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Updated February 14th, 2005.

Copyright © 2001-2005 Juhani Sirkiä & Mikko Mattila.

Feedback to administrator@sumoforum.net.

Special thanks to Jelena Macan (alias Manekineko-zeki) and Endo Yuko (alias Amanogawa) for helping to remove errors from the glossary.

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z

aaa-dosukoi-dosukoi(-to), chorus of sumo jinku, "to" in the end is often ignored

abarenbo, hooligan; thankfully very rare species in an ozumo audience

Abi, nickname of sekiwake Terao

abise, elimination or attempt thereof of aite's attempt of tsuri by turning one's weight towards him; part of some kimarite

abiseru, v. to inundate, to pour on, see abisetaoshi

abisetaoshi, backward force down, kimarite where the attacker will force his aite over backwards by throwing his weight into the aite from a grappling position

abunai yokozuna, yokozuna who has committed a make-koshi in the last honbasho; abunai as such means dangerous, uncertain, unreliable, unstable

Adachi-ku, district of Tokyo where Tamanoi-beya is located

agaridan, ten recesses (three at each quarter except northern side where there is but one) on the dohyo side that are used by the rikishi, gyoji, yobidashi and shimpan to mount onto the dohyo, see fumi-dawara

agari-zashiki, elevated area in heya's practice room (keikoba) on which oyakata and prospective guests sit and follow keiko

agedawara, four corner tawara of the outer square of the dohyo, see joubu-dawara

Ageishi, presumably a heya which is no longer active

agemaki, small fusa resembling knots attached to the middle of mizuhikimaku according to the cardinal points; follow the colours of fusa clockwise and lift mizuhikimaku closer to the lower edge of tsuriyane

ageru, v., to lift

aibeya, a torikumi between two do-beya in a kettei-sen or tomoe-sen situation, see heya-betsu so-atari, ichimon-betsu so-atari

ai-boshi, two or more rikishi who after hon-wari have the same number of shiroboshi, see yusho-doten

Aichi, prefecture

Aichi Kenritsu Taikukan, arena where the Nagoya Basho is held in early July; capacity 8002 spectators

Aichi-ken, see Aichi Kenritsu Taikukan

Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, English name of the arena (Aichi Kenritsu Taikukan) where Nagoya Basho is held in early July

aikido, Japanese self-defence sport influenced by sumo, see judo

aikuchi, eccentric taisen seiseki between two particular rikishi; especially one that doesn't conform to success during their respective careers, see aikuchi ga ii, aikuchi ga warui

aikuchi ga ii, rikishi's ability to often win a particular aite, compare with aikuchi ga warui, see nigate

aikuchi ga warui, rikishi's continuous problem in winning a particular aite, compare with aikuchi ga ii, see nigate

aite, opponent in a torikumi; aite in Japanese doesn't refer solely to opponent/enemy as it is used in context of sharing something; for example hanashi-aite (the one you converse with), kekkon-aite (the one you are married to)

ai-yotsu, torikumi held between two rikishi who favour the same mawashi grip, either hidariyotsu or migiyotsu, and the grip of four hands that easily develops when both rikishi aim for and succeed in securing their favourite grips on each other's mawashi, compare with kenka-yotsu, sashite-arasoi, see yotsu-zumo

Ajigawa, heya which belongs to Tatsunami-Isegahama Rengo and is lead by moto-yokozuna Asahifuji, located in Koto-ku

aka-busa, red decorative knot (fusa) that hangs above southeastern corner of dohyo symbolizing the red reacock Suzaku and summer, see ao-busa, shiro-busa, kuro-busa, Shujaku

akabusa-shita, southeastern corner of dohyo

akachan dohyo-iri, dohyo-iri where instructor keeps a small child in his lap

akachan-zumo, see naki-zumo

aka-tai, red delicious and bony perch given to the (makuuchi saiko) yusho winner in the triumph after honbasho; symbolizes luck and is therefore a common festive delicacy

Akasaka, the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, apparently also known as Chiyoda

akeni, strong red-black-green decorated bamboo box (size 30-35 * 45-50 * 80-85 cm) consisting of two interlocking parts which are strengthened with angle irons, boarded with handmade washi and lacquered with urushi; weighs about 10 kg when empty and about 30 kg when fully loaded by the tsukebito; used by the sekitori and gyoji of at least juryo-kaku rank whose shikona is painted in large letters onto the sides to hold their most important equipment (mawashi, kesho-mawashi, change clothes, towels, snacks, drink bottles, books etc.) during the jungyo; shin-juryo's first akeni is donated to him by those members of his dokisei who still are active in ozumo; nowadays akeni are produced by a single artisan in Kyoto, see shibugami, furoshiki

Ake-Taka, era during the mid-1990's dominated by the yokozuna Akebono and Takanohana II, see Rin-Ko, Tochi-Waka, Haku-Ho, Ki-Rin, Kita-Tama, jidai

aki, autumn, see fuyu, natsu, haru

Aki Basho, honbasho held at Kokugikan in September

Akita, prefecture

amano, ozumo slang for a joke, originally a Meiji era rikishi famous for his anecdotes

ama-rikishi, amateur sumotori

Amaterasu, see Ama-terasu-Oh-mi-kami

Ama-terasu-Oh-mi-kami, sun goddess, the highest god of shinto to whom is dedicated the Ise-jingu shrine where all the yokozuna and riji visit annually

ama-yokozuna, very successful amateur senshu, an amateur sumo "yokozuna"

amazumo, amateur sumo

Amenominakanushi no kami, one of three gods to whom a rikishi shows his appreciation after winning a torikumi, see Takamimusubi no kami, Kamimusubi no kami, tegatana o kiru

amiuchi, the fisherman's throw, kimarite where the attacker will throw his aite behind him by pulling the aite's arm with both hands while twisting backwards; the technique resembles the traditional way of casting a Japanese fishing net; hence the name

ani-deshi, "elder brother", do-beya who has come to heya earlier, rikishi of higher rank, at least of sandanme, compare with otooto-deshi

anko, see anko-gata

anko-gata, rikishi of buxom build with high percentage of body fat, compare with soppu-gata

annai-jo, side entrance (of Ryogoku Kokugikan)

ao, colour that is not easily understood by a westerner, usually either green or blue but might even be grey, see ao-busa which might erroneously be called blue in some context

ao-busa, green decorative knot (fusa) that hangs above northeastern corner of dohyo symbolizing the green dragon Seiryu and spring, see aka-busa, shiro-busa, kuro-busa

aobusa-shita, northeastern corner of dohyo

Aomori, prefecture

appa, ozumo slang for wife (of your own)

aragushi

Araiso, heya which belongs to Nishonoseki ichimon and is lead by moto-komusubi Futagodake, located in Kunitachi-shi

