Nagoya Basho 2021

[Kintamayama 44,346]

Will be held in Nagoya, says the rijicho. "We will hold the Nagoya basho and it will be a success.We will make sure that the sumo culture will not be forgotten around the country," he pledged. It will be the first time in a year and four months that a local basho will be held. It was held in March 2020 in Osaka but with no spectators. It will be the first local basho with fans since November 2019.  The number of spectators will be limited to 3800, half the capacity in Nagoya. "All Kyokai members will undergo PCR tests and only negative people will be allowed to travel to Nagoya. Stringent measures similar to the Kokugikan will be taken at the venue to prevent infection. As a general rule, going out from the lodgings will be strictly forbidden, " summed Hakkaku rijicho 

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Isn’t Nagoya the venue with the worst ventilation of all of them? Doesn’t seem like a great place to put a crowd during a pandemic.

[Thorbjarn 214]

I think time will tell if they can go ahead as planned. I always wondered if July wouldn't be the ultimate shot at going outdoors even, although I don't know about properly sized venues for that. 

[kawika 123]

On 24/05/2021 at 10:41, Eikokurai said:

Isn’t Nagoya the venue with the worst ventilation of all of them? Doesn’t seem like a great place to put a crowd during a pandemic.

it is definitely the hottest arena in all of the basho, for sure.

[Sue 481]

9 minutes ago, kawika said:

it is definitely the hottest arena in all of the basho, for sure.

It's definitely the arena where they compete in July. Is it actually better or worse than other venues, or is it just that the basho happens in the hottest month of the Japanese year?

[kawika 123]

1 minute ago, Sue said:

It's definitely the arena where they compete in July. Is it actually better or worse than other venues, or is it just that the basho happens in the hottest month of the Japanese year?

probably the later, it is the July heat.

[Eikokurai 3,433]

13 hours ago, Sue said:

It's definitely the arena where they compete in July. Is it actually better or worse than other venues, or is it just that the basho happens in the hottest month of the Japanese year?

Pretty sure it’s worse than the purpose-built Kokugikan at least, though I guess during Covid they’ve not been using air-con anyway so yeah, a July in Ryogoku would probably be as bad.

[Churaumi 728]

Never been, but I remember one of the graybeards here saying years ago the arena has insufficient AC for its size, and they kind of like it that way. They have a reputation for being rowdy, probably in part due to the heat.

[Seiyashi 4,071]

I've only been to Nagoya, but the inside of the Dolphins Arena definitely feels rather old. The year I went, July for some odd reason was in the low 20s so heat wasn't an issue, but I can see why people would complain it's stuffy.

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,244]

I tried to go to Dolphins Arena. My plan was to get the same day ticket sale. But I met some old friends in Osaka the night before and I arrived very late in Nagoya nursing a monster hangover and stumbled my way to the Arena after Makuuchi already started. It was so hot, it was around 43C and 80% humidity. The paths around the arena are the good old gravel in dirt so everything is sticking to you.

When I got there there was almost nobody outside. You couldn't even tell a basho was going on except for the flags. I wandered around a bit and some makuuchi guys started coming out to taxis along this path in the plaza delimited by small stones. There was a diminutive grandma also there. So we stood together and clapped for the guys coming out. I always wondered how it was from the rikishi's POV. Lose your makuuchi match and go outside and there is a small grandma and a tall lanky foreigner clapping for you.

[Kaminariyuki 497]

On 06/06/2021 at 23:48, Seiyashi said:

I've only been to Nagoya, but the inside of the Dolphins Arena definitely feels rather old. The year I went, July for some odd reason was in the low 20s so heat wasn't an issue, but I can see why people would complain it's stuffy.

You really lucked out with the weather. I've only been to the Kokugikan and Fukuoka but Osaka and Nagoya are on my list. Always, though when watching the July basho, the folks in the audience have their handheld fans whirring.

Edited June 9, 2021 by Kaminariyuki

[Akinomaki 39,755]

I'll be kyujo also for the Nagoya basho. I have mastered my Kuukido but have have to search for deshi now and compile material to teach my technique of absolute balance as a system of health management. My YT Kuukido site has so far only my songs, videos to show my chi gong, karate and yoga will follow. I have also created kuukido sumo, a combination of a taichi chi fight with karate and sumo. I made a hitori kuukido sumo video but have to convert it from avi to mp4 and so on.

