ln This Issue

On the Coyer - New Ozeki Tochiazuma (Photo byClyde Newton).

On the Back Coyer - This print from the 1850s is fromthe collection of Swedish collector Goran Flyxe, anddepicts Sakaigawa, an ozeki in the 1850s. Olderreaders will remember Goran Flyxe's print gracedsorne of Sumo World's early issues (courtesy of GoranFlyxe).

* ln This Issue,Editor's Box 2

Hatsu Basho BanzukeMakunouchi Division:Rankings and Profiles 3-8

* Tochiazuma Promoted to OzekiBy Clyde Newton 9·10

* Predictions for 2002 10* Hatano-san's Colurnn 12* The 10 Most Disappointing Yokozuna 14-1* By Andy Adams* Meishobu Revealed 17* juryo Results, Behind the Curtain 18* Off The Dohyo by Lora Sharnoff 19* Letters from Readers 20* Heya Addre.sses 21* Kyushu Basho Hoshitorihyo 22·23* Hatsu Basho Preview by Clyde Newton 24* Kyushu Basho Review 25·27* Natsu Basho Results 3

juryo Division:Rankings and Profiles 29·31Makushita Division: Top Ranks 31

Sumo WorldEditorial Staff:

Clyde Newton Editor and PublisherAndy Adams Associate EditorRyo Hatano Senior EditorShinobu Suzuki Staff ColumnistLora Sharnoff Staff ColumnistDavid Meisenzahl Staff ColumnistMark Newton Staff ColumnistMark Schreiber Guest ColumnistC. Newton PhotographerC. Newton, S. Suzuki TranslatorsAHsubscription checks should be made out to: SumoWorld/Clyde Newton.

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* Our thanks to"Sumo" of BaseballMagazine-shafor use of photos 2

Sumo Kyokai Messengers Wakamatsu (ex-Ozeki Asashio) and Irumagawa (ex-Sekiwake Tochitsukasa) fOrmally notif;Tochiazuma of his promotion to ozeki on November 28.

Tochiazuma Promoted to OzekiBy Clyde Newton

Tochiazuma's fine 12-3 record in the KyushuBasho won him promotion to ozeki after a total of 20tournaments at sekiwake and komusubi.

Tochiazuma's credentials for promotion were impec­cable in terms of win-Ioss records; 10-5 inJuly fol­lowed by 12-3 records in both September and No­vember 2001.

Despite his impressive records, Tochiazuma'schances of promotion looked precarious going intothe final day. He appeared to injure his leg in losingto tournament winner Musahimaru on the 14th day,and was unable to walk unassisted. However, theinjury was apparently minor. Nevertheless, thesekiwake's final bout with ozeki Musoyama was criti­cal, since he had already lost to the other competingyokozuna and ozeki, and a further loss to Musoyamamight well have resulted in his promotion beingdeferred until the Hatsu Basho.

Tochiazuma had little trouble with Musoyama,though, and his promotion to ozeki became certain.Even Sakaigawa Oyakata (ex- YokozunaSadanoyama), the head of the judging division, whohas expressed caution regarding some recent ozekipromotions, wholehearted supported Tochiazuma'spromotion.

Tochiazuma was born in Tokyo on November 9,

1976, just before his father, the first Tochiazumaretired from active competition. The firstTochiazuma (now Tamanoi Oyakata and his son'smentor), competed as a Kasugano Beya between1960 and 1977, and was regarded as being an ozekicandidate in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Askillful rikishi and an upsetter, the first Tochiazumawas only ranked at sekiwake once, but in J anuary1972 he won the Makunouchi yusho with an 11-4record at No.5 Maegashira.

After becoming Tamanoi Oyakata, the firstTochiazuma remained with Kasugano Beya for manyyears, but after his mentor-ex-YokozunaTochinishiki died in 1990 and ex- Yokozuna

Tochinoumi took over Kasugano Beya, he decided tobranch out on his own, taking some deshi from hisold heya.

ln November 1994, Tamanoi's son, ShigaDaisuke, joined the professional ranks, and breezedthrough the lower divisions, reaching Juryo in May1996, while still only 19, and the Makunouchi inNovember of the same year.

New Ozeki Tochiazuma reached the sanyakuranks early, but was hampered by lack of experienceand injuries. However, he finally came into his ownin 2001, with a 10-5 record as a maegashira in J anu-

9

ary, followed by 9-6 at komusubi in March. Pro­moted back to sekiwake in May, he won 9 bouts,following by 10 wins in J uly, then 12-3 records inboth September and N ovember.

While powerful and skillful, Tochiazuma's sumostill has flaws. He is extremely effective when heaggressively attacks larger opponents, but when he iscautious his relative lack of weight cornes into play.Earlier this year, he started side-stepping opponents,probably more out of instinct than intentionally.However, in the Kyushu Basho, the 25 year oldsekiwake displayed stronger self-confidence than hehas to date.

What kind of ozeki will Tochiazuma make? If he

concentrates on making his sumo even more speedyand he is able to avoid injuries, he has the potentialto become a strong, stable, longterm ozeki. While hecertainly has the potential to win the yusho at sornepoint, probably sooner rather than later, the odds ofTochi going one step further to yokozuna are nothigh. Given Wakanohana's experience, Tochi willprobably have a longer career if he remains at ozeki.

Tochiazuma's promotion brings the number ofozeki back to four. While Musoyama appears tohave achieved stability, Chiyotaikai will be kadobanagain inJanuary. If Chiyotaikai losses his rank andMiyabiyama fails to win 10 or more bouts and thus isunable to return to ozeki, there could be only threeozeki in March, as well as four former ozeki, whichwould be unprecedented.