Araiwa, historic todori of Osaka-Zumo without apparent counterpart in Nihon Sumo Kyokai, compare with Fujishima, Inagawa

Arakawa, see Arakida

Arakawa-ku, district of Tokyo where Kiriyama-beya and Musashigawa-beya are located

Arakida, locality where the clay from banks of Arakawa river in Saitama prefecture that was traditionally used to construct the dohyo at honbasho arenas was dug, see also Ibaraki where (Tsukuba Gakuen area) the clay used nowadays comes from

arashi, storm

ara-shio, coarse marine salt, see kiyome-jiro, shio-kago

Arashio, heya which belongs to Tokitsukaze ichimon, established in the summer 2002 and lead by moto-komusubi Ohyutaka, located in Chuo-ku

arasoi, contest for yusho; list of rikishi leading honbasho and their respective kuroboshi so far

aratame, expression used in banzuke to indicate a shikona change, e.g. Fictinohana (old shikona) aratame Imaginoumi (new shikona), see kaimei

areru, v., to storm, to get angry

Areru Haru Basho, "stormy basho", term sometimes used about Haru Basho in Osaka indicating the startling results often taking place there

Areru Osaka Basho, "stormy basho", term sometimes used about Haru Basho in Osaka indicating the startling results often taking place there

Arima, heya which is no longer active

Asagaya, locality, connection to sumo unknown as of this writing

asageiko, morning keiko

Asahi, brewery whose expedient bottles are used by the yobidashi to revise the dohyo

Asahiyama, heya which belongs to Tatsunami-Isegahama Rengo and is lead by moto-ozeki Daiyu, located in Koto-ku; originally historic todori of Osaka-Zumo

asajiki, see masu-seki

Asakayama, myoseki which belongs to Taiho-beya but for now doesn't belong to any shisho, see oyakata, heya-tsuki no oyakata, heya-mochi no oyakata

ashi, foot

ashi-barai, lift of aite's foot from the dohyo with a grip on his ham used in few kimarite, see watashi

ashihakobi, way of moving on the dohyo characteristic to rikishi in an effort to keep the center of gravity as low as possible

ashika, sea lion, nickname of moto-yokozuna Asahifuji Seiya

ashikuse, waza based on tripping an aite such as susoharai and sotogake; term has a slight connotation of curiosity, also treading with one's feet bent 45 degrees outwards (?), see ashi-waza, suri-ashi

ashitori, leg pick, kimarite, similar to a technique of the same name found in both amateur and professional wrestling in which the attacker takes his aite down by grabbing and lifting aite's leg with both hands

ashi-waza, collective term for waza applied to aite's legs

atama, head, see zu

atama wo tsukeru, v., to suppress aite's forward movement or attempt thereof by pressing one's head into his chest, compare with kuisagari

atari, rikishi's ability to uphold his will of winning and initiative during a torikumi; also the impact at the tachi-ai; hard atari is very impressive sight in ozumo.

ato-tatemitsu, rear vertical part of mawashi; in amateur sumo it's presumably against rules to grab it resulting in disqualification and kuroboshi, see yoko-mitsu, mae-mitsu, mae-tatemitsu

Atsuta, shrine where the three treasures (sword, jewel & mirror) given by the sun goddess to the first Emperor are said to be kept

a-un no kokyu, success of the rikishi in synchronizing their breathing rhythms before the beginning of the torikumi, bordering on telepathy

azukari, relatively usual historical practice to announce torikumi unresolved in a situation where it was impossible to know with any certainty which rikishi had won the torikumi; nowadays a torinaoshi will be arranged in such a situation, several times if needed

azuki, small red peas

azuma, see higashi

Azumazeki, heya which belongs to Takasago-ichimon and is lead by moto-sekiwake Takamiyama, located in Sumida-ku

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z

baiten, salespoints in Kokugikan, see chaya

ban, sumobout, see torikumi

Bankazu mo torisusumimashitaru tokoro, kataya <shikona 1>, konata <shikona 2>, kono sumo ichiban nite, honjitsu no uchidome, tategyoji's announcement to the audience that the torikumi about to begin is the last one of the tournament day, see next term

Bankazu mo torisusumimashitaru tokoro, kataya <shikona 1>, konata <shikona 2>, kono sumo ichiban nite, senshuraku (ni gozarimasu), tategyoji's announcement to the audience that the torikumi about to begin is the last one of the honbasho; ni gozarimasu is sometimes omitted, see previous term

banzai, lit. "Long live!", traditionally banzai yell is performed three times by the supporters of yusho winning rikishi after the honbasho when the rikishi poses for the media

banzen, perfection; apparently impeccability of a sumo technique

banzuke, an official calligraphy which determines the ranking of the rikishi, nowadays written by makuuchi-kaku Shikimori Toshihiro, published every two months usually on Monday thirteen days prior to the beginning of honbasho, see ita-banzuke, ebanzuke, Nen-Matsu-Nen-Shi

banzuke-gai, "outsider from the list", rikishi whose shikona is not yet included in the banzuke, see maezumo, shindeshi, makushita tsukedashi, kyakuseki, besseki

banzuke-hensei, creation of a new banzuke

banzuke hensei iinkai, see banzuke hensei kaigi

banzuke hensei kaigi, banzuke deciding kyokaicommittee (and its meetings)

banzuke hensei yakuinkai, see banzuke hensei kaigi

banzukehyo, see banzuke

bariki, "horse power", ozumo slang for alcohol

basho, long jungyo, often used interchangeably but erroneously with honbasho

basho-buton, sekitori's zabuton on which a hikae-rikishi sits while waiting for his torikumi to take place, brought to its place by sekitori's tsukebito

basho-iri, the arrival of rikishi, especially that of sekitori, to the honbasho arena

basho teate, sort of a fee paid to deshi every other month during a honbasho

basyo, another transcribing form of basho

Beikoku, United States of America

bento, lunchbox which along with its contents is included at least to the price of masu-seki tickets

besseki, temporary rikishi rank of the early 1930s, related to the upheaval of rebellious movement lead by sekiwake Tenryu, see Osaka Sumo Kyokai

bessuseki, see besseki

betsuseki, see besseki

beya, spelling form of the word heya, used when the word is preceded by another word, for instance the name of heya (heya, Futagoyama-beya)

