Shimpan news and schedules

[Asashosakari 19,653]

I was recently asked about personnel movements in the shimpan department, and to my dismay I realized that I had completely lost track of changes that happened as little as a year ago. And researching that stuff on the forum turned out to be quite arduous, because so far shimpan updates have been posted in all manner of places (the kabu thread, rikishi status, basho talk, completely separate threads...), which makes them rather hard to find later if you don't already know what you're looking for. So, I'm hoping that this thread may become the future one-stop place for shimpan news.

In addition, there will be each basho's shimpan shift lineups, so if you're ever watching a live broadcast and wondering who's sitting around the dohyo at that moment, this thread will hopefully allow you to find the answer.

All data is sourced from the official torikumi sheets, such as this one from Nagoya 2017 Day 1.

[Asashosakari 19,653]

To start off, here's the "master" schedule which will allow you to (re-)construct any session's shimpan assignments from the overall basho data:
 

Day	Jk/Jd	Jd/Sd	Sd	Sd/Ms	Ms/Juryo	Maku 1st	Maku 2nd
1	1	2	3	4	2 (-1 + H1)	3 (-1 + H2)	4 (-1 + H3)
2	2	3	4	1	3 (-2 + H2)	4 (-2 + H3)	1 (-1 + H1)
3	3	4	1	2	4 (-3 + H3)	1 (-2 + H1)	2 (-2 + H2)
4	4	1	2	3	1 (-3 + H1)	2 (-3 + H2)	3 (-3 + H3)
5	1	2	3	4	2 (-4 + H2)	3 (-4 + H3)	4 (-4 + H1)
6	2	3	4	1	3 (-5 + H3)	4 (-5 + H1)	1 (-4 + H2)
7	3	4	1	2	4 (-1 + H1)	1 (-5 + H2)	2 (-5 + H3)
8	4	1	2	3	1 (-1 + H2)	2 (-1 + H3)	3 (-1 + H1)
9	1	2	3	4	2 (-2 + H3)	3 (-2 + H1)	4 (-2 + H2)
10	2	3	4	1	3 (-3 + H1)	4 (-3 + H2)	1 (-2 + H3)
11	3	4	1	2	4 (-4 + H2)	1 (-3 + H3)	2 (-3 + H1)
12	4	1	2	3	1 (-4 + H3)	2 (-4 + H1)	3 (-4 + H2)
13	1	2	3	4	2 (-5 + H1)	3 (-5 + H2)	4 (-5 + H3)
14	2	3	4	1	3 (-1 + H2)	4 (-1 + H3)	1 (-5 + H1)
15	3	4	1	2	4 (-2 + H3)	1 (-1 + H1)	2 (-1 + H2)

The numbers in each of the 7 session columns are the respective shift numbers; I don't think there's any official way to list them, so I've arbitrarily decided to assign "Shift 1" to the first shift of the first day, and so on. Similarly, the three head shimpan are denoted H1, H2 and H3.

The assignments for the lower-division shifts should be self-explanatory. Each shift group consists of 5 oyakata, so all 5 members of whichever shift is listed for a given slot are working that session.

The sekitori sessions are working differently, as the head shimpan will be joining these shifts. To make room for them, one regular shift member is dropping out, via a rotation based (more or less) on seniority. So, for instance the juryo session on Day 1 is listed as 2 (-1 + H1), which is meant to be read as follows: Shift 2 is working this session, but the most senior member (the -1) is not part of it because he has been replaced by head shimpan H1. Likewise the second-most senior member is denoted as -2 if he's the one to drop out, and so on.

In addition to the daily rotations within a basho, the various shifts are also rotating from one basho to the next. For the three head shimpan this is very straight-forward: They're rotating downward numerically, so H2 becomes H1 in the next basho, H3 becomes H2, and H1 becomes H3. In theory the same procedure seems to apply to the four shifts, but frequently personnel changes will result in rather different movements there. (I've yet to crack the secret patterns...)

