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.

Posted on April 26th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: sumo. Comments: 2

If you arrive to sumo early in the day you can watch the lesser ranks do battle. Sometimes the matchups seem hardly fair, but they are entertaining anyway.

I took today’s photo just before the big yakuza sumo scandal. In looking at the photo closely, I’m thinking those guys right in front of me could have been yakuza. Hmmmm….

Posted on February 5th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: sumo. Comments Off on Outmatched

A poor showing from Hakuho (three losses before the final match with Baruto) and a fine tournament from Baruto (no losses before the final two days), have clinched Baruto’s first ever tournament victory. Congratulations!

Hakuho had won 15 of the prior 20 tournaments.

Posted on January 20th, 2012 under Japan. Tags: hakuho, sumo, video. Comments Off on Baruto wins his first tournament

Thanks to bout fixing, the March Grand Sumo Tournament was cancelled, and the May Tournament is now going to be free. Numerous sumo wrestlers who were linked to the match fixing have been forced to retire.

Today’s photo is of Kyokutenho (旭天鵬), who was not one of those found guilty. Many of the sumo rikishi, like nearly everyone else in Japan, travel by train. You can watch them walk from the train station to Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo simply by waiting outside on tournament days.

Posted on April 9th, 2011 under Japan. Tags: people, sumo. Comments: 1

There are reports that Yamamotoyama (facing away in the above picture) is one of the sumo wrestlers who is being investigated for fixing sumo matches. He said today that “he hasn’t.” (やってない) The cell phone text in question is “俺は誰に借りているかな？ 貸しは光龍と山本山だけだよね。” (“Who am I indebted to? I only have a loan with Koryu and Yamamotoyama, right?”)

Of course the “debt” in this message could mean anything. It need not be bout fixing. Apparently three sumo wrestlers have admitted wrongdoing. We’ll find out soon, I imagine, who they are and if Yamamotoyama is found guilty.

Stay tuned.

Posted on February 2nd, 2011 under Japan. Tags: sumo, yamamotoyama. Comments Off on Is Yamamotoyama guilty of fixing his sumo matches?