bikkuri bikutori, surprise victory in a torikumi

binbou-gami, "god of poverty", two highest ranking rikishi in the juryo division, compare with maegashira hitto

bintsuke, fragrant camomile oil used for dressing rikishis' hair, see tokoyama, oh-ichoh-mage, chonmage, ginkgo

bofu, see boke

bojin, former word for rikishi that isn't used any more

boke, Mongolian form of grappling where victory is achieved by using different types of throwing and kicking techniques, resembles sumo in some ways, Kyokushuzan was a boke champion before entering ozumo, see ssirum

bonen-kai, festive season of the turn of the year, see Nen-Matsu-Nen-Shi

bosozoku, Japanese hobby of trimming up motorcycles, came more into public awareness when Chiyotaikai-zeki was promoted to ozeki, this hobby also has somewhat notorious reputation

box seki, box at Kokugikan, constituted by four Western style chairs and a round table, located behind massu-zeki seats looking from the dohyo, see isu-seki, tachi-seki, tamari-seki, jiyu-seki, sunakaburi

bu, tenth of a sun, ca. 3 mm, see shaku, rin, jyoo

buchi, an expression which strengthens the following word

buchikamashi, hard collision with aite at tachiai

bucho, amateur coach

bucho, oyakata acting at high level in kyokai, elected for fixed period at a time having specific areas of responsibility, compare with riji

buh, see boke

Bungei-Shunju, one of the biggest monthlies in Japan

Bunkyo-ku, district of Tokyo where Kabutoyama-beya is located

buraku, pariah class of Japanese society of about one to three million people, developed of practisioners of despised occupations like butchers and washers of corpses during Tokugawa Shogunate and their successors; still seems to be a sort of taboo amongst regular Japanese

busa, see fusa

bushido, see sumodo

butsudan, Buddhist home altar, see kamidana

butsudan-gaeshi, rare term for the kimarite of yobimodoshi

butsukari-geiko, a form a practise where the attacking rikishi charges towards the defending rikishi who tries to stop the attacker on his tracks before he is able to push him over the tawara; the losing rikishi leaves the dohyo and takes his place at the far end of the queue and the winner becomes the defending rikishi or in case winner was the defending rikishi the first rikishi of the queue replaces the lost attacking rikishi and charges towards the defender, see mune wo dasu, mune wo kariru, mune wo kasu

Byakko, see shiro-busa

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z

chahan

-chan, suffix added to the names of children, pets and close friends, see -sama, -san, -zeki, -kun, -oyakata

chanko, meal of chankonabe; also former word for the chanko-cho

chanko-ban, often relatively experienced and low ranking rikishi responsible for preparing chanko often under the guidance of okamisan, see ryokan

chanko-cho, the most experienced and skilled chanko-ban, a kind of chief cook of heya, see ryokan, okamisan

chanko-hako, box used on jungyo catered for in shifts by groups of young rikishi where chanko cauldron and other equipment related to preparation of chanko were kept

chankonabe, traditional sumo dish cooked in a large pot eaten with rice and beer; exact composition varies according to heya traditions and seasons, see chanko

chanko-ya, chanko restaurant often owned by a former rikishi, compare with ryokan, izakaya

chaya, teahouses in Kokugikan's north side part of which are owned by okamisan whose staff caters for most of the masu-seki seats

Chiba, prefecture

Chiba, native city of Matsugane-, Naruto-, Onomatsu- and Sadogatake-beya

chibiko-zumo, apparently synonym of kodomo-zumo

Chiganoura, heya which is no longer active

Chiganoura, myoseki which belongs to Kasugano-beya but for now doesn't belong to any shisho, see oyakata, heya-tsuki no oyakata, heya-mochi no oyakata

chiho-basho, honbasho held outside Tokyo, see Haru Basho, Nagoya Basho, Kyushu Basho

chiisana dai-yokuzuna, "small great yokozuna", designation of moto-yokozuna Tochigiyama Moriya (172 cm, 103 kg)

chikara ga hairu, fatigue during torikumi

chikara-gami, "power paper", paper used by the sekitori to cover their mouths when spitting chikara-mizu out, see mizu-oke

chikara-kaju, see chikara-mizu

chikara-kurabe, sumo style in which relatively large-sized rikishi compete favouring yotsu-zumo, literally a contest of strength

chikara-mizu, "power water", ladleful of water offered to the sekitori preparing for his torikumi by the winner of the previous torikumi or, in case the sekitori in his tozai side lost his own torikumi, by the sekitori that is about to participate in the next torikumi after him; spat out before entering the dohyo, see chikara-gami, mizu-oke, mizu-iri

chikara-mizu (w)o tsukeru, term for the whole ritual of taking chikara-mizu into the mouth and spitting it out while covering mouth with chikara-gami and wiping the lips with it

chiri-chozu, clapping the hands together during the shikiri and rubbing them; comes from times when the wrestlers cleared the earth they were to wrestle on with their hands

chiri-nabe, historically one of two different main variations of chankonabe, see soppu-daki, mizu-taki

chiri-o-kiru

Chitosegawa, heya which is no longer active

Chiyoda, see Akasaka

chongake, pulling heel hook, kimarite in which the attacker will hook his heel behind the defender's heel from the inside (left foot to left foot or right foot to right). As he pulls that leg towards him, he will grab the defender's arm on the same side and twist him sideways or backwards into the clay; rare kimarite executed only be  real leg technicians

chonmage, hair-do of the deshi that sekitori wear as well except for official occasions torikumi included, see oh-ichoh-mage, tokoyama, bintsuke

chontachi, when rikishi doesn't place both hands on shikirisen before tachi-ai

chouzu

chuban, the five middle days of honbasho, see tournament days, joban, shuban, nakabi

chubansen, see chuban

chubon, middleman arranging yaocho, see gachinko, mukiryoku, chusha

chu-butsukari, some kind of practice

chuumon-zumou,  sumo that doesn't turn out to be standard sumo; for example henka against a foe who is "asking for it" with his actions in the bout (like too much forward leaning sumo at the tachi-ai)

chuken, senshu who fights second in the three member amateur sumo team, see taisho, senpo

Chuo-ku, district of Tokyo where Arashio-beya is located

chusha, inquiry for arrangement of yaocho; also rikishi that has agreed to lose his torikumi, see gachinko, chubon, mukiryoku

chuumoku-no-ichiban, the most anticipated makuuchi torikumi of a honbasho day, literally "deserving most attention"

cyber rikishi, active sumo enthusiast in the Internet often with a shikona of his or her own and often participates different ozumo related games during honbasho

