Featured Club / Dojo - Mishima Sumo Club

[mikawa 1,794]

Home of the True Wanpaku

Location - Nishikida Junior High School, Mishima, Shizuoka
Keiko - Mondays (6pm - 8pm), Fridays (6pm - 8pm), Saturdays (9am - 1pm)

A member of the Shizuoka Sumo Federation, Mishima Sumo Club (三島相撲クラブ) was first set up in 1976, where they practised 3 times a week on a basic dohyo in front of Hinoya Liquor Store's warehouse in Tanita, Mishima. A year later in 1977, following public donations (from mainly the Nishikida District), a proper dohyo was constructed on the grounds of the Nishikida Junior High School (三島市立錦田中学校), which is where they've been ever since. Their Honorary President's son, Suzuki Hideki (鈴木 英樹), is about to enter Ozumo.

Two years ago, Mishima City produced a TV programme introducing the club, titled "Gambarize! Children of Mishima - Mishima Sumo Club", and showed one of their keiko sessions. The programme also featured interviews with their Honorary President Suzuki Tadatomo (鈴木 忠友), their coach Kurihara Koki (栗原 幸喜), and some of their club members:

 

Mishima Sumo Club have produced some famous names in the past, including Sagatsukasa-zeki (former Wanpaku Yokozuna) and Tochihiryu-zeki. Their biggest name in recent years is Tsuchiya Kazuya (土屋 和也), who is a Wanpaku runner-up, a Middle School Championships semi-finalist, and last month, a Hakuho Cup finalist.

Although many talented young rikishi have trained on their dohyo, their stand-out club member is someone called Sugawara Haruka (菅原 悠翔), who is just about to enter Middle School. As you may recall from this documentary, the word "Wanpaku" is Japanese for "naughty boy" (or alternatively, mischievous), and there's no one who's more befitting of this name than Sugawara Haruka. His antics have even caught the attention of Akatsu (あかつ), who hosted a documentary about him.

Sugawara Haruka started sumo in Grade 3 in Primary School. Just a year later, he finished runner-up in the Wanpaku Tournament, second only to the famous Narita Rikido, and reached the semi-finals the year after that. Sugawara Haruka certainly has a talent for sumo, but what truly sets him apart from everyone else is the way he behaves on and around the dohyo. How so? Well, normally, when kids pose for a photo in the closing ceremony of sumo tournaments, they stand like this:

Sugawara Haruka, on the other hand, stands like this:

When participants at the Hakuho Cup receive their certificates from the great Hakuho himself, they're usually like this:

Sugawara Haruka, however, was like this:

When most kids grab some salt ahead of their bouts, they take this much:

Sugawara Haruka, because why not, takes this much:

Needless to say, the salt went everywhere, even on his head, so the gyoji had to come over to him to clean it off:

And so, this is Sugawara Haruka, a member of Mishima Sumo Club, and a True Wanpaku. He's definitely one of a kind.

Edited March 29, 2017 by mikawa

[Akinomaki 38,555]

Haruto, not Haruka

On 16.2.2017 at 23:52, mikawa said:

Sugawara Haruka (菅原 悠翔)

 

[mikawa 1,794]

On 11/04/2017 at 17:38, Akinomaki said:

Haruto, not Haruka

 

I usually go by the pronunciation provided by the wanpaku tournament's draw sheet, which shows はるか as his furigana. They might be wrong though

[orandashoho 720]

Whatever happened to the Kinboshi Sumo club?

[mikawa 1,794]

On 20/04/2017 at 12:34, orandashoho said:

Whatever happened to the Kinboshi Sumo club?

The series may or may not have ended following Sorato's appearance at the wanpaku tournament, would need to check through Guru Nai's shows to confirm

[mikawa 1,794]

Sugahara Haruka at Monday's Hakuho Cup. He will be a third year middle schooler come the new school year in April, so he will be a name to watch out for this summer.

 

[mikawa 1,794]

Here's Sugawara Haruka participating in an English Speech Contest earlier this week. He talks extensively about his experiences with sumo.