Preparations of the Y/O - Aki 2025

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Yokozuna Oonosato worked up a sweat at the jungyo today in Koga City, Ibaraki Prefecture doing the fundamentals and other exercises, and said  he intends to begin doing sumo in the near future. "My basho fatigue is gone.. I'd like to start moving around little by little," he said. As a new Yokozuna, he finished with a passing record of 11-4 in Nagoya, but gave up 4 kinboshi, missing out on a third consecutive yusho His first jungyo as a Yokozuna has just begun, and on this day he agreed to requests for photos and autographs from the large crowd at the venue. "I'm aware of my responsibilities and will do my best to fulfill them," he said.

[Kintamayama 47,229]

 Yokozuna Houshouryuu, who withdrew from Nagoya due to an injury to his left big toe, joined the jungyo today. He practiced in the morning, lending his chest to Kusano and others. He wore a tabi sock on his left foot, including during his bout against Oonosato. "My foot is much better now. I hope it gets better day by day." he said. He later revealed that he wore a cast on the injured area, which was diagnosed as a dislocated fracture, for the first five days after his kyujo. "I felt something strange even before the basho. I didn't know the bone was cracked." Regarding his current situation, having missed two of the three basho since his promotion, he said, "I was so determined to win that I got injured. I want to get back to my usual self." He also said he felt the pressure of being at the highest rank. "I was thinking about it without even realizing it. It's my own problem." He will continue to participate in the jungyo until the final day on the 31st, and will attempt to make a comeback in Aki. His Oyakata Tatsunami who visited the venue on the 7th as the Oyakata in charge, said, "The next basho he enters will be important.."

[Kintamayama 47,229]

The jungyo arrived at Yamabe, Yamagata today with Yokozuna Oonosato doing sumo for the first time since Nagoya. He called out Juryo Oushouumi , who is one year younger than him and also hails from Tsubata Town, Ishikawa Prefecture. Against an opponent who excels at yotsu sumo, he demonstrated a variety of moves, including some makikae, and had seven matches in all. After the session, he commented, "I hope I can continue to train hard." He also lent his chest to Yokozuna Houshouryuu for some butsugari, after which Houshouryuu lent him his chest. The crowd was thrilled to see the two Yokozunae working out together. The summer jungyo continues until the 31st. "The tour is long, so I'll do my best again tomorrow," summed Oonosato.

[Yamanashi 4,078]

Onosato and Oshoumi both attended Kaiyo Prefectural HS (the fisheries school), with Onosato one year older.  While Onosato went on to Nippon Sports U., Oshoumi entered Narutobeya in 2020.  I think Oshoumi was the flagbearer when Onosato won the Yusho in September 2024.

[Kintamayama 47,229]

The summer jungyo arrived in Sendai today, the 11th. Yokozuna Houshouryuu, had 13 bouts against Makuuchi rikishi Ouhou and Hakuohou going 9-4. He  impressed the crowd with spectacular sukuinages and strong pushes. He then lent his chest to compatriot Mongolian Komusubi Oushouma . "I want to get my body back to normal. I'm not at my best yet. I need to train and get my slack body back in shape," he said. He reportedly fought 20 bouts during the jungyo held in Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture on the 9th. On this day, he was seen chatting with Yokozuna Oonosato and jungyo boss Sakaigawa  ringside, and revealed, "We talked about the possibility of two Yokozunae training together on one of the tours. It hasn't been decided yet though." He had tape around the injured big toe of his left foot, saying, "It bothers me. It's an injury after all. I have to keep going even if it hurts. There's no point in wailing about it endlessly -  it won't help.. " He spoke firmly about the Aki Basho, saying, "I have to do my best for the people who support me."

[Bunbukuchagama 976]

7 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Komusubi Oushouma

I hope to never see these two words together again.

[Reonito 1,783]

1 hour ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

I hope to never see these two words together again.

Eh, with a 3-12 at K1e, surely they can just slide him over to K1w and leave Aonishiki at M1e.