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z

daigaku, university (not a particular one)

daigappei, jungyo in which all rikishi of at least jonidan rank participate

dai-kan-jo, ceremony held twice annually during Edo-jidai(1603 - 1867) in which Sumo Kaisho paid salaries to oyakata and rikishi using masu as a measuring unit

dai-kinboshi, maegashira's kinboshi against dai-yokozuna

daikon, mild flavoured white radish often used for preparing chankonabe

daimyo, historical regional warlord, see shogun

Dai-Nippon Sumo Kyokai, see Nihon Sumo Kyokai

daisho, collective term for katana and waziyashi, the two swords of a samurai

Dai-Sumo Kansen, annual publication of phenomena close to ozumo like chankonabe restaurants etc.

daito, collective term for swords with length of over two shaku like katana and tachi, see shoto, waziyashi, tanto

Daito-ku, district of Tokyo where Isegahama- and Takasago-beya are located

dai-yokozuna, yokozuna who most often holds the rank of higashi sei-yokozuna; in some contexts the current higashi yokozuna; the best rikishi of his generation, see meijin-yokozuna

daizu, soyabean

damari, see tamari

dan, the more prestigious class of the two overall classes of amateur sumo, divided into subclasses, 1.dan, 2.dan,…, 10.dan which is the highest rank, compare with kyu

danpatsu, short hair, see danpatsu-shiki

danpatsu-shiki, emotional ceremony taking place about half a year after sekitori has withdrawn from active ozumo career, in which his male relatives, representatives of koenkai, fellow sekitori and finally his shisho use golden scissors to cut his oh-ichoh-mage, see tomebasami, haigyo, intai

Dantaisen

dashi, pushing of aite off the dohyo

dashinage, throwing aite without body contact with a pulling move with a grip on mawashi, see nage

datemochi, see tachimochi

datsuzei, tax evasion; in the context of ozumo especially the scandal which hindered Futagoyama-beya in the middle of the 1990's

Dazaifu, old name for the island of Kyushu

Dazaifu Temmangu, shrine in Fukuoka prefecture dedicated to the god of scholarship Sugawara-no-Michizane believed to be descendant to Sukune

deashi, rikishi's forward motion on the dohyo, especially the first step forcing aite backwards; also rikishi's ability to maintain his balance despite of forward leaning position; danger of becoming prone to henka and therefore hatakikomi, sokubiotoshi, hikiotoshi, okuridashi etc. techniques, see suri-ashi

de-ashi-baya, quick forward movement of the feet, essential for quality oshi attacks

de-bana

degeiko, training at a heya other than rikishi's own, see keiko, ichimon-geiko, rengogeiko

dekata, functionary of a chaya, literally an usher

dekichatta kekkon, marriage caused by an "accident"; happens also to rikishi sometimes

Dekiyama, heya which is no longer active

Dekiyama, myoseki which belongs to Dewanoumi-beya but for now doesn't belong to any shisho, see oyakata, heya-tsuki no oyakata, heya-mochi no oyakata

denkoban, scoreboard

denshamichi-sumo, "railway sumo", rikishi's ability to push his aite backwards and out of the dohyo straight from the tachiai; term was often used in context of ex-ozeki Dejima

dento, traditions, see kakushiki

deru, v., to advance, to move forward

deshi, rikishi student, young rikishi competing in lower divisions; also a collective term for all rikishi no matter what age who are not sekitori, ie. they compete in makushita division or lower (jonokuchi division being the lowest possible); sometimes term deshi is used for expressing the coach-athlete or teacher-student relationship of a rikishi and his oyakata, in this case deshi can be a rikishi at any rank, compare with shindeshi, toriteki, wakaishu

detai

dezuiri, old expression for yokozuna dohyo-iri, not used nowadays, see gata, shiranui-gata, unryu-gata, kanreki yokozuna dezuiri

Dewanoumi, one of the five ichimon

Dewanoumi, heya which belongs to Dewanoumi-ichimon and is led by moto-sekiwake Washuyama, located in Sumida-ku

diet, the parliament of Japan, see Shyugiin

(division), kyokai divides the approximately 800 rikishi in ozumo to six divisions which are, starting from the lowest one,  jonokuchi, jonidan, sandanme, makushita, juryo and makuuchi, see maezumo

dou-age, carrying and swinging up of a rikishi about to be promoted to the rank of ozeki or yokozuna on the shoulders of his stablemates once the official news of promotion has arrived in the heya

do-beya, rikishi from the same heya, see kyodai-deshi

doha, edge of the ring

dohyo, when referring to actual tournament dohyo; about 30 tons of weight, 540*540 cm of dimensions and 60 cm of height, made by the yobidashi out of special clay that has some sand in it, a sacred arena under tsuriyane bordered by half-embedded hyo on which the torikumi are fought; sometimes mistaken for the brink of the dohyo circle, the tawara; see Arakawa, Arakida, toku-dawara, kengamine, fumi-dawara, joubu-dawara, kado-dawara, soto-dawara, janome, dohyo matsuri, nijuudohyo

dohyo-biraki, ceremony resembling dohyo-matsuri in which a gyoji blesses the dohyo of a new heya and a yokozuna performs his dohyo-iri

dohyo-damari, eastern and western dohyo flanks where rikishi wait for their torikumi to start

dohyo-iri, presentation ceremony of juryo and makuuchi division sekitori, both tozai sides separately; at the presence of the emperor dohyo-iri is performed differently, see gozengakari; also dohyo-iri performed by active yokozuna at the beginning of every tournament day to purify the dohyo, see dezuiri, unryu-gata, shiranui-gata

dohyo jinsei, life on the dohyo; career as a rikishi

dohyo-jo, see dohyo

dohyo-matsuri, since Natsu Basho 2000 publicly open ceremony at 10 AM on Saturday the day before shonichi where the other tategyoji, one makuuchi-kaku and one juryo-kaku sanctify the dohyo; a square hole of about 15 cm depth is dug at the center of the dohyo and filled with washed rice, nuts of Torreya nucifera tree, salt, calmar, alga and chestnuts (shizumemono)

dohyo mawashi, mawashi used in torikumi, see shimekomi, compare with keiko mawashi, kesho-mawashi

dohyo no oni, literally "demon of the dohyo", nickname for Wakanohana I for his magnificent fighting spirit and tenacity on the dohyo

dohyo saho, conduct on the dohyo

dohyougiwa, see kengamine

dojo, historically a coaching ring set up by a still active rikishi that eventually separated to a heya of its own, see nimai-kansatsu

dokisei, rikishi who began their ozumo careers in the same honbasho; literally a classmate, see akeni

dokkoi-sho, yell of appreciation from the audience when yokozuna stamps down during his dohyo-iri ceremony

