New recruits Natsu 2022

[Akinomaki 40,034]

The press conference was on the 7th at the school, but the plan is to have the dohyo debut at the Natsu basho.

Joining Onomatsu-beya is Riku Kato  加藤陸 (18, 187cm, 160kg)  from the sumo club of Kanagawa Industrial high school: "Gambarizing at keiko each day, I want to be sekitori in 4 years, as fast as possible."

He started sumo in high school and was prefecture representative at the kokutai in the open weight division. He is also skillful in ball games like soccer and basketball. He had thought to go to university after graduation, but Onomatsu persuaded him with enthusiastic invitations  to join ozumo.

http://www.asahi.com/articles/photo/AS20220209002759.html

o

[gunner 10]

Great! a guy from Kanagwa

[Akinomaki 40,034]

3 graduates from Nittaidai join ozumo. 2 from Kaiyo high go to Nishonoseki, All Japan best 8 (=sd90TD) Yasutoki Kayo 嘉陽 快宗 and 2020 East Japan student championships runner-up  Yuta Takahashi 高橋優太.

Student championships yusho team member Shunsuke Imazeki 今関俊介 joins Tamanoi-beya.

https://www.sanspo.com/article/20220329-G5RZYVJJKVMZ5GJNGHS7EGHCBY/

https://www.nittai.ac.jp/club/sumo/custom2.html

嘉陽　快宗
千葉県
海洋高校出身
168ｃｍ　140ｋｇ

高橋　優太

福島県
海洋高校出身
183ｃｍ　140ｋｇ

今関　俊介

東京都
足立新田高校出身
172ｃｍ　92ｋｇ

Edited March 31, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Katooshu 3,179]

None of them are what I'd call hotshot prospects, but they are all capable and interesting in different ways.

Kayo was one of my favourites on the college scene. A very short and plump oshi specialist who surprises opponents with impressive speed and footwork. Most notably, he has great fighting spirit and always puts full effort into his matches. He barely got to compete during his first 3 years in college, but got more opportunities in his 4th year and capitalized by finishing at least best 8 at every national tournament in 2021, which included beating eventual college yokozuna Keita Kawazoe and going 2-1 against Haru sandanme winner Kanzaki (though Kanzaki is a stronger prospect).

On right

Takahashi is a strong yotsu specialist whose style is similar to Nishonozeki's - wide stance and yorikiri dominant, but also with a lot of brute strength throws, like the kotenage. He won a national high school tournament and burst onto the college scene by becoming a regular on the Nittadai starting team in his first year, though he didn't show notable improvement from there and eventually the Nittaidai team became so strong that he was forced out of being a regular. He also seemed to become a bit more passive as time went on in college. He did finish runner-up at the East Japan Championship in his 3rd year though (losing to Kinbozan in the final), which is a good result, and across his amateur days he beat the likes of Hoshoryu, Roga, Nishikawa, and Osanai.

On right

Imazeki is a small but quick and fiesty rikishi who is capable of beating much bigger opponents with a range of techniques. He was the runner-up in a national high school tournament, beating Oho in the semifinals, and though his individual college success was mostly limited to weight class tournaments he scored important wins in team competition. He went to high school with Sd100TD Hatsuyama, which could've been a factor in him joining his former schoolmate at Tamanoi.

I must admit though, I found Imazeki's demeanor to be a bit unlikeable. A lot of over the top celebrations, weak/non-existent bowing, and never a hand offered to downed opponents. 

On left

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by Katooshu

[Akinomaki 40,034]

There may be the first rikishi from Tokyo university. Hidetaka Suyama 須山穂嵩 (24, 178cm, 99kg) would like to join Kise-beya. The age restriction for the shindedeshi kensa is below 23, exceptions are for accomplished athletes, also of other sports (esp. tsukedashi qualifiers of course): they can enter below age 25. The next rijikai will decide if he will be accepted. He took part in last year's East Japan weight division championships and would be the 5th from a national university. https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/444256

Old articles on him:

https://vod-memonet.com/toudaisumoubu-suyamahidetaka-ikemen-koukou-gakureki-9077

https://news.line.me/articles/oa-rp24814/643a033b9dde

Todai sumo club page: http://dosukoi.net/todai/intro/suyama.html

(apparently he's from philosophy department: https://newspicks.com/user/6035874/)

Club shikona: Ichinoryu, 178cm, 80kg in 2019

Edited March 30, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 40,034]

10 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

There may be the first rikishi from Tokyo university. Hidetaka Suyama 須山穂嵩 (24, 178cm, 99kg) would like to join Kise-beya.