N evertheless, Tochiazuma' s promotionshould

Predictions for2002

By Clyde Newton

Yusho: Musashimaru-2, Takanohana-1, Tochiazuma-1,Kotomitsuki-1, Wakanosato-1Most Wins for the year: TochiazumaNew Yokozuna: NoneNew Ozeki: KotomitsukiPromoted back to Ozeki: MiyabiyamaNew Sekiwake: Tamanoshima, TakanowakaPromoted back to Sekiwake: Wakanosato, Dejima,TochinonadaNew Komusubi: Toki, TochisakaePromoted back to Komusubi: Chiyotenzan,Takanowaka, Hayateumi, TosanoumiShin-Nyumaku: Kuniazuma, Shimotori,Juzan,Harunoyama, HokutorikiPromoted back to Makunouchi: Tochinohana,Takatoriki, Higonoumi, Daishi, Takamisakari, Kotoryu,Kitazakura

Likely Retirements: Akinoshima, Takanonami,Hamanoshima, Terao, Minatofuji

strengthen the level of competition in the top ranks.Kaio is 29 and increasingly erratic, and Musoyama isalso nearly 30. Tochiazuma has the potential tooutlast all the current ozeki, as weIl as the twoyokozuna.

Sekiwake Tochiazuma easi1y ousts new komusubi Kaiho on the sixth clay.

10

1

1

1

1.,

Tochiazuma's Tegata(ActuaISize)

An Open Letter toTamanoi Oyakata

by Ryo HatanoCongratulations on Tochiazuma's promotion to ozeki!

The dream that both of you had, as shisho and deshi, andof course, as father and son, for promotion to ozeki hasmaterialized. You were unable to reach ozeki due toillness, but you passed the dream on to your son, and hehas fulfilled your wish. Indeed, he has shown filial pietyto you by achieving your old objective. You mentionedthat you were a happy man. And Tochiazuma attributeshis promotion to you and okamisan. He has kept hispromise to both of you.

ln an interview, T ochiazuma was asked what itfelt liketo have overtaken his father. He replied that he hadn'tovertaken you yet, since you won a Makunouchi yusho,but Tochiazuma has yet to do so. l am sure you are lookingfOl'ward to the day when your son wins his first yusho.

Sumo's popularity is rather low at the moment, butTochiazuma's promotion is good and welcome news forsumo.

As you know, l retired from the frontlines of sumoreporting quite a while ago. As a result, l don't know thecurrent rikishi very well on a personal basis. l have neverspoken to Tochiazuma, but since he is your son, l havefollowing his career closely since he first set foot on thedohyo. Frankly, l was surprised when he chose aprofessional sumo career. Although he was a high schoolyokozuna, l had doubts as to how far he would go as aprofessional rikishi.

Tochiazuma won the Jonokuchi and Jonidan titleswith perfect 7-0 records right after his debut, which didn'treally surprise me, since he had done well in high schoolamateur sumo. But when your son won the Sandanme andMakushita yusho as well, and quickly gained promotion toJuryo, l was most impressed. At that point, yo.ur son tookyour old shikona-Tochiazuma. And then, m hls thlrdbasho inJuryo, Tochiazuma won the yusho with a 12-3record and gained promotion to Makunouch1.Tochiazuma has a strong resemblance to you and hisphysique is reminiscent of yours-rather small. But this isto be expected, since he is your son.

You had the traditional technical finesse of KasuganoBeya rikishi. And Tochiazuma is skillful as weIl. Andthough it may be impolite to mention this, Tochiazuma ISeven stronger than you were. He has both skill and power.l think he is a very clever rikishi. He obviously closelyfollows your advice and applies it to his sumo. His presentbuild is the product of dedication to keiko. l thmk hlsserious attitude towards keiko and the skill he hasinherited from you will bring him greater and greatersuccess in the years to come.

Tochiazuma was criticized for bouts in which he used

henka (side-stepping an opponent) in the Aki Basho, butin the Kyushu Basho, he didn't have even one henka.

There is one great hope l have for Tochlazuma.yokozuna promotion. He is a small rikishi by today'sstandards. However, a small yokozuna could help revivesumo's popularity by defeating larger rikishi. Whichmakes me recall a rikishi who was slightly senior to youwhen you were in Kasugano Beya-yokozunaTochinoumi.

As Tochiazuma's shisho and as his father, l hope youeencourage him to aim for promotion to yokozuna.

1 recall the time about 30 years ago, inJanuary 1972,when you won the yusho as a maegashira, and as one of theprizes you won was a trip to Australia with your mentor,the then Kasugano Oyakata (ex-yokozuna Tochinishiki).l had sorne free time and accompanied you both on thetrip. l remember the splendid service in first class on Pan­Am. The week-long trip was so enjoyable-we visitedSydney, Brisbane, Canberra, and the Gold Coast.J apanese routinely travel to Australia these days, but backthen there were very few J apanese on the streets ofSydney. You were close to the age Tochiazuma is nowback then, and it is like a dream to think now that your son,who wasn't even born then, has been promoted to ozeki.

(Tamanoi Oyakata (ex-Sekiwake Tochiazuma) was aKasugano Beya rikishi and reached sekiwake. He retiredinJanuary 1977 with a Makunouchi record of 404 wins,44810sses and 23 days absent. He stood at 1.77 meters andweighed 115 kilograms. He is now 57 years old.)

Kitanoumi and

Futagoyama Likely to Viefor Rijicho Post

by Clyde Newton

With sumo's popularity in Japan seemingly at itsnadir, the Sumo Kyokai faces critical elections inFebruary. Both Tokitsukaze Rijicho (ex-ozekiYutakayama) and Sakaigawa Riji (ex-yokozunaSadanoyama), the still inf1uential former rijicho, will bothstep down, as they will reach the mandatory retirementage of 65 before the next two year term of office expires.