Dokuhaku, moto-yokozuna Wakanohana Masaru's jiden from the year 2000

donsu, damask, old term for kesho-mawashi

doro-gi, clothes rikishi wear when they have their belt (obi?) on

dosanko, Hokkaidonese, originally word dosanko meant a breed of horse from Hokkaido

dosukoi, sumo exclamation, see aaa-dosukoi-dosukoi-to

dotage

dotai, situation where both rikishi fall or step out of the dohyo practically speaking at the same time and the winner of the torikumi is impossible to be determined, hence a torinaoshi is ordered

dou, a mark used in banzuke to indicate repetitition of a ranking; literally "same"

douki, rikishi belonging to the same dokisei

doumon, rikishi from the same ichimon

doutai, see dotai

doutai tori-naoshi, see torinaoshi

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z

ebanzuke, unofficial illustrated banzuke published by e.g. newspapers

ebisuko ga tsuyoi, rikishi with a cavernous appetite

eboshi, black headwear of the gyoji and shinto priests; literally raven hat

Edagawa, heya which is no longer active

Edagawa, myoseki which belongs to Tokitsukaze-beya but for now doesn't belong to any shisho, see oyakata, heya-tsuki no oyakata, heya-mochi no oyakata; originally historic todori of Osaka-Zumo

Edo, ancient name of Tokyo

Edo-jidai, historical era of 1603 - 1867

Edogawa-ku, district of Tokyo where Isenoumi-, Kagamiyama-, Nakamura-, Oitekaze-, Takadagawa- and Takashima-beya are located

edokko, true Tokyoite

Ehime, prefecture

Ekoin, Buddhist temple in the neighbourhood of the original Kokugikan built in 1909; honbashos took place on its area during 1808-1906, see Josetsukan

engishiki, wooden figures of sumo wrestlers, thousand years old

enka, traditional Japanese music style

erebeta-rikishi, "elevator rikishi" who tends to achieve kachi-koshi among those generally weaker than him only to get promoted higher to a rank where he tends to succumb to make-koshi among those generally stronger than him; effect is more pronounced when there are division changes involved

ESU, European Sumo Union

Ezo, historical name for Hokkaido

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z

fan ni shitsurei, "disrespectful to fans", expression used for rikishi's shunned methods of trying to win a torikumi; often used for a henka committed by a high ranking rikishi

fuchima

fugu, delicious but poisonous fish; it is forbidden to use fugu as an ingredient in chankonabe but it is nevertheless used sometimes due to its amazingly delicious taste

fu-iri, "not entering", lack of audience

Fujigane, heya which is no longer active

Fujigane, myoseki which belongs to Kagamiyama-beya but for now doesn't belong to any shisho, see oyakata, heya-tsuki no oyakata, heya-mochi no oyakata

Fujisaki, heya which is no longer active

Fujisawa, one of the basho

Fujishima, heya which is no longer active; merged with Futagoyama-beya; the original heya of Hanada yokozuna brothers

Fujishima, myoseki which belongs to Futagoyama-beya but for now doesn't belong to any shisho, see oyakata, heya-tsuki no oyakata, heya-mochi no oyakata; originally historic todori of Osaka-Zumo that later changed into Oshima

fujomake, unravelment of mawashi during torikumi and the resulting kuroboshi, see isamiashi, koshikudake, morodashi

Fukagawa, area in Koto-ku where Tomioka Hachimangu is located

Fukui, prefecture

fuku-kaicho, vice chairman (of koenkai or Yokozuna shingi iinkai), see kaicho, iincho

Fukuoka, city on the island of Kyushu, host city of honbasho in November

Fukuoka, prefecture

Fukuoka International Center, English name of the arena of November's honbasho

Fukuoka Kokusai Sentaa, Japanese name of the arena of November's honbasho

Fukuoka Kokusai Sentaa, arena where the Kyushu Basho is held in November; capacity 8891 spectators

Fukushima, prefecture

fukutategyoji, the less prestigious gyoji of the two highest ranked gyoji (tategyoji), rank established in 1951; recognised from the costume's purple-white shibusa knots, see Shikimori Inosuke, Kimura Shonosuke

fukutateyobidashi, second (and sometimes also third) highest ranking yobidashi

Fumareta mugi wa tsuyoku naru, moto-ozeki Kirishima Kazuhiro's 228-page jiden from 1996, translated into French; literally a proverb "wheat that gets stepped on grows stronger"

fumidashi, rear step out, one of five situations in which a rikishi can win a torikumi without actually initiating a kimarite; situation where the defending rikishi accidentally steps back over the edge without the attacker initiating any kind of technique; most likely to happen when the defender is getting ready to launch a counterattack from that position; recorded outside official listing of winning techniques and introduced with the 2001 winning technique list expansion, see isamiashi, okuriashi, tsukite, tsukihiza, koshikudake

fumi-dawara, ten tawara of the agaridan on the dohyo edge

fumikomi, efficient and stable forward motion at the tachiai, see buchikamashi, deashi

fumikoshi, former and unofficial expression for fumidashi

fumu, stamping the foot on the ground in shiko

Funabashi-shi, district of Chiba where Matsugane-beya is located

funbari, rikishi's ability to hold his ground on the dohyo despite his aite's attempts to move him

funbari ga ii, rikishi with good funbari

funbari ga warui, rikishi with bad funbari

funbaru, v., to hold one's ground against aite's attempts

fundoshi, traditional Japanese underwear; an unofficial expression for mawashi; also worn under kesho-mawashi

fundoshi-katsugi, mockery but in a well-meaning way; expression for the heya's lowest ranking rikishi who in addition to his own also takes care of his do-beyas' mawashi; sometimes the term is used for general word for all the rikishi in two (?) lowest divisions

funori, alga whose extract is used to stiffen sekitori's sagari

fure, ancient term for the yobidashi, see nanori

fure-daiko, the procedure of yobidashi where they play special taiko rhytms while walking around the dohyo 3 times after dohyo-matsuri and then out onto the streets to announce and advertise the beginning of the honbasho; also the special taiko-rhytms see yose-daiko, taiko, yagura

furigana, way of writing small hiragana or occasionally katakana syllable marks next to difficult kanji characters so that also the ones who don't yet know kanji well enough can understand the text; with proper nouns furigana is used to make sure that the name is interpreted correctly by people who master kanji since even they can't always be sure how the kanji of a name is exactly read