One final note: In the context of this thread I'll be using "substituted" to denote temporary changes among shimpan (these typically last for only one basho, or even just a few days), while "replaced" will refer to permanent changes where an oyakata was actually removed from the shimpan department and somebody else was brought in to fill his spot.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Natsu 2016 was the first basho after the most recent major duty reassignments within the Kyokai, so as such there's little point in noting any specific differences to Haru basho - there were just too many changes in the shimpan department, as there always are at this point in the even-numbered years.

The shift lineups:

2016.05	Head 1: Deputy Tomozuna (Kaiki, yakuin taigu) Head 2: Deputy Fujishima (Musoyama, fuku-riji) Head 3: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)	5 Takenawa (Tochinonada)	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)	2 Onaruto (Dejima)
Isegahama	5 Kasugayama (Hamanishiki)	3 Asakayama (Kaio)
Nishonoseki	3 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)	2 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)	5 Tagonoura (Takanotsuru)	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)
Takanohana			4 Otowayama (Kobo)
Takasago	1 Jinmaku (Fujinoshin)	1 Nishikido (Mitoizumi)	2 Sanoyama (Chiyotaikai)	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)
Tokitsukaze	2 Shikoroyama (Terao)	4 Urakaze (Shikishima)	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi)	1 Minato (Minatofuji)  4 Tokitsukaze (Tokitsuumi)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

The number in front of each oyakata name is his position in the seniority order for his shift.

Also note that, as mentioned in the linked duty summary, the Tokitsukaze group is providing an unprecedented 5 shimpan members these days (so one shift will have two oyakata from that ichimon), while Isegahama is down to just 2.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Changes for Nagoya 2016:

• Nishikido (ex-Mitoizumi) requested to leave his shimpan duties for health reasons amid the hushed-up Homarenishiki mess, and was substituted by Sendagawa (ex-Toki).
• The shift movements were the expected ones, i.e. Shift 2 became the new Shift 1, etc.
   

2016.07	Head 1: Deputy Fujishima (Musoyama, fuku-riji) Head 2: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji) Head 3: Deputy Tomozuna (Kaiki, yakuin taigu)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	5 Takenawa (Tochinonada)	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)	2 Onaruto (Dejima)	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)
Isegahama	3 Asakayama (Kaio)			5 Kasugayama (Hamanishiki)
Nishonoseki	2 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)	5 Tagonoura (Takanotsuru)	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)	3 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)
Takanohana		4 Otowayama (Kobo)
Takasago	1 Sendagawa (Toki)	2 Sanoyama (Chiyotaikai)	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)	1 Jinmaku (Fujinoshin)
Tokitsukaze	4 Urakaze (Shikishima)	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi)	1 Minato (Minatofuji)  4 Tokitsukaze (Tokitsuumi)	2 Shikoroyama (Terao)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

Sendagawa's seniority per the torikumi sheets is actually 5, but for rotation purposes he was treated as the #1 guy (taking Nishikido's position directly, presumably), so that's what I'm listing him as in the table, with everybody else in his shift moved to a lesser rotation slot accordingly.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Changes for Aki 2016:

• Deputy Fujishima (ex-Musoyama) was absent for health reasons, and was substituted by director Dewanoumi (ex-Oginohana).
• Nishikido (ex-Mitoizumi) was replaced by Sendagawa (ex-Toki) on a permanent basis after the previous substitution in Nagoya basho.
• Kasugayama (ex-Hamanishiki) was removed from the shimpan group due to his kabu issues, and replaced by Kiriyama (ex-Kurosegawa).
• Sanoyama (ex-Chiyotaikai) switched to the Kokonoe kabu.
• Urakaze (ex-Shikishima) and Shikoroyama (ex-Terao) of the Tokitsukaze group flipped their shift assignments.
• Somehow, Shifts 2 and 3 stayed in the same rotation spots that they occupied in Nagoya, while Shifts 1 and 4 were switched. This may (or may not) be related to Shikoroyama's transfer, as he became the most senior member in his new shift.
   