When Tokitsukaze Rijicho was first elected inJ anuary1998, Kitanoumi Oyakata (ex-Yokozuna Kitanoumi)nearly achieved a surprise victory in the final voting, dueto strong support from a large group of oyakata who hadopposed sorne of Sakaigawa's policies. The commonwisdom at the time was that the young (he was only 44 atthe time) and well-liked Kitanoumi was certain to beTokitsukaze's eventual successor.

However, the collapse of the old negotiated electionsystem, in which the eIders of each ichimon (group ofheya) would apportion the top posts evenly has created asense of uncertainty, and it turns out, KitanoumlOyakata's election as rijicho after the Hatsu Basho is by nomeans certain. The powerful Nishonoseki Ichimon isrumored to be united behind Futagoyama Oyakata (ex­Ozeki Takanohana), while Kitanoumi must rely onsupport from a smaller and increasing fragmentedelectorate in his own Dewanoumi Ichimon.

Takadagawa Oyakata (ex-Ozeki Maenoyama), th:most outspoken opponent of Sakaigawa, ran for a r!JIposition in 1998, against the wishes of his Takasagolchimon, which "officially" supported the thenincumbent Jinmaku Oyakata (ex-yokozuna Kitan.ofuji)and Takasago (ex-komusubi Fujinishiki). Kitanofuj110sthis riji post and abruptly left sumo altogether, whileTakadagawa was elected-and promptly expelled fromthe Takasago lchimon. Takadagawa's victory was seen asan aberation, however, he managed to cobble together

12

another riji election victory in 2000. However, withSakaigawa Oyakata no longer running for office,Takadagawa's support, sorne of which came fromSakaigawa's own Dewanoumi Ichimon, is expected toevaporate. Kitanoumi, who is considered to be friendly tothe reform group, if not a fellow-traveller, may pick upsorne of the support that went to Takadagawa.

Kitanoumi Oyakata, however, faces a threat in theinitial election for riji (board director) posts. Ali theoyakata (with the exception of jun-toshiyori) vote for theriji posts. To complicate matters, three oyakata areexpected to run for riji from the Dewanoumi group­Musashigawa (ex-yokozuna Mienoumi), Dewanoumi (ex­sekiwake Washuyama), and Kitanoumi. At best, theDewanoumi Ichimon has the strength to barely elect twodirectors. One of the candidates will be certain to lose, andit could even be Kitanoumi himself-in which case hewould be eliminated from the subsequent vote for rijicho.

ln recent years, the Nishonoseki Ichimon, especiallythe group centered around Futagoyama Beya, has becomeincreasingly powerful, with more and more oyakata, whilethe Dewanoumi Ichimon, which has produced lesssanyaku rikishi in recent decades, has faded somewhat. lnthe 58 years since the rijicho post was first held by a rikishiin 1944, the Dewanoumi Ichimon has occupied the topposition for a total of 36 years. On the other hand, theNishonoseki Ichimon has had only one rijicho-the oldFutagoyama Oyakata (ex-yokozuna Wakanohana)-andhe served for a total of only four years between 1988 and1992.

The Nishonoseki Ichimon has three riji; Sadogatake(ex-yokozuna Kotozakura), Futagoyama, and Magaki (ex­yokozuna Wakanohana II). Ali three are running forreelection and are expected to retain their posts. Due tothis degree of support from his own ichimon andpresumably from sorne riji of the Tatsunami/Isegahamaand Takasago Ichimon, Futagoyama is now viewed ashaving a slight lead over Kitanoumi in the race for rijicho.

The outcome is far from certain. Kitanoumi, despitebeing only 48 and retired for but 16years, has considerableexperience in high level posts in the Sumo Kyokai. Hepresently holds the jigyo bucho (business director) post,the de facto NO.2 position in the Sumo Kyokai. Mostrijicho held the jigyo bucho post prior to rising to the topposition. Futagoyama, 51, on the other hand has only heldthe jungyo bucho Qungyo director) post, and under hiswatch revenues from jungyo have fallen into the red for thefirst time in decades. While Futagoyama himself is notheld responsible for low attendance at jungyo (which is aproblem related to the current, his heading the divisioncan hardly be regarded as a positive factor in his electionto a higher post.

If Kitanoumi Oyakata do es win one of the 10 rijipositions, his chances of being elected to rijicho may weildepend upon the solidity of Futagoyama's backing amongthe other board members. Magaki Oyakata, who hasalways been associated with the anti-Sakaigawa rebelgroup, is said to have pledged support to Futagoyama. Thereal question mark is Sadogatake Oyakata (ex-yokozunaKotozakura). Sadogatake is from non-Futagoyama side ofthe Nishonoseki Ichimon. The non-Futagoyama side usedto have a second riji, Taiho Oyakata (ex-yokozuna Taiho),who was forced down by Futagoyama's unexpectedcandidacy for riji in 1996.

While in alllikelihood the new rijicho will be from the

Futagoyama

postwar generation, there is a slight chance thatSadogatake could emerge as an interim compromisecandidate for rijicho. However, Sadogatake will reachKyokai retirement age in 2005, and thus could serve forjust a single two year term.

The most likely outcome would be for Kitanoumi andFutagoyama to take turns as rijicho--say two or three twoyear terms each. Whatis certain is that control of the SumoKyokai will shift to a new generation born after the end ofWorld War II. Whoever is elected as rijicho willundoubtedly face a monumental task in spearheading arevival in sumo's popularity. There are factors beyond thecontrol of even the most imaginative rijicho, such as

japan's depressed economy, which is in part responsiblefor low attendance at hombasho.

