Banzuke Hatsu Basho 2015

[Gernobono]

NSK was rather quick

http://www.sumo.or.jp/en/honbasho/banzuke/index

[Asashosakari]

Having recovered from my Max Hopp-induced near heart attack, let's type up that new banzuke thingy:

Hakuho Y1 Kakuryu

Harumafuji Y2 ---

Kisenosato O1 Kotoshogiku

--- O2 Goeido

Aoiyama S Ichinojo

Takayasu K Tochiozan

Takarafuji M1 Tochinoshin

Terunofuji M2 Ikioi

Endo M3 Aminishiki

Toyonoshima M4 Jokoryu

Kaisei M5 Chiyotairyu

Okinoumi M6 Toyohibiki

Kyokutenho M7 Chiyootori

Myogiryu M8 Sadanoumi

Tamawashi M9 Takekaze

Sokokurai M10 Homarefuji

Shohozan M11 Yoshikaze

Kyokushuho M12 Arawashi

Osunaarashi M13 Tokitenku

Kotoyuki M14 Chiyomaru

Sadanofuji M15 Kagamio

Tokushoryu M16 Tosayutaka

Amuru J1 Wakanosato

Asasekiryu J2 Gagamaru

Kitataiki J3 Daido

Asahisho J4 Takanoiwa

Shotenro J5 Kitaharima

Tamaasuka J6 Tochinowaka

Tenkaiho J7 Satoyama

Fujiazuma J8 Kagayaki

Seiro J9 Sotairyu

Chiyoo J10 Akiseyama

Onosho J11 Hidenoumi

Azumaryu J12 Tokushinho

Daieisho J13 Tochihiryu

Sakigake J14 Masunoyama

Kawanari Ms1 Kotoeko

Keitenkai Ms2 Horikiri

Sasanoyama Ms3 Dewahayate

Kizenryu Ms4 Yoshiazuma

Wakanoshima Ms5 Irie

Higoarashi Ms6 Ishiura

Homasho Ms7 Nishikigi

Abiko Ms8 Akua

Kairyu Ms9 Kotomisen

Kyokutaisei Ms10 Gochozan

Chiyosakae Ms11 Hakuyozan

Kawabata Ms12 Takagi

Oiwato Ms13 Ryuonami

Yamatofuji Ms14 Chiyoarashi

Sagatsukasa Ms15 Hokaho

[Gurowake]

Not many shikona changes this time around.

Migikataagari -> Yoshino (Ms56w)

Raomaru -> Rao (Sd18w)

Imaizumi -> Genju (Jd90w)

Onokura (Jd34w) is also reported as Oonokura, but I don't know if that's due to an actual change or a failure to transliterate the name correctly.

[Asashosakari]

Onokura (Jd34w) is also reported as Oonokura, but I don't know if that's due to an actual change or a failure to transliterate the name correctly.

Just bad handiwork on the English side, I guess.

In addition to the aforementioned three, Genkaiho (Sd21w) has changed from 玄海鵬 to 玄界鵬 without a change in reading.

[Benevolance]

So, he went from being...what, a mysterious sea bird (the strange seagull from Disney's Little Mermaid?) to mysterious world bird? Would that be an albatross?

My kanji dictionary tells me that Genkai is a family and/or place name, so I guess that's the more appropriate reading of 玄海? The genkai phoenix?

[Asameshimae]

NSK was rather quick

http://www.sumo.or.jp/en/honbasho/banzuke/index

I'd noticed that too. It's been quite early for a few basho now. I was told one reason is because the ranks get out so fast on social media through rikishi etc. that the NSK didn't want to be trumped.

[shimodahito]

good day all,

random observation and comment and conversational questions:

1) my aomori team -- so glad to see takarafuji continue creeping upward and wakanosato almost back in the top division.

2) and not only is takarafuji at a new high -- ditto for homarefuji, onosho, sasanoyama, yotsugamine, narumi -- that's 6 shots of aomori sake for me!!!!!!

3) mr. stability for the maegashira ranks goes to kaisei -- in the last year he's been between M3E & M6W, the least variance of anyone else outside the sanyaku ranks.

4) myogiryu.... thought he would get a bit higher rank. open question: which rikishi was most screwed on demotion? which rikishi was most blessed on promotion?

5) I hate to cheer for poor performing ozekis but one of the hatsu highlights will be seeing if goeido & kotoshogiku will get their 8 wins... and the sekiwake pile up if they don't.

6) time to update TORCH entries for 2015 and welcome new entries as well. See the sumo games thread.

7) hakuho --- will he break the record during Hatsu? Will there be a spike in attendance and kensho?

8) looking forward to NSK web site "Banzuke Topics" --- how long have they been doing this feature?

9) no foreigners in the bottom two divisions. when's the last time this happened?

10) is there any Japanese forum that rivals sumoforum in presenting so much great info on sumo?

11) I still miss "kintaro's musings" and the great nicknames of the rikishi... since baruto "bart" retired, I've noticed the nickhames for new rikishi have tapered off (with the exception of the "neckless" one)

12) inanofuji -- the only 5-kanji active rikishi.... 伊那の富士.... I wanna see that tegata.

