Sumo Ring Entering Ceremony (土俵入り or dohyoiri)
With the May Sumo Tournament just over a week away from beginning, my random desktop background picked this photo for me (and you) today. Notice the rikishi with the green apron (keshomawashi or 化粧回し) in the back left. This is Kakuryu (back in 2009), who was just promoted (2012) to Ozeki after nearly winning the March Tournament. Ozeki is the second highest rank in Sumo.
After the tournament in which I took today’s pic (September 2009) Kakuryu (鶴竜) was promoted to Sekiwake, the rank just below Ozeki. Since then Kakuryu has bounced around between the Sekiwake, Komusubi, and Maegashira ranks. Perhaps he will be the next Yokozuna? He has defeated the only current Yokozuna, Hakuho, in the last two tournaments.
April 26th, 2012 at 7:08 pm
I look at your blog most days but my time is spread so thin I’m bad about comments. This brings back memories. On our first visit to Japan our group leader got us into the morning training session at a sumo stable in Tokyo. Toto, we weren’t in Kansas any more. We eventually got kicked out because our American and British group has such inflexible knees and hips that we couldn’t avoid turning the soles of our feet toward the wrestlers. On another trip, we went to the world expo in Aichi, near Nagoya. There was a grand sumo tournament but it was sold out months in advance. So was Laurie Anderson’s performance the next day. Damn
April 26th, 2012 at 11:50 pm
That is a great picture and love seeing all the rikishi together!
Japan Australia