Thought I had something on him - the videos are gone though

On 09/08/2020 at 13:42, Akinomaki said:

Fuji TV's "The Nonfiction" today had the focus on members of the Todai sumo club https://www.fujitv.co.jp/thenonfx/_basic/backnumber/index-62.html

At the end of the program, ex-Aminishiki (Ajigawa) comes to the club of Tokyo university to give a keiko lesson youtube_query=ザ・ノンフィクション 2020年8月9日

If none is on YT anymore: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Sa4y1J74b

Edited March 30, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 40,034]

23 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

There may be the first rikishi from Tokyo university. Hidetaka Suyama 須山穂嵩 (24, 178cm, 99kg) would like to join Kise-beya. The age restriction for the shindedeshi kensa is below 23, exceptions are for accomplished athletes, also of other sports (esp. tsukedashi qualifiers of course): they can enter below age 25. The next rijikai will decide if he will be accepted.

The rijikai today gave the OK for Suyama, he will be in the shindeshi kensa on April 15th, less than 2 weeks after the one for Haru, and starts in maezumo for Natsu if he passes. Suyama had presented a list of his tournament results while in the Todai sumo club. http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2022/03/31/0015181491.shtml

On 29/03/2022 at 17:11, Akinomaki said:

3 graduates from Nittaidai join ozumo. 2 from Kaiyo high go to Nishonoseki, All Japan best 8 (=sd90TD) Yasutoki Kayo 嘉陽 快宗 and 2020 East Japan student championships runner-up  Yuta Takahashi 高橋優太.

The sd(now 90)TD qualification for Kayo was also acknowledged http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2022033100997

Edited March 31, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Scalipa 11]

Does anyone know if College Yokozuna Keita Kawazoe or Toyo bulldozer Shinsuke Hoshiba would join ozumo ? 
Both are 4th year and top prospects.
 

College Yokozuna Kawazoe would enter Makushita Tsukedashi and Hoshiba would enter Sandanme Tsukedashi for being semi-finalist at the All Japan College Championship 2021 right ? 

[Akinomaki 40,034]

On 31/03/2022 at 17:43, Akinomaki said:

On 30/03/2022 at 18:07, Akinomaki said:

There may be the first rikishi from Tokyo university. Hidetaka Suyama 須山穂嵩 (24, 178cm, 99kg) would like to join Kise-beya.

The rijikai today gave the OK for Suyama, he will be in the shindeshi kensa on April 15th, less than 2 weeks after the one for Haru, and starts in maezumo for Natsu if he passes. Suyama had presented a list of his tournament results while in the Todai sumo club.

Suyama is from Saitama, Urawa municipal high and was in contact for Kise-beya since several years ago, had tried to join once, but was refused. https://www.sanspo.com/article/20220404-NNFIH7UDCNIIXN4BQVSTU5JHIY/

The last from a national university was Shoji

On 29/06/2017 at 16:02, Akinomaki said:

For Musashigawa-beya the 4th ever from a national university, Saitama university: 庄司向志 (I'd never guessed it right:) Hisashi Shouji (22, 188cm, 130kg), from Misato-town, Akita. He started studying electric and electronic system engineering, but especially wanted to enter the sumo club - and in his 3rd year he made it to the best 32 of the national students championships. His studies didn't go well though: he repeated one year and is in his 5th year now, but will leave soon - sumo suits him better. He started it in 2nd year primary school, made it to the best 16 in his 3rd year at the inter-high. After last year's intercollegiate he began to think about turning pro - and he turns 23 in August, so this is the last chance (except for athletes with some good results - I'd still like to know how Abezakura made it). http://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/sumo/news/CK2017062902000159.html

so he wont make it into the statistics for graduates

I think as a top 32 of the inkare (inter college), his university with sumo club should be listed in the DB, even if he didn't graduate. For Ichinoya his university is listed, he's another from a national university.