2016.09	Head 1: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji) Head 2: Deputy Tomozuna (Kaiki, yakuin taigu) Head 3: Deputy Dewanoumi (Oginohana, riji)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)	2 Onaruto (Dejima)	4 Takenawa (Tochinonada)
Isegahama	5 Kiriyama (Kurosegawa)			3 Asakayama (Kaio)
Nishonoseki	2 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)	5 Tagonoura (Takanotsuru)	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)	2 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)
Takanohana		4 Otowayama (Kobo)
Takasago	1 Jinmaku (Fujinoshin)	2 Kokonoe (Chiyotaikai)	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)	5 Sendagawa (Toki)
Tokitsukaze	3 Urakaze (Shikishima)	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi)	1 Minato (Minatofuji)  4 Tokitsukaze (Tokitsuumi)	1 Shikoroyama (Terao)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

As in the previous basho an oyakata's actual seniority didn't match his rotational position; incoming Kiriyama was listed as the most senior member of Shift 1 on the torikumi, but rotated in slot 5 (Kasugayama's old position).

Edited April 4, 2018 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Changes for Kyushu 2016:

• Kataonami (ex-Tamakasuga) and Takadagawa (ex-Akinoshima) of Nishonoseki flipped their shift assignments, as did - in the same pair of shifts - Jinmaku (ex-Fujinoshin) and Sendagawa (ex-Toki) of Takasago. The two shifts involved were actually the same as in the previous tournament's Urakaze/Shikoroyama flip, so certain oyakata trios were reunited here after one basho.
• With two shifts trading nearly half their members, the shift rotation was once again messed up, and in fact the two groups with unchanged composition actually moved in the "wrong" direction (upwards in the shift numbering compared to Aki basho, rather than downwards).
   

2016.11	Head 1: Deputy Tomozuna (Kaiki, yakuin taigu) Head 2: Deputy Fujishima (Musoyama, fuku-riji) Head 3: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)	5 Takenawa (Tochinonada)	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)	2 Onaruto (Dejima)
Isegahama	1 Kiriyama (Kurosegawa)	4 Asakayama (Kaio)
Nishonoseki	2 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)	3 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)	5 Tagonoura (Takanotsuru)	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)
Takanohana			4 Otowayama (Kobo)
Takasago	5 Sendagawa (Toki)	1 Jinmaku (Fujinoshin)	2 Kokonoe (Chiyotaikai)	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)
Tokitsukaze	3 Urakaze (Shikishima)	2 Shikoroyama (Terao)	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi)	1 Minato (Minatofuji)  4 Tokitsukaze (Tokitsuumi)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

Tokitsukaze was kyujo from Day 3 to Day 9 due to appendicitis, and was officially substituted in the schedule by Nakagawa (ex-Asahisato, Isegahama-ichimon) starting on Day 5. The unscheduled ad-hoc replacements for Days 3 and 4 are unclear.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Changes for Hatsu 2017:

• Tagonoura (ex-Takanotsuru) missed the basho due to knee issues, and was substituted by stablemate Nishiiwa (ex-Wakanosato).
• For a change the shifts actually rotated as they're expected to.
   

2017.01	Head 1: Deputy Fujishima (Musoyama, fuku-riji) Head 2: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji) Head 3: Deputy Tomozuna (Kaiki, yakuin taigu)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	5 Takenawa (Tochinonada)	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)	2 Onaruto (Dejima)	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)
Isegahama	4 Asakayama (Kaio)			1 Kiriyama (Kurosegawa)
Nishonoseki	3 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)	5 Nishiiwa (Wakanosato)	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)	2 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)
Takanohana		4 Otowayama (Kobo)
Takasago	1 Jinmaku (Fujinoshin)	2 Kokonoe (Chiyotaikai)	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)	5 Sendagawa (Toki)
Tokitsukaze	2 Shikoroyama (Terao)	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi)	1 Minato (Minatofuji)  4 Tokitsukaze (Tokitsuumi)	3 Urakaze (Shikishima)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

Edited August 30, 2017 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Changes for Haru 2017:

• Yamashina (ex-Onishiki) joined the shimpan department as a new deputy to eventually replace Tomozuna (ex-Kaiki), but for this basho they shared one head shimpan slot.
• Otowayama (ex-Kobo) left the shimpan group to rejoin the sumo school staff, and was replaced by Chiganoura (ex-Takamisugi).
• Jinmaku (ex-Fujinoshin) was absent due to an undisclosed injury, and was substituted by Furiwake (ex-Takamisakari).
• The shift sections once again rotated as they're expected to do.
   