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13

The Ten Most Disappointing YokozunaByAndyAdams

1. SHIRANUI 1 DAKUEMON (1801-1854)yokozuna Record: 9-6-4Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Yokozuna Winning Percentage: .600Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Heya: UrakazeBasho/Years-Months as Yokozuna: 3/1-3 (1/1840-3/1841)Size: 176 cm. (5-9)/135 kg. (298)Age/Month- Year of Yokozuna Promotion: 39/1-1840Age/Year of Retirement: 43/1844Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 48-16-6/.762Career Yusho: 1

Comments: As the eighth yokozuna (an honorary rank atthe time), Shiranui (Dakuemon) 1 has the dubiousdistinction ofbeing the only yokozuna ever to be demotedfrom ozeki-the highest rank on the banzuke at the time­after being granted yokozuna status. His .600 winningpercentage as yokozuna wasn't the lowest of sumo's 67yokozuna. That distinction belongs to the 39th yokozuna,Maedayama--the only one who had less than a .500record--.471--while performing at the top rank.Surprisingly, Shiranui didn't retire after losing the rank ofozeki, continuing to perform for another three years or so.Shiranui l's yokozuna dohyo-iri style was not the basis forone of the two classical styles still used today--thatdistinction belongs to Shiranui II.

2. OTORI TANIGORO (1887-1956)Yokozuna Record: 35-24-2Yusho as Yokozuna: 1yokozuna Winning Percentage: .593Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Heya: MiyaginoBasho/Years-Months as Yokozuna: 11/5-0 (2/1915-5/1920)Size: 174 cm. (5-8 1/4)/112 kg. (247)Age/Month-Year ofYokozuna Promotion: 27/2-1915Age/Year of Retirement: 33/5-1920Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 108-4915/.688Career Yusho: 2

Comments: Otori Tanigoro, the 24th yokozuna, was oneof the youngest (up to his time)-27-to be promoted to thetop rank in May 1915. There were sorne complaints fromsumo fans that he had been promoted too quickly--and, asit turned out, he had less than a .600 winning percentagein his five-year tenure at the top rank. After being refusedin his bid to enter sumo because he was too small, he wasfinally accepted in 1903 at the age of 15. He was promotedto yokozuna in 1915 after scoring zensho-yusho andretained the rank for the next five years, although he wasone of the few to not win a basho title as a yokozuna. Hehad a disappointing tenure overall (one of only threeyokozuna in history to score less than a .600 winningpercentage) and retired in 1920 at the age of 33.

3. NISHINOUMI II KAJIRO (1880-1931)Yokozuna Record: 12-5-0Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Yokozuna Winning Percentage: .706Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Heya: IzutsuBasho/Years-Months as Yokozuna: 2/1-0 (2/1916-3/

1918)Size: (185 cm.) 6-3/4/135 kg. (298)Age/Month-Year ofYokozuna Promotion: 36/2-1916Age/Year of Retirement: 38/5-1918Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 136-38-36/.73Career Yusho: 1

Comments: Nishinoumi II Kajiro, the 25th yokozuna,competed in only two full basho at the top rank--thesecond-shortest yokozuna tenure in history. He camefrom Kagoshima Prefecture and joined Izutsu Beya in1900 at the age of 19. The oldest at 36 to gain the top ranksince the Meiji Era, he is the only yokozuna whocommitted suicide. Although he was big at over 183 cm.(6 feet), his style of sumo--seizing the mawashi in a hidari­yotsu position--was slow-moving and unspectacular. Heretired at the age of 38 in May 1918, became IzutsuOyakata and trained Nishinoumi III.

4. NISHINOUMI III KAJIRO (1890-1933)Yokozuna Record: 49-20-1Yusho as Yokozuna: 1Yokozuna Winning Percentage: .71Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 2Heya: IzutsuBasho/Months- Years as Yokozuna: 13/5-8Size: 185 cm. (6-3/4)/124 kg. (273)Age/Month- Year of Yokozuna Promotion: 32/4-1923Age/Year of Retirement: 37/10-1928Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 134-60-4/.691Career Yusho: 1

Comments: Nishinoumi III Kajiro, the 30th yokozuna,had the longest career of any of these 10 disappointingyokozuna: 13basho, or 5 years and 8 months. He was onlythe second of these 10 yokozuna who captured the yushowhile holding the top rank. Using a simple, unspectacularstyle of sumo, Nishinoumi III focused on getting amorozashi whenever possible. Although he had not beenable to come up with a single yusho before promotion toyokozuna and despite the opposition of the YoshidaFamily (who historically controlled the promotion ofyokozuna until the postwar period), the family finallyagreed to the promotion on the basis of Nishinoumi'sfuture potential. Thus, he was promoted to yokozuna atthe age of32 in 1923. He came close to compiling a .700winning percentage with .691, although he was frequentlyabsent. He retired in 1928 at the age of37 and died alonelydeath five years later in 1933. He was only 43 years old.

14

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s. MUSASHlYAMA TAKESHI (1909-1969)Yokozuna Record: 15-15-0Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Yokozuna Winning Percentage: .556Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Heya: DewanoumiBasho/Years as Yokozuna: 8/3-5Size: 186 cm. (6-1)/120 kg. (265)Age/Month-Year of Yokozuna Promotion: 25/5-1935Age/Month-Year of Retirement: 25/5-1925Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 174-69-2/.716Career Yusho: 1

Comments: Musashiyama Takeshi, the 33rd yokozuna,was considered something of a sumo genius at the start ofhis career and regarded as a tragic case at the end. Hisyokozuna winning percentage of .556 was the second­lowest among ail 66 yokozuna. He was born in KanagawaPre-fecture and competed for Dewanoumi Beya. Heseemed to have everything going for him by the time hereached yokozuna at age 25: a muscular and well­proportioned physique, physically strong with a sharp de­ashi and hand-some with well-defined features. But he

appeared in only eight basho during his eight-basho,three-and-a-half-year tenure at the top rank and had somany absences that he competed fully in every basho-­only once! As a result, he ended up with a disappointingrecord of only 15 wins and 15 losses. At one point, herevealed plans to switch to a career as a heavyweightboxer, but he never followed through on his grandioseidea. He retired at the age of 29 and remained in sumo asDekiyama Oyakata until his death in 1969.