Checking the other 2

On 30/06/2017 at 02:01, Yubinhaad said:

On 29/06/2017 at 21:32, Asashosakari said:

I'm blanking on number three...Ichinoya, Masumeidai and...?

Yuminosato, dropped out of Kochi University.

Masumeidai has the university listed, Yuminosato not, but he wasn't even in the sumo club.

On 03/11/2006 at 20:08, Jonosuke said:

Yuminosato was not a member of sumo club at Kochi University. So normally Yuminosato's name does not come up when we talk about College Rikishis as he was not a college rikishi and his name never showed up in any college level sumo tournaments.

The media count them equally though, even 1st year dropout Yuminosato, and don't emphasize that there were only 2 graduates from national university and that Suyama will be the 3rd.

[Akinomaki 40,034]

On 29/03/2022 at 17:11, Akinomaki said:

3 graduates from Nittaidai join ozumo. 2 from Kaiyo high go to Nishonoseki, All Japan best 8 (=sd90TD) Yasutoki Kayo 嘉陽 快宗 and 2020 East Japan student championships runner-up Yuta Takahashi 高橋優太.

Today was a press conference at Nittaidai, with the heya's Nittaidai connection, OB Nakamura - 2 more uchideshi for ex-Yoshikaze. During the last years, most well reported scouting for Oguruma-beya was by him, no uchideshi for Takekaze had been reported. I guess Nishonoseki-beya will split in half, when Nakamura creates his own heya.

Kayo: "I want to become a rikishi who can establish himself firmly in makuuchi."

Takahashi: "I want to become a rikishi aiming for yokozuna, but simply saying that is easy. I want to gambarize at keiko as if I'd be ready to die."

oo o o   o

Edited April 10, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Hakuryuho 334]

2 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

Today was a press conference at Nittaidai, with the heya's Nittaidai connection, OB Nakamura - 2 more uchideshi for ex-Yoshikaze. During the last years, most well reported scouting for Oguruma-beya was by him, no uchideshi for Takekaze had been reported. I guess Nishonoseki-beya will split in half, when Nakamura creates his own heya.

Kayo: "I want to become a rikishi who can establish himself firmly in makuuchi."

Takahashi: "I want to become a rikishi aiming for yokozuna, but simply saying that is easy. I want to gambarize at keiko as if I'd be ready to die."

oo o o   o

 

Why does the right dude look like he remembered that he left the stove on? 

[Naganoyama 5,879]

Because he doesn't mind facing a 150 kg guy charging head first right at him in the sumo ring, but he's terrified of the camera.

[Katooshu 3,179]

The guy on the left is Dr. Kazuo Saito, former amateur yokozuna, first ever world sumo champion at openweight, and Nittaidai head coach. He was an excellent amateur, and at his peak was perhaps better than anyone in this picture! He even managed to make the semifinals of the All Japan Championship as a high schooler.

Edited April 6, 2022 by Katooshu

[robnplunder 975]

On 29/03/2022 at 20:35, Katooshu said:

I must admit though, I found Imazeki's demeanor to be a bit unlikeable. A lot of over the top celebrations, weak/non-existent bowing, and never a hand offered to downed opponents. 

That won't go too far in ozumo. 

[Akinomaki 40,034]

On 05/04/2022 at 18:11, Akinomaki said:

On 29/03/2022 at 17:11, Akinomaki said:

3 graduates from Nittaidai join ozumo. 2 from Kaiyo high go to Nishonoseki, All Japan best 8 (=sd90TD) Yasutoki Kayo 嘉陽 快宗 and 2020 East Japan student championships runner-up Yuta Takahashi 高橋優太.

Today was a press conference at Nittaidai, with the heya's Nittaidai connection, OB Nakamura - 2 more uchideshi for ex-Yoshikaze.