2017.03	Head 1: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji) Head 2a: Deputy Tomozuna (Kaiki, yakuin taigu) - odd days Head 2b: Deputy Yamashina (Onishiki, yakuin taigu) - even days Head 3: Deputy Fujishima (Musoyama, fuku-riji)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)	2 Onaruto (Dejima)	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)	4 Takenawa (Tochinonada)
Isegahama			1 Kiriyama (Kurosegawa)	3 Asakayama (Kaio)
Nishonoseki	4 Tagonoura (Takanotsuru)	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)	2 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)	2 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)
Takanohana	5 Chiganoura (Takamisugi)
Takasago	2 Kokonoe (Chiyotaikai)	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)	5 Sendagawa (Toki)	5 Furiwake (Takamisakari)
Tokitsukaze	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi)	1 Minato (Minatofuji)  4 Tokitsukaze (Tokitsuumi)	3 Urakaze (Shikishima)	1 Shikoroyama (Terao)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

Chiganoura was slotted in at 5 both in the official schedules and in the rotation, although his actual seniority should probably have been 2. I'm sure they had their reasons...

Edited August 30, 2017 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Changes for Natsu 2017:

• Tomozuna (ex-Kaiki) reached his retirement date, so Yamashina (ex-Oginishiki) became the full-time second deputy.
• Kiriyama (ex-Kurosegawa), the former stop-gap replacement for since-dismissed Kasugayama (ex-Hamanishiki), was now replaced himself with a presumably permanent choice, that being Nakagawa (ex-Asahisato).
• Tokitsukaze (ex-Tokitsuumi) missed the basho after back surgery, and was substituted by Edagawa (ex-Aogiyama).
• Edagawa of Tokitsukaze-ichimon and Chiganoura (ex-Takamisugi) of Takanohana-ichimon flipped their shift assignments, so the doubled Tokitsukaze presence has now moved to a different shift. (Tokitsukaze also maintained this new spot after his return to duty for the next basho.)
• More flips in the other pair of shifts: Jinmaku (ex-Fujinoshin) and Sendagawa (ex-Toki) of Takasago, and Kataonami (ex-Tamakasuga) and Takadagawa (ex-Akinoshima) of Nishonoseki. (I believe the point here was to separate Jinmaku and Shikoroyama in order to shuffle Shikoroyama over to the remnants of the shift that lost its most senior oyakata Kiriyama, so as to have a new senior figure in there.)
• Needless to say, after all these personnel moves any idea of an orderly shift rotation went out the window again.
   

2017.05	Head 1: Deputy Yamashina (Onishiki, yakuin taigu) Head 2: Deputy Fujishima (Musoyama, fuku-riji) Head 3: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)	2 Onaruto (Dejima)	4 Takenawa (Tochinonada)
Isegahama				3 Asakayama (Kaio)
Nishonoseki	2 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)	5 Tagonoura (Takanotsuru)	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)	2 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)
Takanohana			4 Chiganoura (Takamisugi)
Takasago	1 Jinmaku (Fujinoshin)	2 Kokonoe (Chiyotaikai)	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)	5 Sendagawa (Toki)
Tokitsukaze	3 Urakaze (Shikishima) 5 Nakagawa (Asahisato)	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi) 4 Edagawa (Aogiyama)	1 Minato (Minatofuji)	1 Shikoroyama (Terao)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

The Shikoroyama move didn't exactly go to plan, however, as he had to leave his duties due to heart arrhythmia from Day 5, and had to be substituted by a variety of other Tokitsukaze-ichimon oyakata who pulled scheduled double duty from Day 6. Urakaze filled in ad-hoc on Day 5 and then officially on Days 9, 11 (sekitori shift) and 13, Minato helped out on Days 8, 12 and 15 (sekitori shift), and Tatekawa became very busy by substituting on Days 6, 7, 10, 11 (lower division shift), 14 and 15 (lower division shift).