6. AKINOUMI SETSUO (1914-1979)Yokozuna Record: 38-19Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Yokozuna Winning Percentage: .66Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna:Heya: DewanoumiBasho/Years as Yokozuna: 8/3-1Size: 175 cm. (5-83/4/134 kg. (295)Age/Month- Year of Yokozuna Promotion: 28/5-1942Age/Year of Retirement: 31/ 11-1946Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 142-59/.706Career Yusho: 1

Comments: Akinoumi Setsuo, the 37th yokozuna, willa1ways be remembered for stopping the great yokozunaFutabayama's 69-bout winning streak on the fourth day oftheJanuary 1939 Tournament rather than for anything heachieved as a yokozuna. Rather small for a yokozuna atthis period at only 175 cm. and historically he wasunfortunate in having to compete with Futabayama. Afterentering sumo at the age of 17, he reached the ultimaterank of yokozuna Il years later when he was 28. Not toostrong for a yokozuna, he ended up winning only twice asmany bouts as he lost: 38-19 for a winning percentage of.667 so that he was unable to come close to hisMakunouchi percentage of .706. Nine years after heretired in 1946, he left sumo altogether after an inter-heyadisagreement and operated a series of restaurants in theTokyo area before retiring to Kamakura in the 1960s.

7. MAEDAYAMA EIGORO (1914-1971)Yokozuna Record: 24-27Yusho as Yokozuna: 0yokozuna Winning Percentage: .471Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Heya: TakasagoBasho/years as Yokozuna: 612-5Size: 181 cm. (5-11)/120 kg. (265)Age/Month-Year of Yokozuna Promotion: 33/6-1947Age/Year of Retirement: 35/10-1949Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 206-104/.6Career Yusho: 1

Comments: Maedayama Eigoro, the 39th yokozuna andthe first one in postwar World War II history, was a strongozeki as weil as a highly successful oyakata, but a pooryokozuna. ln fact, he compiled the worst winningpercentage of ail 66 yokozuna in sumo history--.471 (24wins and 2710sses) to become the only one who fell belowthe .500 mark. He entered sumo in 1929 at the early ageof 14, but eventually relied on a fierce slapping attack sothat he became known as the Red Devil of the Dohyo. Hebecame an ozeki only three basho after he reached theMakunouchi Division, a record equalled only by the 26thyokozuna, Onishiki. Toward the end of his career, hedropped out of the Osaka Basho, claiming that he was sick,but he returned to Tokyo to watch the touring SanFrancisco Seals play a baseball game. A photograph ofMaedayama shaking hands with Seals manager LeftyO'Doul appeared in the Tokyo papers and got him intotrouble with the Dai-Nippon Sumo Kyokai. Hefinallyretired in 1949 at the age of 35 to take responsibility forbehaving imprudently in a manner unbecoming ayokozuna. As the head of Takasago Beya, he helped tointernationalize sumo and spread interest in it abroad ashead of the Sumo KyokaiisJungyo Division. He broughtHawaiian-AmericanJesse Kuhaulua toJapan and trainedhim as Takamiyama besides helping to raising ozekiMaenoyama.

8. YOSHIBA YAMA JUNNOSUKE (1920-1977)Yokozuna Record: 109-67-79Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Yokozuna Winning Percentage: .619Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 1Heya: TakashimaBasho/years as Yokozuna: 17/3-8Size: 179 cm. (5-10 1/4)/161 kg. (355)Age/Month- Year of Yokozuna Promotion: 33/1-1954Age/Year of Retirement: 37/1-1958Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 304-151-1/.688Career Yusho: 1

Comments: YoshibayamaJunnosuke, the 43rd yokozuna,like seven others of the 10 most disappointing yokozuna,never managed to take the yusho after his promotion to thetop rank. lronically, he was promoted to yokozuna afterscoring zensho yusho as a 33-year-old ozeki. He was ahandsome rikishi with an imposing physique and waspopular with fans, many of whom were sympathetic to hisfutile attempts to win a basho as a yoko-zuna. Born inHokkaido, he came to Tokyo in 1938 to attend school butwas discovered and recruited by Takashima Beya before

15

he was able to crack a book. While ranked in theMakunouchi Division, he joined the military in 1942 andspent the next six years in the service. Returning to civilianlife, he was aIlowed to re-enter Makunouchi in 1948,reaching ozeki in mid-i51. The highlight of his career wascapturing the January 1954 Tournament with a perfectrecord and parading triumphantly through the streets ofTokyo in the falling snow. His strong attacks were basedon his hidari-yotsu, migi-uwate grip, but his high hipsplagued his attempts to win another yusho. He retired in1958 at the age of 37 and took over as mas ter of MiyaginoBeya.

