Potential Forum Meeting May 2017, updated to May 2019..

[Kuroyama 715]

57 minutes ago, orandashoho said:

Care to go somewhere this evening, or are you too pooped from the long trip?
It takes me about five minutes to get to the RV West entrance.

I sent you a PM.

[Sakura 1,495]

What are you folks doing? Any updates on the things you've seen and done?

[kuroimori 1,634]

Is someone at the Kokugikan today and within the camera angle?  (first 8 rows behind the gyoji)

Anyway, enjoy the live action!  

[Kuroyama 715]

For myself, this is my first time in Japan so I was doing a number of other things besides sumo-related activities. A heya visit pre-basho didn't work out, but @rhyen was able to arrange a visit to Isegahama-beya on Sunday morning during the abbreviated keiko they have on tournament days. All the sekitori make an appearance, including the yokozuna, even if briefly. Whether this was because they really needed the preparation, or to satisfy the group of VIP supporters who were also there, I don't know.

So, other than me exploring parts of Tokyo, there's been sumo from 8 am to 6 pm, and for some reason it doesn't seem anywhere near that long. From previous experience @Hokkaiko knew of a good spot close in, right in the center on the north side of the dohyo, where the real ticket holders don't show up until after 2. And since they don't have anyone checking tickets until after 1, we get a great view for almost all the lower divisions. (Not me personally because I've been getting lunch around noonish and then heading to my real seat.)

I don't know if we're visible from the camera angle on the stream. Certainly not during the sekitori bouts since we're in our correct seats then. Maybe I could head to the other side of the dohyo and wave or something, at some point during sandanme.

[Sakura 1,495]

I'm assuming that there was a meetup.. It's been quiet on this thread since the start of the basho.

What did you do? What was your best experience? Did you see any rikishi close up?

[Benihana 1,937]

Pics!

[orandashoho 720]

Pics? Sorry, I didn't take any pics and even if I had, it would be improper to publish them here "outing" the appearance of other forum members without their permission.

For me, it was fun meeting other members of this forum, but such meetings were secondary to my primary goal of visiting Japan, which was to experience seeing sumo at the Kokikugan and watching some keiko. Alas, wWithout the necessary contacts, keiko watching from inside was not possible. But fellow forum member Rhyen pointed me to the panorama windows of Oitekaze beya, which were great and well worth the train trip to get there.

Being in the Kokikugan was great... not only was I able to see bouts up close, the ability to see things that never get transmitted on TV is an experience in itself. Sitting in a Masu box isn't so bad when there's only two in the box (hello Hokkaiko!) and one has had the foresight to bring an extra cushion for that sour bum and back. We enjoyed excellent views from Masu.A.3.11 and each day we were able to stay in our box until the downstairs section began to fill up, in the weekend that was a little earlier than during the week. The pictures from that vantage were great even taken from my little phone camera, but upstairs in my chair I regretted not bringing my old reflex camera with its good telelens -- but then I would have cursed having to schlepp the weight and its inconvenient size, and what for? Excellent pictures are made by many others far more skilled to capture the Moment than I.

Once, Kuroyama and I were sitting two upstairs seats away from each other. Most of the time we weren't anywhere close and it was far to cumbersome to see each other. The place was a sellout each day. I had all kind of nationalities in the seats next to me, a Japanese couple only once. The other days I sat next to Germans, Dutch, French, Canadian, Spanish and American people, all of which knew nothing about sumo and had ordered their tickets because it was something one ought to have done, and were eager to soak up the information that I could give them about what was going on, why the whole hall suddenly erupted in cheering, etc.
I could have made some money selling a small booklet with background information to the bouts. This information simply isn't available in English, as if the Japanese are content to let the gajin bring their money to the Kokikugan but aren't expecting them to take an interest in what is actually going on.
This may actually change if sumo remains popular and tourists are no longer needed to fill up the hall.

