Kyokai elections 2022

[Akinomaki]

Isegahama-ichimon had a meeting today and confirmed Isegahama-oyakata as candidate for the riji elections after the Hatsu basho.

Takashima, the 2nd riji of the ichimon turns 65 in August and can't run for riji anymore, the ichimon will have only 1 candidate.

http://www.sankei.com/article/20211206-UTAV6M7FAZKEFIMMM2UYKRBU34/

Edited December 6, 2021 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki]

Nishonoseki-ichimon and Tokitsukaze-ichimon had the meetings on the 9th, for Nishonoseki the present riji Shibatayama and Hanakago plus newly Sadogatake are the planned candidates. For Tokitsukaze Michinoku (Kirishima) and Isenoumi (Kitakachidoki) are expected to be candidates, the present riji Oguruma (Nishonoseki ) and Kagamiyama (Tokitsukaze) can't become candidate anymore because they turn 65 during the next term. http://www.sankei.com/article/20211209-2JLLXYG2YFI7TNH4NNGN7JE2XU/

[Asashosakari]

Link to the 2020 thread

I suppose it's going to be uneventful again and we won't actually see an election due to only 10 candidates getting nominated. 3 spots each for the two big ichimon with Dewanoumi not pushing for four spots even though they could, and Tokitsukaze as the largest of the three small ones getting a second spot this time after they were nice enough to not block Isegahama-oyakata from getting back on the board last time around (without his ichimon having to nominate him instead of incumbent Takashima).

Edit: Although it's interesting that Nishonoseki-ichimon are going with Sadogatake as Oguruma's replacement, rather than their current fuku-riji Takadagawa.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Asashosakari

[rhyen]

Methink Takadagawa is aiming to be Shibatayama’s replacement?

[Asashosakari]

(Boldly assuming that Dewanoumi will nominate its three incumbents - if not, this posting will look quite silly in a few days)

Remaining terms if served out (bold = newly nominated for 2022):

Dewanoumi - Kasugano until 2026, Sakaigawa until 2026, Dewanoumi until 2032
Nishonoseki - Hanakago until 2024, Shibatayama until 2026, Sadogatake until 2032 [Oguruma leaving]
Tokitsukaze - Michinoku until 2024, Isenoumi until 2030 [Kagamiyama leaving]
Isegahama - Isegahama until 2024 [Takashima leaving]
Takasago - Hakkaku until 2028

Michinoku was a director already for the 2010-12 term, although he lost his post halfway through due to having multiple rikishi implicated in the yaocho scandal. If I'm not mistaken that was the last time the Tokitsukaze group had two riji (Kagamiyama was freshly elected then, too, and has served ever since).

Near-total turnover within the next four years, with three incumbents stepping down this time, two + Michinoku again in 2024, and another three in 2026. Barring scandal I don't see anybody dislodge Hakkaku until he gets timed out, too, and his eventual successor will almost certainly be somebody who is only getting on to the board in either 2024 or 2026. I wonder if Dewanoumi-ichimon - as the presumptive next rijicho-providing group - will install that person on the board already in 2024 even though it would mean that either Kasugano or (more likely) Sakaigawa would have to step back early.

Michinoku's one-term appointment seems like a bit of a going-away present, and I guess it doesn't necessarily mean that Tokitsukaze will have dibs on that spot in 2024 as well. I can't imagine that Takasago-ichimon will get to have a second riji while Hakkaku serves in the top post from the smallest ichimon, so I guess it might either rotate back to Isegahama, or perhaps Dewanoumi will temporarily get a fourth spot again then, which could neatly resolve the issue of how to get their next rijicho on the board early.
 

[Gurowake]

On 10/12/2021 at 11:29, Asashosakari said:

Barring scandal I don't see anybody dislodge Hakkaku until he gets timed out, too, and his eventual successor will almost certainly be somebody who is only getting on to the board in either 2024 or 2026.