9. FUTAHAGURO KOJI (1963-)Yokozuna Record: 74-33-13Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Yokozuna Winning Percentage: .691Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 3Heya: TatsunamiBasho/Years as Yokozuna: 9/1-5Size: 199 cm. (6-6 1/2)/154 kg. (340)Age/Month- Year of Yokozuna Promotion: 23/7-1986Age/Year of Retirement: 24/12-1987Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 197-87/.693Career Yusho: 0

Comments: Futahaguro Koji, the 60th yokozuna, was theonly yokozuna ever kicked out of sumo at the age of 24only a year and a half after being promoted to sumo's toprank. The 199-cm. yokozuna had been expected to takeover from Chiyonofuji and dominate the late 1980s andearly '90s, and had three jun-yusho to his credit in the sixbasho in which he competed from beginning to end.There is no doubt that he would have captured manyyusho had he managed to remain in sumo. But a series ofaltercations with his stablemaster as weIl as with histsukebito along with various personality problemsresulted in his abrupt departure from sumo at the end of1987--at the express request of his oyakata, TatsunamiOyakata. Previously, he had actuaIly run away from theheya several times because he was unable to endure thehard training and hazing dealt out by higher-rankedstablemates. lronicaIly, his own tsukebito fled the heya,complaining of mistreatment by Kitao--his formershikona. After leaving sumo, he went on a long, worldwidetour and finally set up his own professional wrestling campafter returning to Tokyo.

10. WAKANOHANA III (1971- )Yokozuna Record: 61-38-57Yusho as Yokozuna: 0Yokozuna Winning Percentage: .616Jun-Yusho as Yokozuna: 2Heya: FutagoyamaBasho/Years-Months as Yokozuna: 11/1-10Size: 181 cm. (5-11 1/4)/134 kg. (296)Age/Month/Year of Yokozuna Promotion: 27/5-1998Age/Year of Retirement: 29/3-2000.Makunouchi Record/Winning Percentage: 487-250­124/.660Career Yusho: 5

Comments: Wakanohana Masaru, the 66th and next-to­last yokozuna as of the end of 2001, was another rikishiwho would have gone down in sumo history as one of thegreatest ozeki with five yusho to his credit if he had

remained at that rank. But as it turned out, he was unableto win another yusho after his promotion to yokozunafoIlowing the May 1998 basho. The son of famed ozekiTakanohana, the nephew of yokozuna Wakanohana 1andthe older brother of yokozuna Takanohana, he had themost absences due to injury of any of the 10 MostDisappointing Yokozuna with 124, which adds up to morethan eight complete basho. His c!osest, and mostfrustrating approach to the yusho was his 13-2performance as a yokozuna in the 1999 Hatsu Basho butsekiwake Chiyotaikai won after two playoffs. It appearedthat Wakanohana had won the first playoff in a closefinish, but the judges led by Kokonoe Oyakata, thestablemaster of Chiyotaikai (conflict of interest?),conferred and called for a rematch. This would have givenhim his sixth yusho and eliminated him fromconsideration as one of the Ten Most Disappointingyokozuna. Climaxing his outstanding career as an ozeki(426-212--winning percentage of .667), Wakanohana waspromoted to yokozuna foIlowing two consecutive yushoperformances in the Haru Basho and N atsu Basho of 1998.He was runnerup in September of that year with a 12-3record and again in January ë99 with 13-2. Thatdisappointing result in the latter basho seemed to take thestuffing out ofWakanohana, who most noticeably beganto show his age--and disappointment--in his remainingyear in sumo. He even became the first yokozuna sinceOnokuni to suffer make-koshi at the top rank with a 7-8record in September ë99. After sitting out the next twobasho, Wakanohana made an abortive comeback inMarch 2000, but lost three of his first five bouts andsuddenly decided to throw in the towel. After hisdanpatsu-shiki later that year, he left sumo altogether inmid- December and now works as a italentoî or entertainerin show biz.

BASHO SCHEDULE FOR 2002

Hatsu Basho-Ryogoku Kokugikan, TokyoJanuary 13-27,2002Tickets on sale: December 1,2001Banzuke: December 25,2001

Haru Basho-Osaka Furitsu Taiikukan, OsakaMarch 10-24, 2002Tickets on sale: February 10, 2002Banzuke: February 25, 2002

Natsu Basho-Ryogoku Kokugikan, TokyoMay 12-26,2002Tickets on sale: April 6, 2002Banzuke: April 24, 2002

Nagoya Basho-Aichi-ken Taiikukan, NagoyaJuly 7-21, 2002Tickets on sale: March 14,2002Banzuke:June 24, 2002

Aki Basho-Ryogoku Kokugikan, TokyoSeptember 8-22, 2002Tickets on sale: August 3, 2002Banzuke: August 26

Kyushu Basho-Fukuoka Kokusai CenterNovember 10-24Tickets on sale: October 5, 2002Banzuke: October 28

16

Meishobu RevealedVokozuna Chiyonoyama vs Ozeki Wakanohana (uwatenage)

January 1958 (lOthDay)

Frame 1-Wakanohana (Ieft),displaying total confidencethrusts out his left shoulder at thetachi-ai.

Frame 4-Sensing danger, Chiyo(right) thrusts furiously at Waka'sthroat, forcing the ozeki's chinup.

Frame 7-Chiyo continues torelentlessly pursue Wakanohanaas the !iule ozeki fights to hang onin the dohyo.

Frame 2-Using his superior reachand height to maximum effect,Chiyonoyama (right) thrusts atWakanohana.

Frame 5-Though Wakanohanamanaged to grasp the yokozuna'smawashi, Chiyo continues tothrust at the ozeki's throat andforces his opponent towards theedge of the dohyo.

Frame S-Wakanohana's legsbegin to buckle. Chiyonoyamahas almost won the bout.

Frame 3-0zeki Wakanohanamomentarily breaks throughChiyo's thrusts to fleetingly graspthe yokozuna mawashi.

Frame 6-Chiyonoyama (back tocamera) pushes the flailing Wakafrom the side. Waka was in a

virtually hopeless position.