There were six of us forum members meeting up: Hokkaiko, Rhyen, Kuroyama, Amameshimae, Akinomaki and myself. I also caught glimpses of Fay, but never saw John. Hokkaiko and I both wanted to see all matches and met up each day for a café breakfast before walking to the Kokikugan together early enough to snatch our preferred box before another persistent Japanese lady beat us to it. It is interesting to see the lower rankers, in particular because there is very little to hear about them from abroad. So even though Hattorizakura wasn't winning and seems firmly lodged in the lowest Jonokuchi position and bestowed with the honour of having the opening match of the day, he is cheered on by quite a few, and I for one can see how far he has come since the days that he was just falling down before anyone touched him. He still hasn't got any power, but he is charging at the tachiai and actually fighting. Once, he almost won! Who knows what he will be able to do next basho...
Some hours after this highlight, Rhyen and Kuroyama would show up. Not staying in one place for long, they'd be ambling around, Rhyen on his way to meet people, he was clearly more connected than the rest of us. Some days I would spot Amameshimae sitting in the first masu row, taking pictures. Akinomaki did not have tickets for many days, we met up briefly when he was there.

We got out together a few times, but in general there were not enough hours in the day and the venues the guys were choosing would have broken my budget if frequented every day. We went to the Mongolian restaurant first, where one is bound to see a few Mongolian rikishi dining, and indeed there was a section reserved for Tomozuna and soon a few were edging their bulks past our seats, including Kaisei carrying his cute little boy. Hokkaiko pointed out a few others that were sitting in the room. I am so bad at remembering names that I can't tell here who they were.
The food was good, not at all the unpalatable Mongolian dishes I had imagined.
We also ate at Ami's Chanko Dining which offered a huge chanko pot filled according to an Isegahama recipe. A good thing there were three of us because that pot was way too big for two. The day after I joined Rhyen, Amameshimae and Kuroyama for a meal at a supposedly famed restaurant, reluctantly because I was forewaned that it would be expensive. Hokkaiko had wisely disappeared, I told them I wasn't hungry but would go for the companionship, and chose the smallest dish on the menu. Nothing else? wondered the waiter. No thank you, I said, feeling awkward. It clearly was an entree, it came before the soba dishes of my fellow diners, it was a small patty served on a hot stone in a bowl of rough salt grains, artfully laid out. It was delicious. I savoured it tiny morsel by tiny morsel, it was not difficult at all to make it last till the others were finishing their meals.
After that, I passed up on further restaurant visits except one side trip with Hokkaiko to the Seizeria diner for a bowl of sensible spaghetti.

In the end my evenings were spent at the hostel writing my diary and making drawings. Making acquaintance with other travellers there was fun too. I can well and truly recommend Anne Yokozuna Hostel. It is pricier than the bare bones lodging associated with the name "hostel" and yes you share a room with others, but the beds are huge and have their own curtains, the place is spotless, the facilities are excellent and the desk staff very helpful.  There I met with wonderful people of all kinds and ages, from students on a Grand Tour to working travellers carrying their own office with them, a physiotherapist who was an amateur Greco-Roman wrestler and was very interested in what I could tell him about sumo... a doctor taking his last free time off before starting his internships in an English hospital, a lady who had just ferried a yacht from Antarctica to Tokyo and was on her way to her next job sailing a ship from Norway to Greenland and the USA, a Danish girl looking for a job that would give new meaning to her life... yes, and also the troupe of drunken English youngsters doing the nightlife rounds. I would certainly stay there again.

Being in Japan gave a big boost to my wish to learn some Japanese. I found excellent writing implements to take back home with me. I just loooove the 100 yen shop by Ryogoku station. There were many things to do and sights to see there simply wasn't enough time for once the basho started so that is a good reason to plan another trip someday.

[Sakura 1,495]

Does anyone have pics of rikishi (doesn't have to be with a forum member)? The Kokugikan? A heya? John Gunning? 

[Sakura 1,495]

Thanks to @orandashoho for that insight into the trip. That's exactly what I was hoping for in terms of detail. It was great to read about all the unexpected things.

[orandashoho 720]

Keiko at Arashio beya on May 11th -- (before a lot of guests crowded on the bench making a view of any action iimpossible.)