Furitsukaikan, see Osaka Furitsu Taiikukan

Furiwake, heya which is no longer active

Furiwake, myoseki which belongs to Takasago-beya but for now doesn't belong to any shisho, see oyakata, heya-tsuki no oyakata, heya-mochi no oyakata

furo, see ofuro

furoba, bathroom into which rikishi go after keiko in the order of their rank to soak in bath, see ofuro

furoshiki, a big square-shaped cloth that at one time was substitute for akeni, senshuraku excluded

furumai-nabe

fusa, decorative knots of different colours, length of 230 cm and weight of 25 kg, hanging from the corners of tsuriyane according to intercardinal points; symbolising four seasons and four gods who protect the inviolability of the dohyo; until 1952 tsuriyane was held up by the shihon-bashira; grammatically correct form of the word is fusa which changes to busa when a prefix is added, see aka-busa, ao-busa, kuro-busa, shiro-busa, mizuhikimaku, agemaki

fusen, cancelled torikumi due to absence of the other rikishi, see fusenpai, fusensho

fusempai, see fusenpai

fusenhai, see fusenpai

fusenpai, kuroboshi in torikumi due to inability to show up usually because of an injury, see fusensho, shutsujo

fusensho, shiroboshi in torikumi due to aite's injury (usually) in previous day's torikumi and hence his inability to show up to wrestle

Futabayama, heya (or dojo?) which is no longer active; also legendary yokozuna

Futa factor, in some people's opinion unfair advantage to rikishi who have many strong and high-ranking do-beya and hence benefit from heya-betsu so-atari rule for not having to fight against each other with an exception of kettei-sen and tomoe-sen; on the other hand heya-betsu so-atari also has the opposite effect (jiriki); named after the strongest heya of the 1990's, Futagoyama (yokozuna Takanohana and Wakanohana, ozeki Takanonami and often other sanyaku ranking rikishi), see torikumi hensei yoryo, Magaki effect

Futagoyama, heya which belongs to Nishonoseki-ichimon and is lead by moto-ozeki Takanohana, located in Edogawa-ku, see Fujishima

futaketa, double digit (at least ten shiroboshi or kuroboshi) record in honbasho, essential for example when granting sansho awards

futokoro-ga-fukai, rikishi with deep armpits, long reach, long limbs and good flexibility, it is harder than on average to move or throw rikishi with these characteristics

futon, pad spread on tatami

futsuka-me, second day of honbasho, see tournament days

fuyu, winter, see aki, haru, natsu

Fuyu Basho, see Hatsu Basho

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z

gabburi-yori, pushing aite backwards with one's torso (basically stomach) while both rikishi have a grip on each other's mawashi

gachinko, rikishi who refuses to take part in preorchestrated torikumi, see yaocho, chubon, mukiryoku, chusha

gaijin, foreign, non-Japanese, see nihonjin

gaikokujin, more polite form of gaijin

gairaigo, loanwords in Japanese language

gaito, cloak worn over kimono

gake, see kake

gakusei rikishi, student rikishi; apparently one of university level

gakusei yokozuna, "amateur yokozuna", university champion of which many (most?) move onto ozumo and are allowed to debut at the rank of makushita tsukedashi

gaman, patience (to wait for aite's mistake), self control, stamina

gaman suru, v. to be patient, see gaman

gambare, see gambatte

gambatte, encouragement shouts from the audience

ganbarimasu, "I will do my best.", rikishi's almost automatic persuasion in an interview how he will do his best in the coming torikumi

ganbaru, ability to give one's best even in the most adverse situations

gappuri-yotsu, see ai-yotsu

gasshohineri, clasped hand twist down, kimarite which can be done from a one hand inside, one hand outside grip but would more commonly be used when the attacker has achieved a double inside grip. From this position, the attacker would clasp his hands behind the defender's back and twist him down and over. Gasshohineri was also called tokkurinage but that technique name is now used for a variation that has become one of the 12 techniques added in the 2001 winning technique list expansion.

Gasshuku, practice camp

gata, two different styles of yokozuna dohyo-iri ceremony, see shiranui-gata, unryu-gata, kanreki yokozuna dezuiri

gedan, lower body

gekirei-kai, feast arranged by a heya to celebrate new deshi

gekkyu, basic allowance of rikishi that is usually a relatively small part of his total income

gen, expression most closely translatable to luck; believing in not changing routines in preparing for the torikumi unless there's a good reason to attempt changing one's fortunes, see gen o katsugu, gen-naoshi

gen ga ii, gen is good

gen ga warui, gen is bad

gen o katsugu, keeping gen on one's side during a winning streak by for example ignoring shaving, compare with gen-naoshi

Genbu, see kuro-busa

genkan, porch where outdoor shoes are changed to indoor shoes

genki, rikishi in good shape, see tsuyoi, compare with yowai

genki ja nai, not genki

gen-naoshi, reversing adverse gen to advantageous one by for example changing the colour of the mawashi, praying to kami-sama, shaving thoroughly, changing the sagari, washing old bintsuke off thoroughly and ultimately by changing one's shikona, compare with gen o katsugu

geta, Japanese wooden sandals worn by the toriteki, see tabi, zori, compare with setta

Gifu, prefecture

gimboshi, see ginboshi

ginboshi, "silver star", officially meaningless shiroboshi by a rikishi ranked below komusubi over an ozeki in a honbasho torikumi, see kinboshi

ginkgo, maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba) whose leaf sekitoris' oh-ichoh-mage hairstyle resembles, see chonmage, tokoyama, bintsuke

gino-sho, technique award, the most prestigious sansho award bestowed on senshuraku to the most technically able rikishi who managed most clearly to impose his aite to utilize fighting styles most suitable for him to counteract; often not bestowed at all (once in five (?) consecutive honbasho), see kanto-sho, shukun-sho

gishiki, ceremony, ritual

go-aisatsu, rijicho's welcoming speech to audience on shonichi

gobo, burdock, ingredient of chankonabe (?)