Do you have any guesses as to who will replace Hakkaku as rijicho?  I'm guessing Musashigawa isn't going to even be considered even though he's the next Yokozuna in line, and only Yokozuna until we get to the recent retirees.  I don't know much about the operations of the organization to know whether it might be someone that didn't have the greatest of rikishi careers; it looks like it's been all Yokozuna forever, but there's no reason to think that they would automatically be the best leader and their choices of Yokozuna are not great right now.  Would they pick someone who is going to serve a relatively long term, or would they want the spot to rotate a bit more?

[Godango]

16 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

Do you have any guesses as to who will replace Hakkaku as rijicho?  I'm guessing Musashigawa isn't going to even be considered even though he's the next Yokozuna in line, and only Yokozuna until we get to the recent retirees.  I don't know much about the operations of the organization to know whether it might be someone that didn't have the greatest of rikishi careers; it looks like it's been all Yokozuna forever, but there's no reason to think that they would automatically be the best leader and their choices of Yokozuna are not great right now.  Would they pick someone who is going to serve a relatively long term, or would they want the spot to rotate a bit more?

Historically there have been a couple of short term ozeki, Tokitsukaze (Yutakayama) from 1998 - 2002, and Hanaregoma (Kaiketsu) 2010-2012. Even a Maegashira with Musashigawa (Dewanohana) from 1968-1974.

That said my guess as to who would be figuratively next in line would be worthless.

[Gurowake]

5 minutes ago, Godango said:

Historically there have been a couple of short term ozeki, Tokitsukaze (Yutakayama) from 1998 - 2002, and Hanaregoma (Kaiketsu) 2010-2012. Even a Maegashira with Musashigawa (Dewanohana) from 1968-1974.

That said my guess as to who would be figuratively next in line would be worthless.

Well I'm glad I only said "it looks like", because I obviously didn't literally check all of them. 

[Godango]

2 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

Well I'm glad I only said "it looks like", because I obviously didn't literally check all of them. 

Every now and then someone here checks me on my fastidiousness and it always gets me good. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Godango

[Gurowake]

I guess I can sort of rephrase that as being "It's clear there's a bias towards Yokozuna to be rijicho, but there's an obvious lack of good Yokozuna candidates after Hakkaku."  I'd think Takanohana should have seen the situation coming and not rocked the boat, as he would clearly be the leading candidate (in terms of Yokozuna likely to become rijicho) if his ego hadn't already forced him out.

[Godango]

4 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

I guess I can sort of rephrase that as being "It's clear there's a bias towards Yokozuna to be rijicho, but there's an obvious lack of good Yokozuna candidates after Hakkaku."  I'd think Takanohana should have seen the situation coming and not rocked the boat, as he would clearly be the leading candidate (in terms of Yokozuna likely to become rijicho) if his ego hadn't already forced him out.

No I get what you were saying, I only meant to point out that there is some precedent for other ranks if the candidate makes sense, especially in the short term.

[Asashosakari]

4 hours ago, Gurowake said:

Do you have any guesses as to who will replace Hakkaku as rijicho?  I'm guessing Musashigawa isn't going to even be considered even though he's the next Yokozuna in line, and only Yokozuna until we get to the recent retirees.  I don't know much about the operations of the organization to know whether it might be someone that didn't have the greatest of rikishi careers; it looks like it's been all Yokozuna forever, but there's no reason to think that they would automatically be the best leader and their choices of Yokozuna are not great right now.  Would they pick someone who is going to serve a relatively long term, or would they want the spot to rotate a bit more?

I've been operating under the assumption that it's going to be Fujishima (ex-Musoyama). Of all the high-ranked guys from his era that aren't Takanohana, he has been put into by far the highest-profile executive roles so far, and I don't see Dewanoumi-ichimon yielding the rijicho post to one of the other groups again - it's never happened back-to-back in the 77 years of civilian rijicho, of which Dewanoumi members account for 50. (And Futabayama alone makes up nearly half the remainder at 11 and a half years, with Hakkaku incidentally set to just exceed him if he stays until 2028.)

Fujishima could serve for eight years, which wouldn't be a super long term, but still long enough that he wouldn't be a purely transitional holder of the post, which I reckon is going to be kind of important for Dewanoumi considering Hak, Kak and Kise as the next "natural" candidates with the yokozuna pedigree are all non-Dewanoumi guys, and whoever prevails from those three might get nearly 15 years.