Edited December 25, 2014 by shimodahito

[Senkoho]

12) inanofuji -- the only 5-kanji active rikishi.... 伊那の富士.... I wanna see that tegata.

cough http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=2842 cough...

[Fukurou]

I didn't see them on the NSK site, so here are the banzuke gai guys:

Sakai - 0-1-6 at Jk3W last basho
Fubu - 0-3-4 at Jk16E in September (last basho participated in)
Urutora - 2-5 at Jd84E in July (last basho participated in)
Kotomyozan - 3-4 at Sd95W in March (last basho particpated in)
Hishofuji - 5-2 at Ms55E In September 2013 (last basho participated in)
Asanishimura - 0-1-6 at Sd68W in January (last basho participated in)
Sadanohama - 3-2-2 at Ms48E in May 2013 (last basho participated in)

[Kintamayama]

Tosayutaka -returns to Makuuchi after three years and breaks the post war record of a Makuuchi return from the lowest rank achieved- he was as low as Sandanme W84. He broke Kinoarashi's record of Sandanme E25. "It took a long time. It was a harrowing experience, " he said. He was injured in Nagoya 2011 and missed three straight bashos due to surgery and a half a year rehabilitation process at his home town of Kochi. "I couldn't even walk," he remembers. "I'm going to be under a lot of pressure but I shall gambarize!!" he summed.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Kintamayama

[Benevolance]

See, this is what I figured Takanoyama should have done. Gotten the surgery done, been unable to walk for a year, spent the time on a couch eating McDonald's, getting fat and watching reruns of the Simpsons. Bam! All his ailments cured at once.

And not to nitpick, but is the record because he took so long? Because Amuru just came back from...nevermind. Amuru was one tournament away from Makuuchi when he went AWOL. Congrats to Tosayutaka to sticking it out, though.

[Gurowake]

Last basho Tochinoshin had a mention in the banzuke topics about how far down in the rankings he went before returning to Makuuchi, and I looked at all the other guys on the list and they pretty much all got injured and missed multiple basho. The old topics aren't around anymore (at least, I can't find them), but there was one guy out of the top 10 who competed in every match between his two disconnected appearance streaks in Makuuchi and I doubt if he got below Ms15. I'm not sure how to do a query given how long there was between the two times and there's no "Non-debut only" box to check that would make it easier to look for.

I'm also unhappy about the lack of current banzuke topics. Why aren't they ready to go when the banzuke goes up? Are the people who research them not in the know beforehand? Even if they weren't, they should know pretty much what's going to happen anyway.

[kuroimori]

I'm also unhappy about the lack of current banzuke topics. Why aren't they ready to go when the banzuke goes up? Are the people who research them not in the know beforehand? Even if they weren't, they should know pretty much what's going to happen anyway.

Maybe the banzuke topics aren't free of charge anymore..?

[Mongolith]

The banzuke topics normally come out about a week before the basho starts. I am guessing they do that as that is when most people will start reading about the upcoming basho

Edited December 27, 2014 by Mongolith

[Asashosakari]

The Japanese version of the banzuke topics goes up at the same time as the banzuke itself (current: text, tables), it's just the English translation that always takes a few days to appear.

Nothing overly special in the tables this time:

- the 13 previous double/triple kadoban cases

- lowest rank to return to makuuchi (the aforementioned stat that Tosayutaka now leads)

- youngest sekitori debuts (Onosho ranks 10th)

[Kintamayama]

Amuru was one tournament away from Makuuchi when he went AWOL.

Exactly.

[shimodahito]

17 of the 28 Juryo rikishi are ex-Makuuchi.... it seems high. is this close to the record for most ex-Makuuchi in Juryo? (sorry... I couldn't figure out how to query this).

Edit: disregard... I see in Natsu 2014, there were 20 of 28... so 17 isn't unusual... yet still wonder what the record is...

Edited January 11, 2015 by shimodahito

[Asashosakari]

I know I've done something like that stat years ago, but unfortunately search terms like "juryo most former makuuchi" produce about umpteen-thousand search results, so I don't have a clue in which thread I mentioned it.

Luckily we have additional DB query capabilities compared to back then so I don't need to do it by hand again... Since 1967.05:

High

20 - 2014.05

19 - 1967.05, 2009.07, 2014.09

18 - 1980.11, 1981.01, 2005.07, 2010.03, 2014.03

17 - (25 times, including the current basho)

...

10 - (22 times, most recently in 2001.03)

9 - 1969.05, 1970.01, 1971.05, 1988.09, 1992.09, 1992.11, 1993.01, 1995.11, 1996.01, 1996.05

8 - 1971.07

7 - 2011.07, 2011.09

Low

I haven't bothered to correct any of these for rikishi who retired before the basho but were still listed on the banzuke. If I did, the low record would likely be post-yaocho 2011.05 with 6 (including retirees it had 10).

Edited January 11, 2015 by Asashosakari

[shimodahito]

Thanks! 2014 was definitely in the high zone.