godanme, historic division most closely corresponding to current jonokuchi

Gofuku, heya in Kyushu that is no longer active

Gogatsu Basho, May honbasho, see Natsu Basho

go-hei, rare term for the five zigzagging stripes hanging from tsuna symbolizing lightnings; possibly same word as the next one, see shide

gohei, a shinto symbol erected onto the dohyo after keiko has finished; a wooden stick with white paper or cloth shaped like go-hei wrapped around

gohiiki, patronage between a rikishi and his supporter

gohkai, exciting, energetic and pleasurable way to audience to fight sumo

Go-Ichi Kumi

gomen fuda, historical (during Edo-jidai?) permission from the (religious?) authorities to arrange a sumo tournament

gomen koumuru, lit. receiving permission, see gomen fuda

gonin nuki, form of hana-zumo where a rikishi attempts to wrestle five opponents simultaneously

go no sen, phrase describing a perfect tachiai; roughly means to take delayed action but yet getting the initiative; it was said that legendary yokozuna Futabayama had perfect go no sen, he never committed matta and let his foe start the bout but was nevetheless able to take initiative from the start of the clash and lead the bout

Goshoguruma, heya which is no longer active

Goshonoura, heya which is no longer active

goshugi, unofficial donations to sekitori from his supporters (koenkai, tomonokai, tanimachi) which make their exact income impossible to know precisely

gotchan, see gottsuan

gotohchi-zumo, local rikishi, a crowd favourite, see otoko

gottsuan, "thank you", expression of sumo slang

gozengakari, exceptional dohyo-iri of the makuuchi division while a member or members of the Imperial family are present in which the rikishi gather onto the dohyo in rows and queues facing the Imperial stand instead of gathering around the tawara in order to not turn their backs to the Emperor

gumbai, meticulously handicrafted, possibly several generations old wooden fan used by the gyoji to mark out the winner of the torikumi, the rank of the gyoji can be deduced from his gumbai; resembles the fan of the ancient warlords, see Kimura, Shikimori

gumbai-uchiwa, see gumbai

gumbai wo kaesu, turning the gumbai to show the rikishi that the preparation time is over and torikumi is to be started without delay

Gumma, see Gunma

gunbai, see gumbai

gunbaidōri, lit. according to the gumbai, decision of the shimpan gathered in kyougi that gyoji's judgement was the correct one, see torinaoshi, sashi-chigae, mono-ii

Gunma, prefecture

guru-guru, agile rikishi's attempt to derive benefit from his greater speed relative to his aite by attacking him at unusual angles in an effort to gain an advantageous mawashi or leg grip

gyakuten, shiroboshi of a rikishi who was (very) close to losing the torikumi at some point

gyaku-tottari, see sakatottari

gyoen, see jingu

gyoji, referee who officiates the torikumi; belongs to a heya; maximum number of the gyoji is 45; they are divided into eight ranks (tategyoji, sanyaku-kaku, makuuchi-kaku, juryo-kaku, makushita-kaku, sandanme-kaku, jonidan-kaku, jonokuchi-kaku), see Kimura, Shikimori

gyoji-beya, locker room of the gyoji and the yobidashi (at Kokugikan), previously a heya specialized in training gyoji

gyoji-matta, break during torikumi due to bad bleeding, loosened mawashi or any other event that needs urgent attention and treatment

gyoji sashi-chigae, see sashi-chigae

gyoji-tamari, gyoji waiting for his torikumi on the tamari

gyouji, see gyoji

A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P R S T U W Y Z

haafu, "half", when referred to person it means half-Japanese for example like in case of ex-makuuchi Sentoryu

hachimaki, cloth wrapped around the head; used for instance in the first tsunauchi-shiki of shin-yokozuna

Hachiman, god of war

Hachimangu, shrine where shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo (1148-99) arranged torikumi

Hadaka no Konishiki, moto-ozeki Konishiki Yasokichi's jiden from 1998

hadashi, barefoot, see geta

hage-san, bald man, most balding rikishi retire before making oh-ichoh-mage or chonmage becomes impossible

hai, (pai), loss in a torikumi, compare with sho, see kuroboshi

haigyo, withdrawal from kyokai after retirement from active sumo; expression is disappearing, see intai, jun-toshiyori, ichidai toshiyori, danpatsu-shiki

haigyo todoke, report delivered to kyokai about the conclusion of a rikishi's active career, see haigyo, intai

haisui no jin, proverd meaning "A precipice in front, a wolf behind"

hakama, wide pants made out of foldknit, see haori, kimono

hakataobi, belt of kimono, see obi

hakesaki, front part of oh-ichoh-mage shaped like a ginkgo leaf

haki-otoshi, lit. sweeping drop, dropping aite onto dohyo with a sweeping motion

hakite, touching dohyo with hand during torikumi, followed by kuroboshi, see fumikoshi

Hakkaku, heya which belongs to Takasago-ichimon and is lead by moto-yokozuna Hokutoumi, located in Sumida-ku

hakke-yoi, gyoji's encouragement yell at rikishi who don't show enough initiative to execute kimarite, see mizu-iri, nokotta

hakobiashi, "duck" walk done with bent knees while leaning to a mate walking in front of oneself to strengthen thighs and improve balance

hakozen, lunches apportioned by Sumo Kaisho to the rikishi of three top divisions until 1897

Hakubutsukan, see Kuramae Kokugikan(?)

Haku-ho, era during the 1960's dominated by yokozuna Taiho and Kashiwado, see Rin-Ko, Tochi-Waka, Ake-Taka, Kita-Tama, Ki-Rin, jidai

Hamakaze, heya which is no longer active

Hamakaze, myoseki which belongs to Nishonoseki-beya but for now doesn't belong to any shisho, see oyakata, heya-tsuki no oyakata, heya-mochi no oyakata

hamon, blade of sword

hampa-zumo, lit. incomplete sumo

Hanakago, heya which belongs to Nishonoseki-ichimon and is lead by moto-sekiwake Daijuyama, located in Sumida-ku

hanamichi, "flowerpath", path leading from shitaku-beya to dohyo, see higashi hanamichi, nishi hanamichi

hanare, collective term for various pushing techniques, compare with kumi

Hanaregoma, heya which belongs to Nishonoseki-ichimon and is lead by moto-ozeki Kaiketsu, located in Suginami-ku

hanarete sumo wo toru, sumo where bodies of the rikishi are apart, not in contact, see oshi-zumo, compare with kunde sumo wo toru

hanareru, v. to maintain distance, see hanarete sumo wo toru

hanashite, some kind of practice

hanayome, bride, see tsuno kakushi

hana-zumo, sumo which doesn't have any effect on banzuke rankings, ie. any sumo tournament or happening honbasho excluded, especially sumo performed in humorous or showlike manner, see shokkiri, gonin nuki

hane, older expression for tsuppari?