In any case, if we're discounting anyone with undistinguished active careers (like, say, the current Dewanoumi who topped out at M2), the only one age-wise in between Hakkaku and Fujishima with any sort of executive footprint at this time would be Takadagawa (ex-Akinoshima), roughly in the middle of them. Sadogatake (ex-Kotonowaka) is nearly the same age, and could conceivably amass enough relevant experience by 2028 now that he's joining the board this year, although he doesn't strike me as rijicho material.

The next one younger than Fujishima would probably be Futagoyama (ex-Miyabiyama) at five years his junior - no executive experience yet either, so I'm basing that more on his pedigree as the descendent of a long family line of businessmen and the fact that he appears to be running his heya in exactly the no-nonsense kind of way that one would expect from somebody with that background. I don't believe that Futagoyama was particularly popular with his peers while active, though; no idea how that has changed since. I guess an indicator might be whether or not he becomes one of the two new riji that the Dewanoumi group will have to find by 2026. A wildcard also from Dewanoumi is Tamanoi (ex-Tochiazuma) who was already part of the executive as deputy riji from 2012 to 2018, but then didn't run again and didn't even continue to serve as a third-tier yakuin taigu executive member. I don't think we ever heard what prompted that retreat to the rank-and-file.

Edited December 16, 2021 by Asashosakari

[Inside Sport Japan]

7 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

I've been operating under the assumption that it's going to be Fujishima (ex-Musoyama).

Agreed.

Half the time it's easy to forget he isn't actually already the top man. Always prominent and carries himself with the air of a boss.

[Akinomaki]

Dewanoumi-ichimon had a meeting in the kokugikan today. Like Asashosakari expected, they confirmed the 3 present riji as candidates, Dewanoumi, Kasugano and Sakaigawa, and the plan is to have present fuku-riji Fujishima continue as well. It looks indeed like it will be 10 candidates being chosen without election again. https://www.sanspo.com/article/20220112-VW3A7ADRWFN57B7PNBD34HOSCU/

[rhyen]

https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20220125_1721648.html?DETAIL

[Asashosakari]

Merge into

please? The article is going over a lot of what we already discussed there last month.

Cliff notes: Generally covering the large-scale generational change soon to come that we talked about, Shukan Post says that there's a push to shuttle Nishonoseki (ex-Kisenosato) into real positions of power - i.e. not just within his ichimon - as soon as possible. He is said to be likely to become an appointed executive (yakuin taigu) after the upcoming election, and is supposedly already in line to move up to elected director when the Nishonoseki group's next spot on the board becomes available in two years.

Takadagawa-oyakata (ex-Akinoshima), currently the group's top-ranked man after their directors and so far largely assumed to be making the step up to the board soon himself, is said to be getting sidelined in the process and is supposedly not even being renominated to his current post as deputy director this year. (We'll know that part for sure soon as the candidacies will have to be finalized tomorrow. It prompts the question of which other ichimon would be taking the slot...) It's claimed that Takadagawa's position has deteriorated since his role as quasi-leader of the informal anti-Takanohana opposition stopped being relevant after the latter was ousted, exacerbated further by the fact that a bunch of former Takanohana sympathizers are now part of Nishonoseki's membership and voting base.

Observing that the big two, Dewanoumi and Nishonoseki, hold a combined majority of the 10 board spots with 3 apiece, the Post's writer buries the lede big-time and finally brings up Fujishima's (ex-Musoyama) name after a whole lot of Kisenosato talk. Described as Dewanoumi's natural choice to succeed Hakkaku as chairman, the article closes by quoting an unnamed Dewanoumi-ichimon member to the effect that the two groups would be well served to cooperate in order to first make Fujishima the chairman, and then Nishonoseki.

[Kintamayama]

As expected, 10 candidates for the board of directors, 3 candidates for fuku-riji. No pre-elections for the second straight time. Seven from the last time, 2 new faces in Sadogatake and Isenoumi, and Michinoku returns.

