Construction of a dohyo

[Benihana]

 

This is how the dohyo for Natsu Basho 2017 was made

 

First of all the old dohyo has to be smashed and disposed of. From the pictures it looks like only a good portion of the surface is removed. Who knows more?

 

Next step is a topping of fresh clay

 

The outer edge is marked and the dohyo takes shape

 

If i had a hammer

 

Some stomping

 

The bales are prepared. Mats of rice straw are cut into pieces and partially sewn together. Then after a filling with clay, they are sewn shut. That filling with clay was new to me

 

Bringing the dohyo to it's final size and shape and smoothing the surface

 

The slots for the bales are doug out and filled with bales

 

More measuring an clobbering. I love those japanese special tools

 

Completing the sides

 

The funnel is filled whith clay, so it stays in shape during the building process

 

If you wonder, this is where they spit the power water

 

This hole is for the bucket with fresh power water

 

The center hole for the offerings is dug out

 

More smoothing and detailing

 

Lets paint some lines, happy little lines

 

When the dirty work is done the ringside is covered with tatami, next the giant tassels and the curtains are attached to the roof

 

Et voilà, a dohyo.

 

Thanks to @Akinomaki for the pics in his may pics overview. I hope i can expand this thread in the future.

Edited June 21, 2017 by Benihana

[Rocks]

1 hour ago, Benihana said:

You skipped the very critical process of how these specialized beer bottle tools get emptied and made ready for use.

[orandashoho]

The picture of the completed dohyo shows three steps on adjacent sides. The dohyo I saw at Natsu basho had three steps on the east and west sides, but only one step on the other sides. Can someone explain this?

[Rocks]

40 minutes ago, orandashoho said:

The picture of the completed dohyo shows three steps on adjacent sides. The dohyo I saw at Natsu basho had three steps on the east and west sides, but only one step on the other sides. Can someone explain this?

Are you sure? Maybe it only has one step on the side that faces the TV cameras and three on the other three sides?

 

Yep, if you look at the juryo and down vids in the video thread you can see it does. 

Like here: 

 

Edited May 24, 2017 by Rocks

[Asojima]

The back side has 3.  The yobidashi use the outside 2 to climb onto the dohyo.

[orandashoho]

3 minutes ago, Rocks said:

Are you sure? Maybe it only has one step on the side that faces the TV cameras and three on the other three sides?

You are right; only the side facing the camera has a single step. The opposite has three.
I presume not more than one step is needed since only the head judge will use that side to step onto the dohyo. On the opposite side, there are the yobidashi and two judges, on east and west the rikishi and a judge.

[Benihana]

Nagoya Basho 2017

 

The roof and the lighting is assembled.

 

Piling up fresh clay

 

Flattening and compressing the surface

 

More pressure

 

Sewing the tawara

 

Mixing gravel to the clay for the tawara.

 

Filling the tawara

 

Tawara ready for action

 

Hammer time! And again: I looove the japanese special tools.

 

Smooth as an android's bottom.

 

Measuring for the tawara.

 

Digging the holes for the tawara.

 

 

Thanks to @Akinomaki for the pics.

Edited July 4, 2017 by Benihana

[Benihana]

Nagoya Basho 2017

- Chapter 2 -

 

 

Edited July 8, 2017 by Benihana

[littlebutts]

Thank you! I find these pictures completely fascinating.

[Benihana]

After 8 days the dohyo has already got some serious pounding and the hot weather takes it's heavy toll.

This is a picture from day 8 Natsu basho.

And this is from troday in Nagoya. Leper dohyo.

 

[Fukurou]

I don't think cracking is unusual. Not nearly as good as your image of day 8, but it was cracking on Day 1:

Day 1

Day 3

Edited July 16, 2017 by Fukurou

[Benihana]

18 hours ago, Fukurou said:

I don't think cracking is unusual. Not nearly as good as your image of day 8, but it was cracking on Day 1:

Oh, the cracking is quite normal and the dohyo will not collapse, but it looks dramatic, due to the weather. 

Edited July 17, 2017 by Benihana

[Fukurou]

6 hours ago, Benihana said:

Oh, the cracking is quite normal and the dohyo will not collapse, but it looks dramatic, due to the weather. 

Yep. I still find myself wishing for a nice chunk to slide down off the face, though. Maybe take a step with it. (just me wishing for something to toss a bug into a group that prides itself on everything being perfect)  

Nice series of photos, btw  :)

[Asashosakari]

Yes, if there's a group of people who really deserve some comeuppance, it's those arrogant yobidashi... 

[Fukurou]

4 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

Yes, if there's a group of people who really deserve some comeuppance, it's those arrogant yobidashi... 

Yes, let's take a cheap shot, shall we.  You know I wasn't talking about the yobidashi in particular.

[Asashosakari]

2 hours ago, Fukurou said:

Yes, let's take a cheap shot, shall we.  You know I wasn't talking about the yobidashi in particular.

So I guess you actually believe a failing dohyo would reflect badly on the guys at the top of the Kyokai foodchain, rather than the guys in charge of constructing it? Well, if you think that makes your ill-advised comment look any better...

[Fukurou]

I believe in things happening that reflect badly on overly full of themselves groups, such as the NSK in general. Some may call it karma.  The people who have to do what they are told, in the way they are told to do it, aren't at fault if what they're told to do isn't any good.

The NSK has years of observation and other information that the dohyo at this basho in particular doesn't hold together well, mainly due to prevalent weather conditions. They've had years to come up with something to help the situation and haven't done anything (and if they have tried something, they need to try again). The NSK are great believers in the twin things that generally get groups and people in trouble: tradition and "that's the way we've always done it". And now on day 10 part of the face slid off the dohyo.

Go back and try again with your building components and clay mixtures, NSK. Yes, sometimes part of the dohyo face falls off, but it shouldn't, and if you were serious about things it wouldn't. Give your yobidashi something real to work with.

[Bumpkin]

On 7/17/2017 at 02:06, Benihana said:

Oh, the cracking is quite normal and the dohyo will not collapse, but it looks dramatic, due to the weather. 

?

[Benihana]

24 minutes ago, Bumpkin said:

?

¿

[Benihana]

And today it really happened. 

https://tachiai.org/2017/07/18/nagoya-dohyo-damaged/

 

Edited July 18, 2017 by Benihana

[Tsubame]

Does the constructor(s) of the dohyo now have to commit seppuko?

[Benihana]

On 20.7.2017 at 13:48, Tsubame said:

Does the constructor(s) of the dohyo now have to commit seppuko?

There will be no beer for the next construction job.

[Tsuchinoninjin]

Destruction of a dohyo:

Musashigawa-beya's practice dohyo is broken up, bagged, and taken away with some help of heavy machinery and heya rikishi.

It wasn't mentioned if the clay gets reused somewhere but with those bags I would assume so...

[orandashoho]

9 hours ago, Tsuchinoninjin said:

It wasn't mentioned if the clay gets reused somewhere but with those bags I would assume so...

If dohyo clay is special and hard to get, I wonder how often dohyo's at heyas and sumo clubs are rebuilt -- if ever -- and maybe the clay is reused for those. Or for building the jungyo dohyo(s).
However, there also seems to be a preference for local clay/sand.

Edited July 31, 2017 by orandashoho