Category Archives: sumo
Sumo: Another Basho, Another Scandal
I was hoping to watch some TV coverage of the upcoming sumo basho while on vacation in Japan later this month, but yesterday’s Christian Science Monitor explains why that may not be possible. Japanese sumo scandals threaten to topple Nagoya … Continue reading
Baruto the Giant Baltic Cowboy Ozeki
I imagine even regular readers don’t often see the giants of Japan’s sumo world profiled in the Wall Street Journal, and I’ve never, ever seen anyone compare any rikishi to Leonardo DiCaprio—until now. (Either the Titanic or the iceberg that … Continue reading
Referee Ring Names: Only in Sumo?
From Grand Sumo: The Living Sport and Tradition, rev. ed., by Lora Sharnoff (Weatherhill, 1993), pp. 178-179: As of May 1992, there were forty-one gyoji, all with the assumed professional name of either Kimura or Shikimori. The gyoji’s role is … Continue reading
Tokyo’s Kokugikan: Where East is West and West is East
From Grand Sumo: The Living Sport and Tradition, rev. ed., by Lora Sharnoff (Weatherhill, 1993), pp. 67, 69: The present Kokugikan in Ryogoku, where three of the tournaments are held annually, serves as the headquarters of the Sumo Association. The … Continue reading
Two Milestones in Japanese Sumo
In an era when foreign wrestlers dominate the top ranks of sumo, two veteran ozeki have given Japanese fans local heroes to root for. This week one of them broke a record for most career wins and the other announced … Continue reading
Wordcatcher Tales: Kawaigaru = Itaburu
In most contexts, Japanese 可愛がる kawaigaru means ‘to dote on, to fondle, to caress’, but for novices in a sumo stable, kawaigaru is a synonym of いたぶる itaburu ‘to torment, to harass, to tease’, as Mongolian ozeki Harumafuji explains in … Continue reading
Harumafuji Wins Emperor’s Cup!
The Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo was shaping up to be just another predictable romp by the two Mongolian yokozuna, Hakuho and Asashoryu, until the 14th day, when the Bulgarian ozeki, Kotooshu, toppled Hakuho, knocking him out of the … Continue reading
Hatsu Basho, 2009
They’re off and shoving! Five days into the Starting Tournament of 2009 in Tokyo, four rikishi remain undefeated: the two Mongolian yokozuna, Asashoryu and Hakuho; the newly promoted sekiwake, Baruto from Estonia; and the rising maegashira Tochiozan from Kochi, Japan, … Continue reading
Sumo’s No-throw Zabutons
This year’s Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament is at the halfway point, and Kyushu-based blogger Ampontan explained after the first day how the Japan Sumo Association has reconfigured the zabuton (lit. ‘seat futon’) in the box seats in order to discourage … Continue reading
Another Basho, Another Scandal
Japan’s Fall Grand Sumo Basho is underway, and Jack Gallagher, writing in The Japan Times, updates us on the latest scandal to hit the sport. The resignation of Japan Sumo Association chairman Kitanoumi last Monday was just the latest in … Continue reading
