Naganoyama

Raiden has lots of graves. Most famous is Raiden-hi tombstone near Shigeno.

Or perhaps until he makes Ozeki? (Off-topic: Kitao wanted to keep his own name but was told he would not be promoted to Yokozuna under his own name even if he scored 17 wins in the basho)

...lived in Japan for a long time (and do you even have a Japanese wife?) ... Perhaps this phrase may contain the seeds of a good idea Mojo. Perhaps what you need to kick-start your Japanese is to go to Japan and get a Japanese girlfriend. I hope this does not offend you as a suggestion. I don't mean it to. I obviously don't know how difficult this would be. Perhaps you could get enrolled on some sort of course (perhaps with a less demanding language requirement than a University degree) in order to get a visa. Sorry to be so unspecific, but a good way to learn a language is to need to use it to talk to someone special.

I suppose White Phoenix is quite a good name for a boat.

It was a good story and a good picture. If I hadn't logged in expecting an April Fool it might have given me some alarm. :-D

He certainly seems to be trying to behave how they want him to. It seems a bit hard that he gets so little credit for it.

...although only with the permission of the Oyakata, as the Takanohana/Takatoriki story showed. :-P Edit: I must have had this window open for a while so I didn't see that Doitsu-san had already replied to this.

Normally Tosanoumi just says his piece at the beginning and isn't drawn into discussion of it. :-P Toyozakura might not mind this on the evidence of his bout with Tamakasuga - he is quite capable of keeping the discussion going on his own. :-)

Wow, yes! It looks like there might be bad blood between those two. Didn't Adachi-san say that Asanowaka was stand-offish in keiko. Seems like he might be an unpopular little g (Censored) t

It must be very difficult, at a young age, to go from being just a sportsman/athlete (which is an easy and natural role for a young person and for which there are role models all over the world) to - being a sort of 'religious symbol' - being addressed as Yokozuna - being constantly deferred to as the most important person - bathing first, eating first, entering first, leaving first - having your bottom wiped with the best silk :-P etc Suddenly he is expected to know how to behave in every circumstance. I don't think you are off-track at all Kai-san.

I say that if they have been nagging at Asashoryu for two years about this, then Ms Uchidate would have said that in her statement. Surely she wouldn't have refrained from commenting on such obvious misbehaviour?

This was why I asked the question, in another thread, whether Kitanoumi was attempting to pull a little bit of power back from the YDC.

Do you know BTW that his shikona comes from the name of his father's fishing boat?

I don't think it was purely luck (although luck certainly played a part). Watching Asashoryu's bouts from this basho, there were quite a few (in contrast to the Hatsu Basho) in which his aite was able to make the first attacking move and in some cases move Asashoryu right back towards the tawara. Somehow he looks like he has lots of time, as if the other rikishi is operating in slow-motion. He is definitely able to "think on his feet" (i.e. work out what to do in real-time). For me, he developed as much during this basho as he did in the last. It is quite a test of character to come through in such style when not on the same sparkling form he displayed in Hatsu Basho. Hatsu looked easy. This was in some ways more impressive. Sorry, I see that I have moved off the topic.

Adachi-san sent me one last time round. I had previously only seen pictures of it in books and on the internet. I had a real thrill holding it in my hand and a lot of pleasure poring over it to see what I could recognise. (Much easier with a dual-script banzuke in one hand although some of you might consider it cheating on my part! ;-)). So I can definitely recommend it on my part. (And although I originally thought I would only ask for the one, I find myself quite happily in on this round too).

Perhaps what I said was not very clear. I wasn't trying to imply that it was definite or hugely likely that either Kaio or Chiyotaikai was going to get 13+ wins with the level of power or whatever that Kitanoumi wants. I was only trying to say that if both rikishi were in the promotion race at the same time, given that they are the strongest Ozeki most of the time (no disrespect to Tochiazuma), it seems that the odds are improved that one of them can make the grade. Kitanoumi seems on the face of it to be trying to encourage them. (Although perhaps one needs to treat his statements with caution). (Incidentally, I had done my homework and was well aware that the two rikishi betwwen them have less than a handful of 13+ win basho since January 2002. B-) . Your 50% figure was, as you know, generous in the extreme!)

Fair point. Actually I don't really care whether he knows the speech by heart. I am much more concerned by it being the same every time. A few changes each basho would be much more interesting. (And I know Sumo is an ancient sport with traditions. I just don't think this particular one is worthwhile. B-) )

Surprising since they are virtually identical every time. I have difficulty not knowing them off by heart. How come he doesn't?

Thanks for this. I have often wondered where some of the shikona come from. (Sigh...)

This does seem like a sort of scam to get a Japanese Yokozuna. What is the likelihood that neither Kaio nor Chiyotaikai gets at least Jun-Yusho and 13 wins next time? Reasonably low I would say. The NSK can't make a Yokozuna promotion for a Japanese Ozeki a dead cert but they can try and improve their chances. Also making the criteria a bit more woolly allows them to decide what they want rather than allowing it to be an automatic Yes/No. Are they trying to pull back a bit of power from the Yokoshin?

Yes.

I am surprised you leave out Asasekiryu. Any particular reason?

Caption: A strange time to start Matawari, Ryuji!

Well done Mongolians (Eh?) (In love...)

Hakuho won the Juryo playoff cellspacing="0"> Afterday 15, March 2004, Makuuchi division scores are: Wins Rikishi Shikona 15 1 Asashoryu 14 0 - 13 3 Chiyotaikai, Kaio,Asasekiryu 12 0 - 11 1 Kotonowaka 10 1 Kyokutenho 9 5 Musoyama, Hokutoriki,Takekaze, Harunoyama, Kaiho 8 9 Wakanosato, Miyabiyama,Tochinonada, Tokitsuumi, Takamisakari, Buyuzan, Kokkai, Kotoryu, Toki 7 6 Kotomitsuki, Dejima,Iwakiyama, Tochisakae, Ushiomaru, Futeno 6 5 Kakizoe, Shimotori,Tamanoshima, Toyozakura, Yotsukasa 5 4 Tosanoumi, Takanonami,Kasuganishiki, Asanowaka 4 3 Kyokushuzan, Jumonji,Kinkaiyama 3 2 Aminishiki, Chiyotenzan 2 1 Wakanoyama 1 0 - 0 0 - cellspacing="0"> Afterday 15, March 2004, Juryo division scores are: Wins Rikishi Shikona 15 0 - 14 0 - 13 0 - 12 2 Hayateumi, Hakuho 11 0 - 10 3 Takanowaka, Kasugao, Ama 9 3 Kobo, Takanotsuru,Bushuyama 8 6 Tamakasuga, Wakatoba,Kaido, Kitazakura, Sumanofuji, Tokitenku 7 6 Otsukasa, Gojoro,Tamarikido, Hamanishiki, Dewanofuji, Wakakosho 6 3 Oikari, Roho, Towanoyama 5 2 Daimanazuru, Ichinotani 4 0 - 3 2 Juzan, Masutsuyoshi 2 0 - 1 0 - 0 0 - <