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Kotozakura..what shall we do with the boy.. He finally resumed full-scale training ahead of Aki.  During asageiko at the summer jungyo held in Sendai on the 12th, he selected local Miyagi Prefecture Maegashira Tokihayate for a session - seven consecutive bouts and finishing with a record of 6 wins and 1 loss. His applied pressure from the tachiai was still strong, and his sumo was noticeably done on the safe side.. In his first bout, which he lost, he tried to tire his opponent out while remaining at the edge of the dohyo, but his opponent did not give up and Kotozakura fell. "Since I had the opportunity, I thought I'd take on a local rikishi (Tokihayate)" he said, hyping up the crowd while continuing to work on his own preparations. This tour, which will cover a wide area of Hokkaido and Honshu, will primarily be done by bus. He also pays close attention to his physical condition outside the dohyo, including tackling accumulated fatigue and poor blood circulation caused by maintaining the same position for long periods of time. "I'm being careful not to strain my lower back while traveling. I'm trying to find a balance between that and training." Kotozakura also took great care to avoid sudden, stressful training while his body was still recovering from the fatigue of travel, which could cause problems for his body. He resumed full-scale training on the second consecutive day in Sendai. Since the start of this year, Kotozakura only managed five wins in the first tournament of the year, when he was aiming for the title of Yokozuna, but has since recorded 8 wins and 7 losses in three tournaments in a row. He has taken the first step towards rejoining the championship race. 

Edited August 12 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Yokozuna Oonosato showed excellent form during asageiko today at the Morioka City jungyo, winning six and losing two of his eight consecutive bouts. He called out Juryo Ryuuden, who is likely to return to Makuuchi  next basho, and his fellow Maegashira Ounokatsu, his classmate at Nippon Sport Science University, finishing with three wins and one loss against each. In the winning bouts, he overwhelmed his opponents with his signature pressure and pushing technique from the tachiai. But in his two losses, , he was defeated by Ryuuden, who kept a low stance and took his time before pulling his mawashi and pushing him out. Ounokatsu overwhelmed him with a strong oshidashi after a quick tachiai.

Oonosato resumed sumo practice on the 10th, and this was his third sumo session, following  one on the 11th. "It wasn't that great.. I'll try to work on it gradually," he said, suggesting that he's still not in top form, with Aki just one month away. However, during the eight matches, he never once backed down. In Nagoya, he showed a strong will to correct his bad habit of backing down, which was the reason he distributed four kinboshi, the worst record for a new Yokozuna in history. When asked why he called out Ryuuden, he said, "He's difficult to deal with. He does stuff I have difficulty countering... I'm working on it with him in mind. He's also strong," revealing that he is trying to overcome the challenges he faces against a type of rikishi who shows his strength when he grabs the mawashi.

"It's hot, so I want to make sure I take good care of my health," he said, as if persuading himself.

Edited August 13 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 47,229]

 The summer jungyo arrived in Yurihonjo, Akita today. Ozeki Kotozakura won six of his eight bouts against  Gounoyama  and others. He withstood the attacks of his opponent, who is primarily a pusher-thruster, using his left hand grip and right hand uwate, winning by yorikiri.  He also showed perseverance against pressuring opponents, getting a right hand grip on Atamifuji and beating him by yorikiri as well.  He did not reveal the reason for calling out these rikishi specifically, but simply reflected, "I'll go forward while watching how my body is doing." He has had three consecutive tournaments since Haru basho with a record of 8 wins and 7 losses. Last tournament, his protégé Kotoshouhou achieved his first yusho. He didn't say much, saying "it has nothing to do with me" but he is determined to lead the prestigious Sadogatake beya.

EXTENSION OPTIONSMORE »

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Also from today in Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, Houshouryuu had 14 bouts, going 12-2,  including eight consecutive bouts against newcomer Kotoeihou. When he failed to complete a right-handed uwatenage against Kotoeihou, and was instead flipped onto his back, it seemed to turn on his competitive spirit. He won six straight matches with a sukuinage and an at-the-ege table-turning hatakikomi among other techniques. showing his dignity. He did not reveal the reason why he called Kotoeihou out but said, "You have to practice when you can." He ended the session by lending his chest for some butsugari. Kotoeihou and his older brother Kotoshouhou, who won the yusho last basho, are both from Kashiwa City. Houshouryuu, who attended Kashiwa Nippon Sport Science High School (now Nippon Sport Science University Kashiwa), shared a mentor with them and said, "Kashiwa is a sumo town." They will work hard together to lead the sumo world. When he learned that J1 soccer team Kashiwa Reysol were also competing for the championship, he exclaimed with joy, "Is that so?" Houshouryuu was promoted to Yokozuna after winning the yusho at the Hatsu Basho. In order to make 2025 the "Year of Kashiwa," he will be aiming for his first yusho since promotion to Yokozuna in Aki.

