Sumo fan appreciation day

[Kintamayama]

From the Kyokai site:

A Nihon Sumo Kyokai Foundation 80th Anniversary Event

Ozumo Fan Appreciation Day - Come Join The Celebration

The Nihon Sumo Kyokai will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of our status as a semi-governmental foundation this coming December. To show our appreciation to sumo fans both around the country and around the world we would like to invite you to a special celebratory event at the Mecca of sumo; The Ryogoku Kokugikan.

A Nihon Sumo Kyokai Foundation 80th Anniversary Event

Ozumo Fan Appreciation Day

The Nihon Sumo Kyokai will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of our status as a semi-governmental foundation this coming December. To show our appreciation to sumo fans both around the country and around the world we would like to invite you to a special celebratory event at the Mecca of sumo; The Ryogoku Kokugikan.

The day will be filled with a variety of programs and activities including a chance to meet some of your favorite rikishi, a chance to visit the Kokugikan locker rooms, a chance to sample that source of a rikishi's power and size, the delicious high protein stew called "chanko" at one of our "one coin" (

[Mark Buckton]

must appreciate me - got a postcard this morning enabling entrance to the AM slot.

[Burainoan]

must appreciate me - got a postcard this morning enabling entrance to the AM slot.

;-)

Get good pix....

[Burainoan]

must appreciate me - got a postcard this morning enabling entrance to the AM slot.

(In a state of confusion...)

Get good pix....

where's the jealous emoticon when you need one?

no kidding...i spent forever looking for one, and finally gave up and used that, mature individual that i am. ;-)

[SonofCyrus]

Are one of those postcards good to get 2 people in? I thought I read something about that on the website, but now it doesn't say anything about that. I also can't read the card I got back from them too well because I can't read Japanese. I just wanted to be sure.

[Cammy]

I think this might work for jealous ;-)

Adachinoryu you must get some pics, to please Burainoan...or he will :'-( and then he will give you a ;-)

[Burainoan]

I think this might work for jealous ;-)

Adachinoryu you must get some pics, to please Burainoan...or he will :'-( and then he will give you a ;-)

;-) (Blushing...)

[Kintamayama]

The Sumo Kyokai had its internal celebration today of 80 years of existence at the KKan. Around 350 directly related, and all together around 1300 people, including Prime Minister Koizumi were in attendance. "The fact that Asashouryuu and Kotooushuu are dominant at the moment may not appeal to some, but we can view it this way: Sumo is no longer only our National sport - it has gone International . I hope to see Japanese rikishi gambarize and not lose to the foreign ones. Reform is important for the Sumo world", said the PM. The YDC, old-timers and current rikishi were acknowledged publicly as well.

The Kyokai was founded on December 28th, 1925, and was called the "Dainihon Sumo Kyokai". It changed its shikona to its current one with the introduction of the 6 basho system in January 1958.

Tomorrow, the fan appreciation day thingy.

Uh oh..recognition time (even the caption only mentions the PM and Asa) - L to R: Asashouryuu, umm..er..., Prime Minister Koizumi and Kitanoumi Rijicho, no doubt.

Edited December 17, 2005 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama]

Asa recieving some sho-jo-jo from Rijicho:

Asa with PM Koizumi, over a keg of sake (doing the kagamiwari deed):

Edited December 17, 2005 by Kintamayama

[Shomishuu]

"The fact that Asashouryuu and Kotooushuu are dominant at the moment may not appeal to some, but we can view it this way: Sumo is no longer only our National sport - it has gone International . I hope to see Japanese rikishi gambarize and not lose to the foreign ones. Reform is important for the Sumo world", said the PM.

Caveats: Different country and culture, and some things probably were lost in translation, BUT...

The PM using the Kyokai's birthday party as a forum to proclaim that sumo is not their national sport sounds very provacative. I wonder how NSK felt about that! Since he wasn't content to make the usual PC remarks the PM obviously has strong feelings about this issue, especially since he is on their grounds saying that reform is important to them. Is he making an oblique swipe at the one foreigner per heya rule? Or does the Kyokai wants to dump the rule, but needs the PM to be the one to raise the issue back up?

Just wondering out loud. :-O

[Kintamayama]

Caveats: Different country and culture, and some things probably were lost in translation, BUT...

The PM using the Kyokai's birthday party as a forum to proclaim that sumo is not their national sport sounds very provacative. I wonder how NSK felt about that! Since he wasn't content to make the usual PC remarks the PM obviously has strong feelings about this issue, especially since he is on their grounds saying that reform is important to them. Is he making an oblique swipe at the one foreigner per heya rule? Or does the Kyokai wants to dump the rule, but needs the PM to be the one to raise the issue back up?

Just wondering out loud. :-O

Much simpler than that. He is addressing the general public's worry that Sumo is being "taken over" by foreigners. He is saying it's not being taken over, but is becoming part of the world, which in his view is a good thing. At the same time, he hopes the Japanese contenders don't give up and try to meet this change or reform head on. Not that I'm inside the PM's head, but this is what I read between the lines.

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

The PM using the Kyokai's birthday party as a forum to proclaim that sumo is not their national sport sounds very provacative.

But in Kintamayama's post the translation was "sumo in not ONLY our national sport anymore" which makes a major difference compared to the same sentence without the "only". I find it is remarkably good and healthy that Koizumi publicly expresses his wishes that Japanese rikishi take the challenge and rise to challenge Asashoryu and Kotooshu too and at the same time acknowladges the presence of impressive foreign rikishi. Koizumi should be happy to know there are more than capable Japanese rikishi emerging in 2006. I don't understand why Koizumi's comment could be seen as anti-foreigner by some (as was discussed in some other thread) either.

[Jonosuke]

The Prime Minister's Office sends out Koizumi E-mail weekly and when Asashoryu won Yusho in the Kyushu, Koizumi wrote that he was very happy to see the national sport of Japan transforming to become an international sport. However he felt seeing the success of those rikishis coming from abroad working so hard to be good at their national sport, he would also like to see the same intensity to be shown by those rikishis from Japan.

[Shomishuu]

Thanks guys...I feel like an NFL referee (that's American football): "On further review..." it does appear the PM's quote is directed toward challenging his countrymen to step up to the challenge as opposed to anything more twisted. A very good thing to see actually...but are they listening?

[Kintamayama]

24,000 fans (in two parts) were in attendance:

Asa did two dohyo-iris in one day. "First time I ever did that. With the seats retracted, the fans were really huddled close up. The dohyo seemed a lot smaller,but it was a great feeling", he said. Papers say it was a big success. Tochiazuma said it should be held annualy and not every ten years.

Edited December 19, 2005 by Kintamayama

[Mark Buckton]

24,000 fans (in two parts) were in attendance:

relative triv but today's TVsaid 10k - in all. (Eh?) didn't see it meself.

[Kintamayama]

24,000 fans (in two parts) were in attendance:

relative triv but today's TVsaid 10k - in all. (Eh?) didn't see it meself.

Not that it proves anything, but at least three different sources gave the 24000 number, one even said 25,000. As the invites were given out for free to whoever sent in a card, it seems logical to me. You were there- Did it look packed, or?

[Mark Buckton]

was very busy outside waiting to get in but is hard to judge in that much of the flooring was removed on the first floor, lots of masu seki boxes had just 2 people in it a lot of the time and at least 1 whole side (back stand) was not used (stage and blocked seating) whilst at least 900 of the highest positioned seats were also fenced off. (c section and unreserved)

Corridors busy but 12k odd at each session would seem like a bit much.

[Kintamayama]

Belated additional pic-Osh having a bad hair day?"Come on.. Leggo..Give it to me already!!"