Frame 9-Chiyonoyama shovesWakanohana out. It wasWakanohana's first loss of thetournament, though he went on towin his second yusho with a 13-2,and gain promotion yokozuna.Chiyonoyama finished at 12-3.

17

Behind the CurtainBy David Meisenzahl

Stepping out in front of the curtain for the Januarytourney are two new faces to the juryo ranks and tworeturnees. It is nice to see so much activity at the curtainfor a change. Most of the rikishi moving up into the paidranks are from the same ichimon. Rikishi tend to practicethe most with other from the same ichimon. Of the four

sumotori getting promoted, three are from the TakasagoIchimon, while the remainingman is from the NihonosekiIchimon.

Ushiomaru, from former sekiwake Takamiyama'sAzumazeki stable, is a first timer to the juryo ranks.Nicknamed "Sano", mostlikely from his previous shikona,Takamisano, he put together a 5-2 record at Fukuoka fromNO.1 Makushita to get pushed up the banzuke. We haveoften seen Sano waiting in the hanamichi for Akebono tofinish his bout. Sano was one of Akebono's tsukebito for

many years. Now he finally gets to put on the silk mawashiafter almost 8 years on the dohyo. This will bringJesse'ssekitori count to 2, with Sano joining 'Robocop' akaTakamisakari inJuryo.

Hokutoriki, from former yokozuna Hokutomi'sHakkaku Beya, is our other first timer to the paid ranks.Like Sano, Hokutoriki notched 5 victories against 2defeats, opposite the banzuke from Sano, at higashi NO.1Makushita. He will join Kaiho, who became HakakuBeya's first Sanyaku rikishi in November.

Sumanofuji, from former sekiwake Fujizakura'sNakamura Beya, is a returnee and the heya's highestranking rikishi. He was ranked at N0.2 Makushita in thelast basho, posting 5 wins and 2 defeats. It must be nice forNakamura Oyakata to have a sekitori again.

Kotokanyu, 35, from former yokozuna Kotozakura'sSadogatake stable, is our other returnee, who has lots ofcompany in the paid ranks from his heya; Kotomitsuki,Kotonowaka, and Kotoryu. To do this, he put together animpressive 6-1 record from NO.5. Makushita.

Who are our unlucky 4 that must be stepping behindthe curtain to make room for these wrestlers. Half of themare from the Dewanoumi ichimon and the other half arefrom the Nihonoseki ichimon, a matter a fact, two are fromthe same stable.

Wakatsutomu, from former ozeki Wakashimazu'sMatsugane Beya, is falling like a rock down the banzuke.He started 200 l in makushita, spent half the year rankedin Makunouchi, and now he will start next year back inmakushita. Wakatsutomu, competing at No. 7Juryo, couldonly manage wins on days 3 and 4, leaving him with adreadful2-13 record. It will be awfully tough to lose allthose perks, keshomawashi, and shimekomi (silk mawashiused by sekitori), and go back to plain black cotton. Let'shope that he can bounce back up the banzuke as fast as hehas dropped down.

Wakatoryu, another of Matsugane oyakata's boys, isalso stepping back behind the curtain inJ anuary. Rankedat NO.9Juryo at Fukuoka, he dropped out on day 6, havingwon 3 bouts, posting a 3-3-9 record.

Yotsukasa, from former sekiwake Tochitsukasa'sIrumagawa Beya, debuted in front the curtain way back in'98, reached Makunouchi the following year, and now isbooked for a return appearance in makushita forJ anuary2002. He had a rough tourney, only getting 3 wins and 12

defeats, at NO.11Juryo.Masutsuyoshi, from former Ozeki Masuiyama's

Mihogaseki Beya, reached Juryo in 1998, and likeWakatsutomu, he started 2001 in makushita, but spent therest of the year inJuryo. Now he too will be in makushitafor the first basho of2002. A record of 5-10 at No. 13Juryoguaranteed him a slot in the Makushita ranks, behind thecurtain.

Juryo ResultsBy Clyde Newton

No.4 Oikari won the Juryo yusho with an 11-4record. The 29 year old Isenoumi Beya rikishi hashad four straight kachi-koshi since returning to ac­tion after an injury he suffered in the J anuary 2001tournament. Oikari's tsuppari is destructive wh enhe is good shape. The coUegian is set to return toMakunouchi, where he was first ranked in Novem­ber 1998.

Only nine of the 26 Juryo rikishi achieved kachi­koshi, and only one man other than Oikari­Takamisakari, won in double digits. Takamisakari,returning to Juryo after several tournaments inMakushita due to a severe injury he suffered inSeptember 2000, appeared to have recovered theself-confidence he seemingly lacked during his so­journ in Makushita.

A group of ex-Makunouchi veterans at or nearthe top of Juryo made an aU-out effort to return tothe top division. 34 year old former SekiwakeTakatoriki narrowly feU short with a 7-8 record atN 0.1 Juryo, while Asanowaka, at the same rank,made it back with a 9-6 record. The luckiest of theex-Makunouchi contingent was Sentoryu, who hasbeen promoted back to Makunouchi on the strengthof an 8-7 record at N 0.3. Sentoryu was 5-7 at onepoint, but he rallied in the final days. Formersekiwake Terao and onetime komusubiTochinohana were both absent inJuryo in Novem­ber, due to injuries, but both rikishi will return toaction in J anuary at their N ovember ranks.

Oik,!,ri

18

Ganyu Acquires ToshiyoriStatus

Ex-No.l Maegashira Ganyu of Kitanoumi Beya, whohas b.een a jjun-toshiyori since retiring in May 2000,acqUired the Onogawa toshiyori name in December2001. The Onogawa kabu had previous1y been heldby the name ex-Maegashira Haehiya.