I promise to be back for my basho, the Aki basho.

[Seiyashi 4,071]

Whoever does the official posters for each basho for the NSK has generally done a pretty fine job, not just artistically but in terms of highlighting the kanban rikishi to watch for whatever reason in the upcoming basho. But this one borders on hilarious; it's almost as if Terunofuji and Takakeisho have been interrupted just before they're about to start a dance.

I'm surprised Hakuho isn't featured somewhere considering this basho's importance to him, or maybe no one's fooled by his talk of staying around in Aki. And, for that matter, the possibility of Takayasu or Mitakeumi snatching a surprise ozeki promotion this time round either.

Edited June 21, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Thorbjarn 214]

To me it looks more like they are inviting us, which is even funnier to me. 

[Seiyashi 4,071]

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202106210000587.html

Nikkan Sports reports that Shibatayama says that all rikishi have been negative for COVID so far, and on the 23rd and the 24th, each heya will undergo vaccination and then head to Nagoya sequentially. There will be a general policy to have regular temperature checks once in Nagoya.

Presumably, one dose is better than no dose. I hope the NSK is informed that high temperatures are a possible side effect of the shot and the heya are given guidance on how to sort out false positives caused by the shots.

[Yamanashi 3,723]

3 hours ago, Thorbjarn said:

To me it looks more like they are inviting us, which is even funnier to me. 

The dark palette, the facial expressions -- it could be Tessio and Clemenza from Godfather 4: the Basho.

[Washuyama 635]

2 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

it could be Tessio and Clemenza from Godfather 4: the Basho.

Tessio never made it through the first one.  "It was only business, Mike..."

[Yamanashi 3,723]

2 hours ago, Washuyama said:

Tessio never made it through the first one.  "It was only business, Mike..."

"Nah,  the hatakikomi was the smart move ... Teru was always smarter."

[Kaminariyuki 497]

They look like they're about to ditch the basho and follow Ura to a burger joint.

[dada78641 884]

I was just reminded this morning of how I went to get some banzuke 4 years ago, long before coronavirus. Back when we had four whole yokozuna! This is at the Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Last one is a pic at my local sauna.

[Jakusotsu 5,806]

1 hour ago, dada78641 said:

 

Last one is a pic at my local sauna.

Nagoya 2017, if I'm not mistaken.

[dada78641 884]

On 29/06/2021 at 09:40, Jakusotsu said:

Nagoya 2017, if I'm not mistaken.

Correct, when I said 4 years ago I meant to the day

[Benihana 1,901]

On 21/06/2021 at 10:25, Seiyashi said:

And, for that matter, the possibility of Takayasu or Mitakeumi snatching a surprise ozeki promotion this time round either.

Did i miss something or are you a time-traveller? 

 

By the way...

 

 

 

[Seiyashi 4,071]

22 minutes ago, Benihana said:

On 21/06/2021 at 16:25, Seiyashi said:

And, for that matter, the possibility of Takayasu or Mitakeumi snatching a surprise ozeki promotion this time round either.

Did i miss something or are you a time-traveller? 

In theory if Mitakeumi zenshos he makes the numbers and caps out a reasonable run. Of course, the actual odds of that happening, on the other hand... All the modern 3-basho ozeki runs that started with an 8-7 have included at least a 11-4 second basho, with more than half being a 12-3+ with a yusho honour (YDJ) of some kind.

The main storylines actually are Hakuho's comeback, Terunofuji's tsunatori run, and Takayasu's attempt to 13-2 yusho (he's never yushoed nor gone 13, so that's a tall order). The outside surprises will be if Takakeisho or Mitakeumi get promoted, as they will need zenshos or 14-1s to even force the discussion. Other than Hakuho's comeback, which I think will be fine even if he just gets the junyusho (losing to some combination of the other four), only at most two of the other 4 get what they want, and that's only if the promotion committee (and if applicable, the YDC) are alright with dotens.

Edited July 1, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Benihana 1,901]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

In theory if Mitakeumi zenshos

This isn't ridiculous basho predictions 

You are absolutely correct, both Mitakeumi and Takayasu indeed have a slim chance for promotion, but...that would be a surprise equal to the spanish inquisition.