anyway, back to the program, Kinboshi Sumo Club's match against Udo Junior Sumo Club was, perhaps as expected, a one-sided affair, though they did manage to get one win, which was commendable. After the match, Yasuda Hikaru （安田 光） revealed that he had a crush on someone, a classmate called Kaho-chan (かほちゃん), who would actually appear in a later program.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4bgtg2

Edited June 18, 2016 by mikawa

[egparis18 622]

DailyMotion won't play the video in the last post but one. As soon as some ads come up (and they come up all the time) I get 'Page not found' as soon as they stop. That's with Google Chrome. Internet Explorer can't find the page at all.

Edited June 17, 2016 by egparis18

[mikawa 1,794]

DailyMotion won't play the video in the last post but one. As soon as some ads come up (and they come up all the time) I get 'Page not found' as soon as they stop. That's with Google Chrome. Internet Explorer can't find the page at all.

Here's a YouTube version of the video for program #5, though it's not full screen:

Or you could try this link: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4a2od4

Edited June 17, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #7 (2016.6.11): Preparing for Wanpaku - 100-Bouts Keiko

The qualifiers all around Japan for this year's Wanpaku Tournament begin in earnest, and for Yasuda Hikaru （安田 光）, Munakata Seiren (棟方 聖連) and club captain Kimura Kiri (木村 喜人), their local qualifiers in Tsugaru, Aomori are just around the corner.

As all of them have to step up their sumo in order to meet the challenges ahead, coach Hanada Masaru intensifies their training by getting them to have 100 bouts with various opponents before the qualifiers.

Hikaru is shown videos of Yoshikaze's bouts, and is instructed to practise charging in head-first at the tachi-ai. It takes time, but he gradually gets the hang of it, and at the same time makes up a pre-bout ritual for himself to get into the fighting spirit. He certainly has a lot more courage and determination now than ever before.

Kiri, on the other hand, needs to develop a stronger mentality. As can be seen from his first few bouts in the 100-bouts keiko, Kiri is scared to face opponents who are closer to his size, and as such, always chooses the smaller kids during moshi-ai (where winner stays in). Through the encouragements of his classmates and the advises from his coaches, Kiri gradually learns to take the initiative during bouts, and instead of always shying away from a challenge, he now relishes it. As with Hikaru, Kiri has also developed a pre-bout ritual of his own.

Seiren's weakness lies in his high stance at the tachi-ai, and so his father trains with him day and night to improve this. Through his 100+ bouts, Seiren also learns how to straighten his opponent's stance by forcing their arm upwards, thus making it easier to push them out. Safe to say, all 3 of them have come a long way since joining the club.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ftq4r

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4ftq81

Edited June 18, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #8 (2016.6.16): Road to Wanpaku - Tsugaru Qualifiers

As a well-made sumo documentary once said, "Every summer, all over Japan, a strange phenomenon begins. Young boys in white loincloths assemble to participate in the Wanpaku Tournament, starting with local heats. 'Wanpaku' is Japanese for naughty boy. Each prefecture sends its winners to compete in the illustrious national finals here, at the sacred home of sumo - Kokugikan Stadium. This is the place all young sumo wannabes want to be. But first, they need to qualify".

Following in the footsteps of famous rikishi such as Kotoshogiku and Wakanohana III, Yasuda Hikaru （安田 光）, Munakata Seiren (棟方 聖連) and club captain Kimura Kiri (木村 喜人) aim to qualify for this year's 32^nd Wanpaku Tournament, which takes place in the Kokugikan Stadium on Sunday 31^st July. To do that, they have to finish in the top 2 in their regional qualifiers, which being Tsugaru, contains some of the best in the country.

Hikaru is in Grade 6, so that means there are 2 top-level rikishi who stand in his way - Miura Tomokazu (三浦 智一), a Wanpaku quarter-finalist, and who else but the 2-time Wanpaku Yokozuna himself, Narita Rikido (成田 力道). Hikaru's crush, Kaho-chan (かほちゃん), is cheering him on from the sidelines. There is a repechage built into the qualifier, so everone has two chances to make it through.

For Seiren and Kiri, who are in Grade 5, two Wanpaku veterans stand in their way - Koseki Ryoto (小関 諒道), younger brother of former Wanpaku Yokozuna Koseki Takudo (小関 拓道), and Nara Subaru (奈良 昴). As previously mentioned, Subaru reached the last 16 last year, where he lost to the eventual winner, Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介). Will any of them make it through?

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4gt42f

Edited June 19, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Although the next episode has not yet been published, it is confirmed that the club's ace, Kanazawa Sorato （金澤 空大）, has qualified for this year's 32^nd Wanpaku Tournament, which takes place at the Kokugikan Stadium on Sunday 31^st July (free entry).

He did so by first winning the Kashiwa City qualifiers, and then winning the Chiba prefectural qualifiers with Team Kashiwa:

Sorato (middle) won 6 of his 7 bouts, which is the joint best score of anyone in his year group (Grade 5). The kid left in the photo is Nishijima Yurai (西島 悠来), he is the hot favourite to become the Grade 4 Wanpaku Yokozuna this year, as he won the Hakuho Cup in Grade 1, Grade 2 AND Grade 3. Yurai's biggest threat is Wakayama's Nakanishi Kaishin (中西 海心, from 1:50), whom he defeated in the final of all 3 Hakuho Cups:

Edited July 7, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Before I begin writing the report on today's 32^nd Wanpaku National Championships, it should be mentioned here that Kanazawa Sorato today won his first bout by a very good throw, but had a less-than-ideal tachi-ai in his second bout, and so bowed out in the last 64.