Edited August 21 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Today, Yokozuna Oonosato  faced Yokozuna Houshouryuu for some head to heads- 10 consecutive matches during the Niigata tour. Oonosato finished with 4-6. Both rikishi fought without any tape or support, providing an unexpected treat for the fans in attendance. This was Oonosato's first jungyo since being promoted to Yokozuna at the Nagoya basho in July. The summer jungyo featuring both Yokozuna began on the 3rd of this month with the Osaka/Kansai Expo tour and will run until the 31st in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture. "The end is in sight. I'll work hard from now on," he said. This marks the third Yokozuna showdown, following the Asahikawa tour on the 16th and the first day of the Sapporo tour on the 17th. While Oonosato smiled as he reflected on the keiko session, Houshouryuu held his left shoulder on the dohyo, perhaps due to discomfort he felt after keiko. The head-to-head record between the two is 2-6 in favor of Houshouryuu. As they are likely to be testing each other's minds in preparation for a rematch on the final day of Aki, it is not possible to simply assess their abilities or state of preparation from the outcome of today's matches, but it was a clash that has piqued interest in what will happen on the dohyo.

Edited August 25 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 47,229]

The jungyo arrived on the 26th at Wing Arena Kariya in Kariya City, Aichi Prefecture. Ozeki Kotozakura had eight consecutive matches against Ouhou in preparation for the imminent basho. "I just did what I could," he calmly reflected. The 26-day summer jungyo is nearing its final stages. This jungyo is grueling in terms of travel, but Kotozakura said, "I've done what I needed to do. However, there's only so much I can do. I'm doing my best within that." He was 8-7  in the last three consecutive tournaments since Haru and is steadily working his way towards a comeback in Aki.

[Kintamayama 47,229]

The jungyo arrived in Tachikawa, Tokyo today. Yokozuna Houshouryuu appeared for asageiko with extensive tape on his left shoulder. He did not enter the dohyo but instead did some light exercises. He was seen chatting with the jungyo director,  Sakaigawa Oyakata.  When he injured his shoulder during the jungyo in Niigata City on the 23rd, he felt like his shoulder was "floating," but emphasized that his shoulder is much better and is recovering. He competed in a match against Yokozuna Oonosato. Since being promoted to Yokozuna, he has withdrawn from two of the three basho, including the Nagoya basho, due to an injury to his left big toe, which forced him to withdraw from the tournament on the fifth day. He also sat out the early part of the jungyo. Looking ahead to Aki, he said, "The summer jungyo will end in three days, but I have trained enough so far. I want to take care of my body."  Houshouryuu, who repeatedly said, "I have no choice but to do it," is carefully adjusting his schedule.

Chatting:

Edited August 28 by Kintamayama

[hypnoowl 25]

Is there such thing as a yokozuna curse? And is it too early to talk about it?

[RabidJohn 2,070]

4 hours ago, hypnoowl said:

Is there such thing as a yokozuna curse? And is it too early to talk about it?

There used to be a bit of a thing about Shiranui-gata being unlucky.

It may still be regarded that way, and it may explain why Kisenosato did not follow his shisho's lead and went Unryu-gata instead.

Hakuho didn't seem to have an issue with it - not in his active career at least. I don't think it could be blamed for Harumafuji getting drunk and whacking someone's head with a remote control, and Terunofuji had cursed knees long before he donned the double bow.

Never too early to discuss quaint sumo superstitions.

Edited August 28 by RabidJohn

[just_some_guy 308]

41 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

There used to be a bit of a thing about Shiranui-gata being unlucky.

It may still be regarded that way, and it may explain why Kisenosato did not follow his shisho's lead and went Unryu-gata instead. 

Little good that did him, unfortunately.

[hypnoowl 25]

Hoshoryu just seems to be falling apart in training, for someone who only missed 4 bouts prior to promotion this is almost uncanny and very concerning.

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Yokozuna  Oםnosato caused excitement at his Oyakata's hometown today. He participated in the first postwar jungyo in Ushiku City, Ibaraki. During asageiko, he challenged Ouhou, doing five bouts and finishing 4-1, demonstrating his excellent condition ahead of his second Yokozuna tournament. He also showed off his skills in the children's keiko, showing a painful expression after a sharp push from a child, bringing down  the house. Ushiku City is the hometown of his Oyakata, former Yokozuna Kisenosato, and is adjacent to Ami Town, Ibaraki, where Nishonoseki beya is located. For Oonosato, a native of Ishikawa Prefecture, this is a place with deep ties, and he received thunderous cheers. After keiko, Oonosato said, "I'm happy that so many Ibaraki fans came out." All of the young rikishi from his heya who were not accompanying him on the jungyo also came to this jungyo venue and worked up a sweat through keiko and other activities. He confessed that he feels a sense of familiarity with the venue, Ushiku Sports Park, saying, "I like walking, so I often come around here. (The young rikishi) apparently came by bicycle." At the Nagoya basho,  where he finished with an 11-4 record, he faced Ouhou on day four, and gave up his first kinboshi as a new Yokozuna to him. He also mentioned the reason he chose to call Ouhou out, saying, "I lost to him the previous tournament. I want to work hard and improve my image," as he looked forward to their next meeting. At the end of the session, he lent his chest to Houshouryuu for some butsugari, which pleased the fans to no end.

