sumojoann

This video is perplexing. It lasts only 8 seconds, but one of the comments mentions something interesting happening at 3:40. Hmmm! This is taken from a French documentary titled "Les Archives en Couleurs --- Images Japonaises". It's sold on French Amazon but since I don't read French, I'm not sure if it's actually still available for purchase.

This video shows old photos illustrating sumo wrestling from 1890-1950.

This video was filmed in Yokohama in 1949. In the first match, one of the wrestlers looks as tall as Kotooshu!

Wow!! This footage is from an old film!!! There is no indication of the year it was released. I LOVE the accompanying music! Does anyone know the name of this music??

This video is more modern. One of the comments said it's circa 1960 and featured Taiho and was probably an exhibition. (I should probably change the title of my thread since these archival videos are from different eras).

Here's some really old archival footage from around the early 1900's. Is this real??

Here is a clip from 1914-1918 of sumo matches taking place on a ship!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiNchaVQJKM Here is another vintage video that has an old clip of a sumo match. It starts at 1:32 minutes. Please ignore the beginning of the video. It features Hitler and some Brownshirts.

Here is a CNN interview with Asashoryu in which he speaks English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nihw3_rZvcI In this interesting video, which is a compilation of 2019 Aki Basho PR by several Makuuchi Rikishi, Tomokaze can be heard saying, "Nice to meet you" with a perfect accent to someone out of camera range. Don't know if that is the extent of his English, though!

Just in the last few days (I can't remember which thread this was in), someone (maybe his Oyakata) said that Kakuryu speaks better Japanese than a lot of the Japanese Rikishi.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/10/29/commentary/japan-commentary/japanese-trouble-learning-english/#.XVfzM7ixOCk Here is a link to the Japan Times article (in English) I mentioned in my previous post.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-language_education_in_Japan If anyone is interested, here is a detailed explanation of English language education in Japan. It discusses why Japanese children have such a hard time learning English and conversing in it. Instruction will begin in Third Grade starting in 2020.

I was just reading a Japan Times article yesterday (in English) about why so many Japanese students who have studied English can't speak it. Apparently, at present, English language courses begin in Middle School & continue into High School. However, the emphasis is on grammar and reading & not on conversation. In addition, the total number of hours that English is taught is not sufficient to become comfortable speaking it. Another problem is that many Japanese are shy about speaking English because they want to be perfect and know they can't be. In the future (I don't remember which year), English will be taught starting in the Third Grade.

Yes, Ishiura speaks English. His Facebook page indicates he studied at SACE, which is an English language college in Australia. https://www.facebook.com/masakatsu.ishiura A mutual friend also told me he speaks English, although the day I ran into him while visiting Miyagino Beya in Sept of 2014 while attending the Aki Basho (he was only in Makushita then), he was struck mute when I greeted him by name! He stared at me in shock, probably because he was stunned that I knew his name. My taxi arrived just then so I wasn't able to try to engage him in conversation. A couple of years later, I worked up the nerve to send him a Facebook message but I never received a response.

Unfortunately, if Ichinojo lands on you, no amount of "right sumo" is going to make a difference! You're toast!

I think speculating who will be the next Yokozuna is a fun exercise, but actually predicting who will be next to wear the rope is an exercise in futility. I learned my lesson. I truly thought that Terunofuji would be the next Yokozuna. I just KNEW he was the one! And I KNEW it would happen in the next 18 months! But then tragedy struck. And no amount of wishful thinking can ever undo the reality of what happened to him, and my dream of him being the next Yokozuna. The last paragraph of the above quote really hit home with me. Three very powerful sentences. Any one of the rikishi mentioned as possible Yokozuna contenders could be seriously, even irreparably , injured, at any time . And not just on the Dohyo. In training, during a Jungyo, even while out celebrating. Not one of these contenders is invincible. Not a single one . And I suppose that is part of what makes sumo so compelling. The odds are so stacked against any one of them being able to avoid or overcome injury and make it to the very top that when a rikishi actually succeeds in becoming a Yokozuna, he is indeed god-like. I remember the day I met Hakuho during the Aki Basho in Sept 2014. At his Heya, the moment he walked in to begin his training session, his friend, who later introduced us, whispered to me, "He's like a god!!". And indeed he was. Oh, I just received a notification that Kintamayama commented on the thread, "Terunofuji's Health Problems". One more reminder that a top contender to become a Yokozuna will never realize his dream. But dreams give us hope for the future. Not everyone's dream of becoming a Yokozuna will be dashed. Someone or several someones will realize their dream. Some may not even have a Shikona yet!

Here is a link to an Ebay listing for a Sumo Wrestling Scrapbook & Photo Album from 1948. It's for sale for $5,000 USD. (I don't know how to post the photos from the listing. Someone else may know how to do that). https://www.ebay.com/itm/Photo-Album-Sumo-Wrestling-Scrapbook-and-Photograph-Album-1948/163699065246?hash=item261d39819e:g:0d4AAOSwxelc40yK

Harumafuji, definitely! When I first started watching sumo in 2013 (has it really been 6 years?), I first noticed 1) Hakuho and 2) Harumafuji. Those 2 stood out. Hakuho is and was the GOAT, but Harumafuji was also exciting to watch. His tachi-ai's were so explosive! In an interview, he said that when he faced anyone on the dohyo, that rikishi became his enemy for those few moments. I also miss Homasho. I miss his sincere devotion to sumo, his respect for it's traditions, and most important, his beautiful deep bows. I miss seeing Terunofuji when he was his healthy self in Makuuchi. He was a pleasure to watch. I thought he would be our next Yokozuna. I could kick myself because I had the opportunity to see Asashoryu live in Japan around 2008 while we were on vacation. At that time, I had no interest in sumo, so I turned down the invitation. I'm sure my attitude would have changed overnight had I accepted that invitation and witnessed Asashoryu on the dohyo. I'll always wonder what I missed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wBIotskibE To see this dramatic and very entertaining bout between Azumaryu and Tobizaru, see 50:05 on video.

I'm very surprised that no one has singled out Makuuchi Yobidashi Shigeo for his incredibly beautiful singing. He's brings tears to my eyes. He sings like a male angel! I could listen to him all day!! Does anyone know of a video with him singing in it? I think he's in Kokonoe Beya.