At the end of the tournament, managed to catch Sorato in the corridors, and so took the opportunity to inform him that us members of the sumoforum are fully supportive of him and his club, and wished him good luck for the future. :-)

Just a few minutes later, met Riku, Towa and their father in the main hall, and so passed on the same message to them as well. :-) (p.s. was definitely surprised at Riku's height, even with what's mentioned in the videos......)

Edited July 31, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

Program #9 (2016.7.31): Road to Wanpaku - Chiba Qualifiers

With Yasuda Hikaru （安田 光）, Munakata Seiren (棟方 聖連) and club captain Kimura Kiri (木村 喜人) all out of the running, Kinboshi Sumo Club's hopes for this year's Wanpaku National Championships rests solely on the shoulders of their ace member, Kanazawa Sorato （金澤 空大）. However, to actually reach the Kokugikan, Sorato would need to win the Kashiwa City qualifiers, and then help Team Kashiwa finish in the top 3 at the Chiba prefectural qualifiers. Luckily for him, one of his team-mates from Kashiwa just happens to be the 3-time Hakuho Cup winner and number one in his year group, Nishijima Yurai (西島 悠来). Thus, winning the tournament in Kashiwa is actually the harder part.

In order to prepare him for the Wanpaku qualifiers, coach Hanada Masaru points out that Sorato's weakness in sumo is his habit of facing sideways in bouts, always wanting to attempt a throw rather than keep pushing forwards (presumably because of his wrestling background), which wouldn't always work against opponents who are experienced in sumo. And so, like his club-mates, Sorato also undergoes 100-bouts keiko; but unlike his club-mates (with Sorato being the 5-time national champion that he is), Sorato isn't satisfied with doing merely 100 bouts, and so decides to change it to ∞ -bouts keiko. Needless to say, he didn't actually reach that amount (307 bouts to be exact, or 0%), but it does show that Sorato always wants to improve, and is also willing to worker harder than everyone else in order to achieve his goals.

And so, Sorato storms through the field to win the Kashiwa City qualifiers, as did his brother Kanazawa Towa （金澤 永和）, though Towa had a real scare in the final against an opponent who also does wrestling. Sorato did equally well at the Chiba prefectural qualifiers (which is only for Grades 4-6), only losing one of his 7 bouts (to Aino Shogo 相野 祥吾, a quarter-finalist the previous year), hence helping Team Kashiwa to finish first in the tournament, earning all 3 team members a spot at the Wanpaku Tournament.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4mlw4b

Edited August 23, 2016 by mikawa

[mikawa 1,794]

 

Program #10 (2016.10.1): Wanpaku National Championships

Now that he has qualified for the Wanpaku Tournament, club ace Kanazawa Sorato （金澤 空大） is now up against the best in the country. With 131 rikishi in his year group alone, the road to Wanpaku Yokozuna sure ain't an easy one, especially when in his way is last year's winner, Kagoshima's Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介). The nerves are palpable.

As his friends and family (and coaches) cheer on from the sidelines, Sorato's first bout (1st round in the video, 2nd round in reality) is against Fukui's Murota Goki (室田 光稀). If he is able to come through that bout, his next opponent would be Niigata's Terashima Eitetsu (寺島 英徹). After that, he would be facing Kumamoto's Kamimura Kotaro (上村 光太郎), followed by the defending champion, Yamashita Shosuke (山下 昇介).

Despite not being able to reach the quarter-finals this year, Sorato has certainly come a long way since he joined Kinboshi Sumo Club little more than half a year ago. The fact that he was able to even reach the Wanpaku Tournament this year, despite having no experience in sumo until just a few months earlier, shows his talents as a wrestler, and his potential as a future sports star (or even future Olympian). As for Wanpaku...... there's always next year!

From 31:18:

 

 

Edited July 20, 2017 by mikawa

[orandashoho 720]

@mikawa thank you very much for this update. I had been wondering how the Kinboshi Sumo Club was doing! 
It's nice to be able to follow talented young wrestlers in developing a possible career. Keep the information coming!

[mikawa 1,794]

5 hours ago, orandashoho said:

@mikawa thank you very much for this update. I had been wondering how the Kinboshi Sumo Club was doing! 
It's nice to be able to follow talented young wrestlers in developing a possible career. Keep the information coming!

Thanks, will carry on gambarizing!

[mikawa 1,794]

The draw sheet for this year's Wanpaku Tournament was published today. There are some very interesting bouts (or potential bouts) early on in the tournament, but a particular part of the draw certainly caught my attention:

#55 in the Grade 6 competition goes by the name of Munakata Seiren （棟方 聖連）.
#57 in the Grade 6 competition goes by the name of Kanazawa Sorato （金澤 空大）.

Which means that not only have both of them continued doing sumo even after the program had ended, we could potentially be looking at a Munakata vs Kanazawa bout in the second round (third round in the tournament). That really would be Kinboshi Sumo Club's ultimate achievement.

[orandashoho 720]

Why has the program ended?
Was it only intended for the original members as a one-time series of challenges, or could other talented kids join the program?
Did the other members quit Sumo altogether, or have they moved to another club?

 

[mikawa 1,794]

6 minutes ago, orandashoho said:

Why has the program ended?
Was it only intended for the original members as a one-time series of challenges, or could other talented kids join the program?
Did the other members quit Sumo altogether, or have they moved to another club?

 

I think Kinboshi Sumo Club was intended as a 180-day project to see if they are able to produce members who can take on the Wanpaku Tournament, documenting their highs and lows along the way. I couldn't find any videos about the club since Sorato's apprearance at the Wanpaku finals last year, so presumably the show had ended, with at least some of their members joining a local sumo club to continue to practise sumo. The Kanazawa brothers joined Kashiwa Junior Sumo Club, who are a big name at the amateur level.

[orandashoho 720]

Thanks for the update.
It seemed like a good program to repeat for new Kids also -- presuming that there would be enough funding for it.