Nishonoseki Oyakata, who visited the venue and watched the keiko, said, "Oonosato's keiko was neither good nor bad, so" and said that he cannot gauge his condition at this stage. He also said, "When you're on a jungyo the time for  keiko is short, so if he can do five bouts with Makuuchi opponents, that would be considered good," showing sympathy for the difficulty of pushing him by increasing the number of bouts and making adjustments. With his eyes set on the September 1st banzuke announcement, when preparations for the Aki basho will begin in earnest, Oonosato said, "I would like  to increase the number of bouts after I return from the jungyo," revealing the determination of Oyakata and disciple to aim for the Emperor's Cup for the fifth time . [Takada Bunta]

.

Edited August 29 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Oonosato began serious training today at home, facing Shirokuma for 20 bouts, winning 13. As a new Yokozuna, he missed out on the yusho with an 11-4 record in the previous basho, and expressed his determination, saying, "I don't want to repeat that bitter experience. I'll step up my training." Prior to the previous basho, he only had two days of training with sekitori, which was insufficient, and he lost momentum from the middle of the basho. On this day, he showed off not only his signature right-handed grip but also attacks using a right outside grip, finishing with a record of 13 wins and 7 losses. "If I don't increase the number of training bouts like I did before the Haru and May tournaments (where he got the yusho), I'll end up experiencing the same thing I did in Nagoya," he said, expressing a sense of crisis. This one will be his first as East Yokozuna, the highest ranking of the rankings. "My Oyakata (Nishonoseki Oyakata, former Yokozuna Kisenosato) told me, 'When you become an Ozeki, aim to become the East Ozeki, and when you become a Yokozuna, aim to become East Yokozuna.' I am determined to do my best," he said, motivating himself. When Oonosato did suriashi,  Nishonoseki Oyakata gave him detailed instructions on how to bend his hips. Keeping a close eye on his deshi's training, the Oyakata commented, "The number of bouts is probably higher these days. In Oonosato's case, I feel that quantity is becoming more important than quality."

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Yokozuna Houshouryuu, who withdrew from the Nagoya basho due to an injury to his left big toe, won all 14 of his matches against Meisei and two Makushita rikishi today at home.  He fought without the taping on his left shoulder that he has been using from the end of the summer jungyo, emphasizing his recovery, saying, "I'm fine. I just trained normally." Having missed two tournaments in the three tournaments since his promotion, he will need to step up to the challenge in Aki. After each bout, he reviewed the match footage on a monitor installed in the keiko-ba with a 15-second delay. He has made minor adjustments to the angle of his tachiai, saying, "I can immediately see what's good and what's not." He is reaping the benefits. The Yokozuna Deliberation Committee will hold their soken  tomorrow, after which he will consider going for degeiko. He named Yokozuna Oonosato and Sekiwake Wakatakakage, who is aiming for promotion to Ozeki, and self-deprecatingly said, "I don't think I'm getting that much attention." In his fourth tournament as a Yokozuna, he will be hoping to make his presence known.
 

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Yokozuna Oonosato is making a U-turn and improving his condition ahead of the Aki basho. Today, he participated in a joint keiko session of Nishonoseki Ichimon at Sadogatake beya.  He had a series of head to head bouts against Ozeki Kotozakura  finishing with 12 wins and 3 losses in a total of 15 matches. At the YDC soken yesterday, he had a dismal 3-6 record against Houshouryuu and Kotozakura. but he has dramatically recovered. After the keiko, he commented, "I think I was able to do well today because I reflected on what I did poorly yesterday. Because I was all over the place yesterday, I think I approached practice today with a sense of urgency, which was good." Of the 15 matches he won, most of them were at the tachiai when Kotozakura stepped in sharply , forcing him to retreat, regroup, and counterattack. It is unclear whether this plan was intentional, as Oonosato was being mysterious.. However, as his bad habit of pulling back and inviting his opponent to attack when he is unable to push forward at the tachiai was beginning to show, he seemed to have gained confidence in his new style of counterattacking after being pushed back. "Unlike yesterday, I think my lower body was stable," he said, nodding.