On another note: As amply detailed elsewhere there's some lack of clarity about Nakagawa's ichimon affiliation (Isegahama or Tokitsukaze) following his former home stable Oitekaze's transfer to Tokitsukaze and his own branch-out with the remains of the defunct Kasugayama-beya, a former Isegahama stable. Until further notice I'm going to consider him a representative of Isegahama-ichimon for this thread, simply because I find it inconceivable that Isegahama would otherwise be down to just one shimpan member, or that Tokitsukaze would be up to 6.

Edit: Reconsidered after a year, and moved Nakagawa to Tokitsukaze-ichimon.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Asashosakari

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Changes for Nagoya 2017:

• After the Natsu misadventures Shikoroyama (ex-Terao) was removed from the shimpan department entirely, and Edagawa (ex-Aogiyama) has come in as a presumably permanent replacement.
• Incredibly, the shift rotation was back on properly this time.
   

2017.07	Head 1: Deputy Fujishima (Musoyama, fuku-riji) Head 2: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji) Head 3: Deputy Yamashina (Onishiki, yakuin taigu)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)	2 Onaruto (Dejima)	4 Takenawa (Tochinonada)	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)
Isegahama			2 Asakayama (Kaio)
Nishonoseki	5 Tagonoura (Takanotsuru)	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)	1 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)	2 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)
Takanohana		4 Chiganoura (Takamisugi)
Takasago	2 Kokonoe (Chiyotaikai)	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)	5 Sendagawa (Toki)	1 Jinmaku (Fujinoshin)
Tokitsukaze	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi)  4 Tokitsukaze (Tokitsuumi)	1 Minato (Minatofuji)	3 Edagawa (Aogiyama)	3 Urakaze (Shikishima) 5 Nakagawa (Asahisato)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

Edited May 13, 2018 by Asashosakari

[Bumpkin 438]

So, there's 4 shifts but only 3 head shimpans?

[Naganoyama 5,947]

More evidence, if any were needed, of your analytical skills...

[Akinomaki 40,774]

25 minutes ago, Bumpkin said:

So, there's 4 shifts but only 3 head shimpans?

Only juryo (with ms joi 5ban) and the 2 makuuchi shifts have a "real" head shimpan, i.e. one of the top of the department, below the head shimpan is just one of the shimpan in turns - the difference between head of the shimpan department and head shimpan.

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Speaking of which, one bit of info I'm unable to derive from the torikumi data is how the individual shifts are rotating their seating positions from day to day, including who gets to serve as head shimpan for the lower division shifts each day. I think I've read before that the selected head shimpan will be the guy who later drops out for the sekitori shift (to make room for the real head shimpan), but without evidence I'm not so sure that's true. If I ever get a pressing urge to investigate, I'll probably have to dig into my video archives from when we still had full-day coverage...but for now that was a step too far. Maybe somebody knows the answer anyway?

[Bumpkin 438]

6 hours ago, Naganoyama said:

More evidence, if any were needed, of your analytical skills...

This forum exists, in part, to ask questions.

 

6 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

Only juryo (with ms joi 5ban) and the 2 makuuchi shifts have a "real" head shimpan, i.e. one of the top of the department, below the head shimpan is just one of the shimpan in turns - the difference between head of the shimpan department and head shimpan.

Thank you. It is confusing. That's why I asked.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Bumpkin
Remove comment

[Akinomaki 40,774]

Naganoyama was only commenting on Asashosakari`s magnificent new thread

Edited August 30, 2017 by Akinomaki

[Naganoyama 5,947]

Yes it is as Akinomaki said. I am really sorry. I didn't imagine that my comment could have been misinterpreted or I would have quoted Asashosakari's post.

[Fay 1,677]

3 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Speaking of which, one bit of info I'm unable to derive from the torikumi data is how the individual shifts are rotating their seating positions from day to day, including who gets to serve as head shimpan for the lower division shifts each day. I think I've read before that the selected head shimpan will be the guy who later drops out for the sekitori shift (to make room for the real head shimpan), but without evidence I'm not so sure that's true. If I ever get a pressing urge to investigate, I'll probably have to dig into my video archives from when we still had full-day coverage...but for now that was a step too far. Maybe somebody knows the answer anyway?

Thanks Asashosakari!