Yesterday the 2 and Nakamura/Yoshikaze had a press conference at Kaiyo high. Takahashi had won the Towada national high school select tournament while in the Kaiyo high sumo club. The 2 named Yoshikaze as the rikishi they admire (naming the oyakata is the usual, so these 2 see him as their shisho and will likely join Nakamura-beya one day)

o

[RabidJohn 1,719]

2 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

The 2 named Yoshikaze as the rikishi they admire (naming the oyakata is the usual ... )

I love it that there's a done thing when it comes to bootlicking.

[Katooshu 3,179]

Here's the final of the Towada high school tournament, a good match between Takahashi vs Roga in 2017. Earlier in the video there are a couple matches with Hoshoryu.

 

[themistyseas 238]

On 04/04/2022 at 20:06, Akinomaki said:

Suyama is from Saitama, Urawa municipal high and was in contact for Kise-beya since several years ago, had tried to join once, but was refused. https://www.sanspo.com/article/20220404-NNFIH7UDCNIIXN4BQVSTU5JHIY/

While we're on the topic of the "done thing" - I'm really curious about this nugget of intel

Kise's obviously a big stable with lots of sekitori, so I understand the interest. It could even be the heya where his favourite rikishi came from. But if you've been rejected, and have that background and want to join sumo, wouldn't you simply reach out to another heya? Clearly Kise (and potentially Inagawa) is an excellent coach, but given how small the community is I struggle to understand why he couldn't find another high quality heya that would take him sooner. It seems like he put the chips all in on Kise bringing him in while he aged out of the traditional age bracket for newcomers?

[Akinomaki 40,034]

2 hours ago, themistyseas said:

Kise's obviously a big stable with lots of sekitori, so I understand the interest. It could even be the heya where his favourite rikishi came from. But if you've been rejected, and have that background and want to join sumo, wouldn't you simply reach out to another heya? Clearly Kise (and potentially Inagawa) is an excellent coach, but given how small the community is I struggle to understand why he couldn't find another high quality heya that would take him sooner. It seems like he put the chips all in on Kise bringing him in while he aged out of the traditional age bracket for newcomers?

Kise is a heya with the oyakata and the sekitori being university graduates, so it seems the best heya for him. We don't know when he tried to join first, several years ago may have been already after high school or in the middle of his studies. Another article said that those around him made him give up the plan to join then. The media likely will report more details on him later.

[Akinomaki 40,034]

On 29/03/2022 at 17:11, Akinomaki said:

3 graduates from Nittaidai join ozumo. 2 from Kaiyo high go to Nishonoseki,

Student championships yusho team member Shunsuke Imazeki 今関俊介 joins Tamanoi-beya.

Imazeki (now reported as 172cm, 100kg) - and Tamanoi-oyakata - had a press conference at Nittaidai today: "One year to sekitori, in 2 years I want to establish myself firmly in makuuchi."  The rikishi he admires is Washuyama, also of small stature (175cm/112kg).

o o o o o o

Edited April 12, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 40,034]

8 new recruits applied for the shindeshi kensa on Friday, with Todai's Suyama as the one in the focus. https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2022041300923&g=spo

Edited April 13, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Katooshu 3,179]

Tamanoi himself is a little guy these days

[Akinomaki 40,034]

Now the papers give some more details on Todai's Suyama - so far they gave the impression that he has graduated, but he is currently in his 4th year and till graduation next year will be doing both his philosophy studies and sumo. Entering Todai is extremely difficult, after high school graduation he was ronin for a year (those who doesn't pass the entry exam and go for the next try), then entered Keio university (also prestigious, but private), as first year he gave Todai a third try and made it. The sumo club fascinated him and he joined with at first 73kg - now he has about 105kg.

His dream: He's from Todai 東大, so he wants to be East Ozeki 東大関 (also readable as Todaizeki)

http://www.daily.co.jp/general/2022/04/14/0015219544.shtml

Edited April 15, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

 

Late switch with Yoshiki Yamada of Dewanoumi not taking the test and Haruto Okuyama of Hakkaku being added.

 

[Inside Sport Japan 762]

Okuyama apparently took the March basho test today not the May one and will be on the banzuke next basho.