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/af224/Japan 2017/170511 Arashio keiko 2.jpg

Three youngsters posed for the assembled tourists afterwards

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/af224/Japan 2017/170511 Arashio keiko end.jpg

The dohyo matsuri on Saturday 13th -- Takayasu second from the right --
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/af224/Japan 2017/170513 dohyo matsuri 07.jpg

At the end of the ceremony, the taiko drummers started their tour around the heyas with three turns around the dohyo:
 

After the ceremony was over, yobidashi came to fill the holes and repair the dohyo
 

First day -- viewing from Shomen Masu A row 3 box 12 (target box 11 was already taken by our rival Japanese lady)

The first day sanyaku presentation viewed from my upstairs seat:

Second day (from box 11 this time) -- Wakaichiro's first bout (he lost)
 

The view from my seat on the second day, almost next to where the tenno would be sitting if he was there:

 

Day 3 -- Ura vs Ishihura from my seat on the East side:
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/af224/Japan 2017/16052017820.jpg

Wakaichiro again -- on day 6
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/af224/Japan 2017/Wakaichiro.jpg

Maezumo presentation on Day 7 --
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c85/af224/Japan 2017/Maezumo presentation 170520.jpg

Well, this may give you an idea what it was like. It was great to be there!

Edited July 17, 2017 by orandashoho
Some photos do not display any more

[Benihana 1,937]

53 minutes ago, orandashoho said:

 

Well, that as exactly what i wanted to see. Thank you  

[Fay 1,677]

On 7.5.2017 at 02:49, Sakura said:

Now that the time has come for this I hope that those of you going will post some nice pictures. To give you an incentive to have your picture taken with a rikishi I have devised the following points system.

For each rikishi pictured with you, you score

1pt for Jonokuchi, mae-zumo or banzuke-gai 
2pt for Jonidan
5pt for Sandanme
8pt for Makushita
15pt for Juryo
20pt for Maegashira
24pt for Komusubi
25pt for Sekiwake
30pt for Ozeki
40pt for Yokozuna

hope this works...

I want points 

with Takanoiwa

with Ichinojo

with Chiyootori

with Chiyoshoma

 

with Chiyosakae

wíth Hakuho

 

with Sakigake

with Kotoshogiku

with Sadogatake Oxyakata

 

with Kotomiyakura

 

with Kotodaigo

with Kotootori

with Kotoinagaki

with Arawashi

with Azumaryu

with Tsurugisho

[Gaijingai 1,597]

Wow, either you are small, Martina, or the rikishi are BIG! ) I've been to keiko many times in my Tokyo visits, and the guys never seem that tall to me. Maybe because I'm 190CM. :)

[Jakusotsu 6,049]

14 minutes ago, Gaijingai said:

Maybe because I'm 190CM. :)

Oops. And here I thought you were Lemmon and not Matthau.

[Gaijingai 1,597]

I'm neither - they're both dead. :)

[orandashoho 720]

6 minutes ago, Gaijingai said:

I'm neither - they're both dead. :)

Alas. I love the priceless classics they made together.

[Kintamayama 45,524]

Anybody else going in May? This time I'm going, barring sudden death.. Chanko dinner maybe? Gyoza lunch? St. Alfonso's pancake breakfast? 

[Akinomaki 40,774]

I was there and don't think I'll go back to 2017

-  but for a possible 2019 thread: I booked my flight already

[Jejima 1,414]

It's a nice idea, and I have been told by many that Japan is currently fairly cheap to visit (from Hong Kong at least) - will there still be sakura at that time?  If yes, then my wife would be quite keen to come to....  Certainly worth thinking about!

[Akinomaki 40,774]

14 minutes ago, Jejima said:

will there still be sakura at that time?

Only in Hokkaido

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

53 minutes ago, Jejima said:

It's a nice idea, and I have been told by many that Japan is currently fairly cheap to visit (from Hong Kong at least) - will there still be sakura at that time?  If yes, then my wife would be quite keen to come to....  Certainly worth thinking about!

The Osaka basho would be as close to the best time and place as possible. Most likely around senshuraku and shortly thereafter.

[orandashoho 720]

Alas, budgetary constraints have forced me to cancel my plan to visit Tokyo and the Natsu Basho in May this year.

[Bumpkin 438]

Shouldn't this May 2019 get together be a separate thread?

[Kintamayama 45,524]

12 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

I was there and don't think I'll go back to 2017

-  but for a possible 2019 thread: I booked my flight already

May 2019?

[Pandaazuma 1,310]

14 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Anybody else going in May? This time I'm going, barring sudden death.. Chanko dinner maybe? Gyoza lunch? St. Alfonso's pancake breakfast? 

I will be here for sure.