 

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Yokozuna Houshouryuu did not do any sumo at his heya in Taito Ward, Tokyo today but instead focused on light exercises such as shiko . He smiled as he said, "Nothing to see here,"  looking radiant. He withdrew from the last basho due to an injury to his left big toe, but the 19 bouts he had at the soken yesterday showed he was in good shape and  well on his way to recovery.  "It was good to be able to try out a variety of things," he added. The 26-year-old Yokozuna plans to step up his game by going for degeiko. With opening day fast approaching, he encouraged himself by saying, "I just need to keep attacking."

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Ozeki Kotozakura is planning on making a comeback in the Aki basho. showing off a sharp tachiai today that hinted at a repeat of last year's Kyushu Tournament, where he won the yusho  He took part in the Nishonoseki Ichimon rengo keiko held at the Sadogatake beya in Matsudo, Chiba. He went head to head with Yokozuna Oonosato , and while his record was 3-12, he took the initiative at the tachiai and went on the offensive in most of the 15 matches. Under Kotozakura's pressure, Oonosato was unable to resist, pulling him down and winning the second match with a slap, but the fact that he was forced to pull back was proof of Kotozakura's good form. Even with the win, the Yokozuna, who has a bad habit of pulling , looked dissatisfied and shook his head. After the keiko, Kotozakura said, "I was attacking. Now I just need to improve in my own way," and although he had a serious expression as he had been overwhelmed in the wins and losses, he expressed a certain satisfaction. He also showed quite a few attacks from a low position, but he said, "I just went with the flow," and his body seemed to move naturally. Oonosato's Oyakata Nishonoseki also said, "His tachiai was very good and he seems to be in good shape. He has that explosiveness.," sensing signs of Kotozakura's recovery. In this year's four bashos, he started with a 5-10 record in the first basho, but then went 8-7 in the next three tournaments in a row, meaning he was unable to join the yusho race. Despite performing well in pre-basho keiko, Kotozakura was more frustrated than anyone that he had not been able to win big in the actual tournament. That's why, after keiko today, he spoke with a serious expression, as if to convince himself, "I'll do what I have to do. It doesn't really matter that my body is moving well right now.. I'll just do my best to give my all at the basho."

[Kintamayama 47,229]

Today, Houshouryuu, who belongs  to the Dewanoumi Ichimon, participated in Tokitsukaze Ichimon's rengo keiko and went 16-6 in 22 consecutive matches. He first selected Wakamotoharu, Maegashira 4W, and was 5-2. Next, he selected Daieishou who had been demoted from Sekiwake to Maegashira 10E after missing the entire previous basho, and won all four matches, defeating the two men who had previously competed with him for a possible triple promotion to Ozeki back in Nagoya 2023, he being the only one who made it..Finally, he selected 20-year-old Fujinokawa, ranked Maegashira 9W in his second Makuuchi tournament, and struggled with a record of 7 wins and 4 losses. In his first encounter with the small, 177 cm, 120 kg Fujinokawa, he was head  - butted from a low  position, unable to stop Fujinokawa's momentum and was thrown out of the ring. He showed a surprised look on his face, and in the next bout he used a fierce attack, just like in honbasho, throwing his opponent with a tsukiotoshi, to tie the record. However, he lost the third bout, and although he won the fourth and fifth matches, he lost consecutive matches in the sixth and seventh. After the seventh match he was trailing Fujinokawa with a record of 3 wins and 4 losses. In the end, he won four consecutive matches against Fujinokawa, who was out of breath and looked very tired, but he was able to win the match- up with the up-and-coming wrestler who won 10 matches in the previous tournament as a new makuuchi wrestler and won the Fighting Spirit Prize, so it could be said that he was on equal footing with him.

Houshouryuu has withdrawn twice in the last three bashos since his promotion to Yokozuna. In the last tournament, he suffered three consecutive losses, all of which were kinboshi, from Day 2 onwards, and withdrew from the tournament on Day 5. While he has struggled with losing matches against rank-and-file rikishi, his struggles with Fujinokawa's speed and energy are cause for concern ahead of his planned comeback in Aki.  However, Houshouryuu took a positive view, describing the training as "good keiko," even as it highlighted his weaknesses. He explained his intentions for the three opponents he nominated that day: "I chose a yotsu guy (Wakamotoharu), an oshi rikishi (Daieishou), and finally, a young, energetic, small, and fast-moving opponent." He said his physical condition is "normal," and added with a serious look, "I want to train hard and prepare for shonichi." This was his third absence in four tournaments since his promotion to Yokozuna, and two consecutive absences will likely draw scrutiny from fans and those involved. He said he is "considering" making adjustments after the 9th, and intends to improve his condition by going for degeiko again.

Edited September 8 by Kintamayama