You can't tell for sure ... Usually they rotate from day to day or from morning to afternoon when they have to judge 2 times a day. But sometimes you see them talking just before the shimpan change and it seems someone wants a certain position although he should be sitting somewhere else. 

The same with the dropping out for the sekitori shift. I don't think it's the head shimpan from the lower division bouts who drops out, but I'm not sure. All the time I think I see through the system there is a change I didn't expect

Edited August 30, 2017 by Fay

[Kintamayama 45,524]

I guess this goes here now. Edagawa Oyakata, ex Aogiyama, is kyujo this basho. Replacing him is Asahiyama Oyakata, ex-Kotonishiki. "Shirley, moving to the center stage is a daunting task. I hope to get used to it as quickly as possible, " said Asahiyama.

Edited September 8, 2017 by Kintamayama

[WAKATAKE 2,671]

9 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

I guess this goes here now. Edagawa Oyakata, ex Aogiyama, is kyujo this basho. Replacing him is Asahiyama Oyakata, ex-Kotonishiki. "Shirley, moving to the center stage is a daunting task. I hope to get used to it as quickly as possible, " said Asahiyama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM2K7sV-K74

 

[Kintamayama 45,524]

4 hours ago, WAKATAKE said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM2K7sV-K74

 

Very good, sir.

[Asashosakari 19,653]

Changes for Aki 2017:

• As mentioned, Edagawa (ex-Aogiyama) is absent for unspecified health reasons, and has been substituted by Asahiyama (ex-Kotonishiki), temporarily increasing the Isegahama-ichimon presence among the shimpan for a change. Asahiyama rotates in Edagawa's 3 slot in the shift, but is listed as the least senior shift member.
• The rotation of the shifts as a whole is on track this time.
   

2017.09	Head 1: Chief Nishonoseki (Wakashimazu, riji) Head 2: Deputy Yamashina (Onishiki, yakuin taigu) Head 3: Deputy Fujishima (Musoyama, fuku-riji)
Ichimon	Shift 1	Shift 2	Shift 3	Shift 4
Dewanoumi	2 Onaruto (Dejima)	4 Takenawa (Tochinonada)	4 Shikihide (Kitazakura)	1 Irumagawa (Tochitsukasa)
Isegahama		2 Asakayama (Kaio) 3 Asahiyama (Kotonishiki)
Nishonoseki	5 Hanaregoma (Tamanoshima)	1 Takadagawa (Akinoshima)	2 Kataonami (Tamakasuga)	5 Tagonoura (Takanotsuru)
Takanohana	4 Chiganoura (Takamisugi)
Takasago	3 Azumazeki (Ushiomaru)	5 Sendagawa (Toki)	1 Jinmaku (Fujinoshin)	2 Kokonoe (Chiyotaikai)
Tokitsukaze	1 Minato (Minatofuji)		3 Urakaze (Shikishima) 5 Nakagawa (Asahisato)	3 Tatekawa (Tosanoumi)  4 Tokitsukaze (Tokitsuumi)

Torikumi: Day 01, Day 02, Day 03, Day 04, Day 05, Day 06, Day 07, Day 08, Day 09, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, Day 15

In a small deviation from the standard schedule, Onaruto had the day off the first time Shift 1 was on sekitori duty (Day 2), while Minato was off the next time (Day 3), rather than the other way around. Later rotations through the order went the usual way.
 

Edited May 13, 2018 by Asashosakari

[Akinomaki 40,774]

Ex-head of the department Isegahama will be acting head of the shimpan department for Kyushu for Nishonoseki, who is still unconscious in hospital and kyujo the whole basho. http://www.sankei.com/sports/news/171110/spo1711100025-n1.html

 

[orandashoho 720]

Oh wow, that is a very long time to be in a coma. And there has been no improvement at all?

[Akinomaki 40,774]

10 hours ago, orandashoho said:

Oh wow, that is a very long time to be in a coma. And there has been no improvement at all?

At least not enough to make is public - and you can be sure the media would report any improvement that leaks out. So far you see masses of articles about why this has happened, and his case causes a bunch of media reports about general advice for everybody how to take care to avoid something like this, always with his condition as the prominent one.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Akinomaki