hane-daiko, request for the spectators to leave the arena and come back the next day (naturally senshuraku and one-day happenings excluded); performed by playing yagura-daiko after the torikumi are finished, see ten-den bara-bara, yose-daiko, Sumida

hanko, unique seal or stamp of heraldically high standard used for making documents official and often as a guarantee that tegata by heya's sekitori are genuine; every heya has a unique hanko, see shikishi

hanmi, position that is highly reflexive for many rikishi and very convenient for defensive sumo; rikishi extends his other leg far behind the other one being bent in front, makes offensive sumo difficult to perform, not very liked style by kyokai's officials

hanmi-shikiri, way of crouching to tachiai so that the other leg is slightly further away from the shikiri-sen; amongst others moto-yokozuna Tochinishiki used to do this, usually considered a habit of technically brilliant rikishi, compare with hanmi

hansoku, illegal moves and occurances in torikumi, kuroboshi is immediate if any of these occur; punches with a clinched fist, bending aite's fingers to unnatural positions, intentional pulling of hair, striking aite's both ears with open hands at the same time, biting, poking the eyes intentionally, grapping the vertical part of mawashi through sagari, strangling (compare with nodo-wa), kicking above the knees and unraveling of mawashi, see fujomake, morodashi

hansokumake, loss by hansoku

haori, Japanese knee-length coat; in most heya at least sandanme rank is required for the right to wear haori, in some heya makushita rank is required, see hakama, kimono

haori-hakama, combination of haori and hakama

hara, stomach

Harajuku, district of Tokyo where Meiji-jingu is located; shin-yokozuna performs traditionally his first dohyo-iri there

haran, chaos; unpredictable situation concerning overall results especially during the last days of honbasho

haridashi, nowadays (since 1995) unofficial attribute which is possibly added to no lower than yaku-rikishi's rank when there are at least two rikishi above him at the same rank, his tozai rank depending on the amount of higher ranked haridashi rikishi; for instance third yokozuna (haridashi higashi yokozuna) and at the same time in banzuke a third ozeki (haridashi nishi ozeki); at one time haridashi could also mean rikishi who didn't have a rank in banzuke but who were allowed to participate in honbasho back then (for example some huge men with abnormalities were sometimes allowed to participate since they aroused spectators' curiosity; they didn't have a chance against trained real rikishi though), see sei, compare with kyakuseki

harimanage, backward belt throw, kimarite, sacrifice technique usually done as a last ditch throw at the edge. The attacker will throw his opponent behind him by reaching over the opponent's shoulder to grab the mawashi from behind and then pull him past his own body while twisting into him. The name comes from the image of a weak wave hitting a rock and then drifting past it.

harite, open handed strikes aimed at aite's face, see nodo-wa, tsuppari

haru, spring, see aki, fuyu, natsu

Haru Basho, honbasho held in Osaka in March

hashira, post, pillar, see shihon-bashira

hassou-tobi, rare jump upwards at the tachiai by a rikishi attempting to surprise his forward leaning charging aite, when the move works it is a real crowd-pleaser and can be a spectacular way of winning; the originator of the term into sumo was moto-yokozuna Wakanohana I, originates from the story of Yoshitsune from Genji-Heishi war (1185) where according to legend Yoshitsune jumped from one enemy boat to another juking enemies around, it was said he could jump over eight boats (hassou no fune), nowadays Hayateumi has started to use this jump as part of his sumo repertoire

Hatachiyama, heya which belongs to Dewanoumi-ichimon and is lead by moto-ozeki Hokutenyu, located in Sumida-ku

hataki, pressing or slapping aite downwards towards the dohyo, see hataku

hatakikomi, slap down, kimarite, one of sumo's most common techniques and often seen at the tachiai or initial charge. The attacker will shift away as his opponent charges in with his head too low. As he shifts, he will slap the opponent's shoulder, back or arm with one or both hands, forcing him to touch the surface of the ring with his hand or hands.

hataku, v. press downwards, see hataki

hatsu, num. first

Hatsu Basho, honbasho in Kokugikan in January

hatsu-dohyo, first ozumo torikumi in which rikishi is fighting for the first time or gyoji is refereeing for the first time

hatsu-kao-awase, first mutual (makuuchi) torikumi between two rikishi

hatsu-yusho, rikishi's first (makuuchi saiko) yusho

hazu, armpit, crucial in hazu-oshi where palm is placed flat against foe's chest while all fingers except the thumb are in the armpit fo the foe

hazuoshi, push aimed at aite's armpit, usually targeted upwards in order to lift aite's centre of gravity

hazu-shi

hebon-shiki, Hepburn style romanisation of Japanese; the most usual of few alternative ones

Heisei, Emperor Akihito's nengô (January 7th, 1989 -)

henka, avoiding aite's attack by dodging to the side, often done at the tachiai in pursuit of hatakikomi win; many consider resorting to henka being disgraceful and not good sumo, compare with inashi

henka-waza, term for henka used for emphasizing the nature of henka as a technique of its own although henka itself is never an official kimarite

heya, ozumo stable, one of presently 54 which are divided into five ichimon, see also beya

heya-betsu so-atari, rule preventing torikumi between rikishi from the same heya, kettei-sen and tomoe-sen excluded, compare with ichimon-betsu so-atari, kazoku-betsu so-atari, kojin-betsu so-atari, aibeya

Heya-Betsu Zen Sumo-Jin Mei-kan, lit. Complete Directory of Sumo Men, special edition of over 100 pages published every January and July by magazine Sutera listing detailed information of every person in kakkai with every heya separately listed

heyagashira, heya's highest ranked (active) rikishi

heya-mochi no oyakata, oyakata who owns his heya, shisho, compare with heya-tsuki no oyakata

heya-tsuki no oyakata, oyakata who doesn't own heya but belongs to a heya owned by some other oyakata (i.e. shisho), compare with heya-mochi no oyakata

hidari, left, see migi

hidari-gata, eastern team of sechie-zumo, see migi-gata, tozai

hidarikiki, rikishi who prefers left-sided grips, compare with migikiki

hidari-sashi, compare with migi-sashi

hidari-uwate, left hand inside, right hand outside grip, compare with migi-uwate

hidariyotsu, rikishis' grips on each others' mawashi so that left hands are inside, compare with migiyotsu; see uwate, shitate, morozashi, ai-yotsu, kenka-yotsu, tokui-yotsu

Hidenoyama, heya which is no longer active