Members of the board: Hakkaku (4th period as rijicho, pending on his being voted, but it's a formality), Isegahama, Michinoku, Sadogatake, Dewanoumi, Sakaigawa, Kasugano, Isenoumi, Shibatayama, and Hanakago.

Fuku-riji: Wakamatsu, Kumegawa, Fujishima.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Kintamayama

[Asashosakari]

So the third fuku-riji spot has stayed with Nishonoseki-ichimon after all (Kumegawa), and just like their new riji it's somebody from Sadogatake-beya. Takadagawa out as surmised by Shukan Post the other day.

[Hidenotora]

Do we know what department each board member is in charge of now, or their remit? I imagine incumbent guys like Shibatayama will retain their position (ie. he's head of public relations or "information director", or whatever), or is this still being decided? I'm aware of the Oyakata Gallery site but it's now out of date obviously since we just had an election.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Hidenotora

[Akinomaki]

43 minutes ago, Hidenotora said:

Do we know what department each board member is in charge of now, or their remit? I imagine incumbent guys like Shibatayama will retain their position (ie. he's head of public relations or "information director", or whatever), or is this still being decided? I'm aware of the Oyakata Gallery site but it's now out of date obviously since we just had an election.

Some is in the 2020 election thread, the proper list is in Japanese https://www.sumo.or.jp/IrohaKyokai/rijikai

On 25/03/2020 at 13:33, Kintamayama said:

Some new posts:

Isegahama- Head of Judging bureau

New riji Hanakago- Head of training institute

Executive head, number 2 in the pecking order- Oguruma, PR- Shibatayama, crisis management- Kagamiyama, head of jungyos- Kasugano - all remain at their previous posts.

Araiso-in charge of the press club. Sadogatake and Irumagawa promoted to yakuin taigu and will both serve as jungyo deputies.

On 25/03/2020 at 18:34, Kintamayama said:

More posts- Fujishima and Hanakago will be deputies of the judging department and will be in charge of torikumi and banzuke making , but will not do actual dohyo-side shinpan duties. 

Asashosakari usually also posted the full job list (in the kabu thread), I haven't found the list for 2020 though

[Hidenotora]

Ah, I should have realised it would be on the Kyokai site, thanks!

[Asashosakari]

Right, I never got around to doing the full changes comparison two years ago. In any case, the new assignments (whatever they will be) won't take effect until late March, which is when the current board officially ends their 2020-22 term.

[Akinomaki]

On 27/01/2022 at 09:09, Kintamayama said:

As expected, 10 candidates for the board of directors, 3 candidates for fuku-riji. No pre-elections for the second straight time. Seven from the last time, 2 new faces in Sadogatake and Isenoumi, and Michinoku returns.

Members of the board: Hakkaku (4th period as rijicho, pending on his being voted, but it's a formality), Isegahama, Michinoku, Sadogatake, Dewanoumi, Sakaigawa, Kasugano, Isenoumi, Shibatayama, and Hanakago.

Fuku-riji: Wakamatsu, Kumegawa, Fujishima.

The NSK announced at the rijikai on the 11th the appointment of the 3 fuku-riji: Wakamatsu (Asanowaka), Kumegawa (Kotoinazuma) and Fujishima (Musoyama). https://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S15231358.html

[Akinomaki]

1 hour ago, Akinomaki said:

The NSK announced at the rijikai on the 11th the appointment of the 3 fuku-riji: Wakamatsu (Asanowaka), Kumegawa (Kotoinazuma) and Fujishima (Musoyama). https://www.asahi.com/articles/DA3S15231358.html

The appointment of the 10 riji will be announced after the hyogi-in-kai acknowledges them on March 28th https://www.sankei.com/article/20220311-3GQ5UEBWEJJE5CSCPSIM55NJOU/

- that's one of the principal duties of that body. But they have nothing to do with the fuku-riji.

[Akinomaki]

The hyogi-in-kai today appointed the 10 (non-) elected riji and the 3 external riji. At the rijikai of the 13 new riji there was no objection against Hakkaku continuing as rijicho and he was re-elected for his 4th term in a row (plus a few months in for the late Kitanoumi). https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2022032800719&g=spo

Edited March 28, 2022 by Akinomaki