Most Wins byMakunouchi Rikishi

Since 1958

1958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970

1971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001

WakanohanaTochinishikiTaihoTaihoTaihoTaihoTaihoSadanoyamaKashiwadoTaihoTamanoshimaKitanofujiTamanoumiKitanofujiKitanofujiWajimaWajimaKitanoumiKitanoumiWajimaKitanoumiKitanoumiKitanoumiKitanoumiKitanoumi

ChiyonofujiTakanosatoWakashimazu

ChiyonofujiChiyonofujiHokutoumiAsahifujiHokutoumiAsahifujiKirishimaTakahanadaAkebonoTakanohanaTakanohanaTakanohanaTakanohanaWakanohanaMusashimaruAkebonoMusashimaru

75-14-1H77-1366-2471-1977-1381-969-11-1074-1671-1970-6-1469-2163-2775-1575-1573-1763-2777-12-173-1771-1977-1380-1082-877-1377-1369-15-674-1678-1271-1980-1068-10-1274-1673-1772-1870-2062-2860-3076-1480-1080-1070-5-1578-1267-2370-2076-1473-17

Off the DohyoBy Lora Sharnoff

Ozeki Chiyotaikai was recently awarded an honorarygodan m karate from Shldokan, for his contributions to thedissemination ofkarate through his appearances in sumo.Chiyotaikai's strength in tsuki-oshi (thrusting andpushing) may be attributable to his background in karate,WhlChhe took up in junior high sehool in his native OitaPrefecture.

Before going into professional sumo, he reached theinitial rank of shodan in karate and came in third in an AliKyushu Competition. The last person to receive anhonorary godan in karate prior to Chiyotaikai wasAmerican singer MiehaelJackson in 1998.

Upon receiving the godan, the ozeki commented, ''l'mvery happy, and this inspires me to apply myself evenharder to my sumo in order to repay the karate world forthis honor."

Maegashira (and former ozeki) Takanonami, one ofsumo 's most eligible bachelors, will be tying the knot with

yoko ,Kondo, his love of over 10 years standing, atTokyo s Hotel New Otani on February Il. Yoko and theerstwhile ozeki first met in Nagoya when the future ozekiwas just 17 and still a no-name in the sumo world. Thetemple used by Futagoyama Beya (Fujishima Beya at thetime) for lodings in Nagoya also runs a nursery school.yoko was a teacher at the nursery sehool. The couplestarted datmg around 10 years ago. Eventually, they gotfrustrated with maintaining a long-distance romance, andyoko moved to Tokyo. They started living togetheraround two years ago-for a while in the same apartmentbuilding as Takanonami's Futagoyama Beya stablemateAkinoshima and his wife.

. Futagoyama Oyakata (ex-ozeki Takanohana) gave hisImmediate approval to the match once Takanonamirevealed hhis desire to wed and only chided the erstwhile

oze~i for not getting around to it sooner. As is virtuallyget~mg to be the custom in the sumo world these days, thepetite Yoko is, at age 36, six years Takanonami's senior.

Speaking of Futagoyama Oyakata, his former wife,Noriko, recently had her first acting job since she gave upher show busmess career sorne 30 years ago to marry thefirst. Takanohana. Since separating from the oyakata,N onko has occasionally appeared on sorne talk shows andcooking programs. However, by playing on Nihon

Television's political satire draa "Let's go, Nagata-cho" awoman cabmet member modelled on Chikage Ogi, whoIS currently in Prime Minister Koizumi's cabinet, theformer Mrs. Hanada managed a comeback as actressNoriko Fujita this past autumn.

Sumo Manga Omocha-eExhibition

An exhibition of sumo manga and omocha-e (oldsumo print games) will be held at the Yayoi Bijitsukan(gallery) fromJanuary 3 to March 31, 2002. About400 items from the collections of KageyamaTadahiro, ex-rikishi Kototsurugi, Mizuno N aofumi,and others will be exhibited. The gallery is located at2-4-3 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (tel: 03-3812-0012).The gallery is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

19

Readers' ColumnDear Clyde,

l am an avid sumo fan since a trip toJapan during theSeptember '94 basho. l have NHK via satellite, watch thedaily broadcasts, and look forward to your terrifiebimonthly publication. (l'm serious enough to have puttogether a nice little collection of tegata. )l have watched the dimishing crowds with growingdismay. l have a few thoughts that might be germaine, andwere not covered by you and Andy in your thoughtfularticle.

The rikishi have become, on average, much strongerthan they were in decades past. Training regimens,technique, videotape, nutrition, and the Chiyonofuji typework ethic now permeate the sport. l consider Chiyo theprototype for the modern rikishi. The result is a powerfulathlete that, much like a US football player, has a veryshort sumo life expectancy. Catastrophic injuries are morecommon each year. l feel this is at the root of the currentmalaise. Before rikishi can develop avid fans beyond thecognescenti, they are gone, or their power is irrevocablydiminished. A good example might be Dejima. A shorttime ago, a yokozuna prospect, now he struggles to stay inthe sport. Not a career to bring in the fans.

l suggest that sumo suffers from the same problemsthat ail pro tennis. The season is simply too long. ln fact,it really never ends. This creates many of the currentproblems. Rikishi never have a chance to fully recoverfrom their inevitable injuries. l know this is part of thewarrior code of old, but it conflicts with fans who need ahero to personify the sport. By the time l learn rikishinames, they are injured, gone, or demoted.

The fans also need more of a breather. This off seasonwould build anticipation and create a hunger that nownever builds, due to overexposure.

Sumo is simply too common, too available. l believeeliminating 1, or perhaps 2 consecutive tournaments peryear would be adequate. It would also be helpful to createan annual finale that would crown a rikishi top man for agiven year.

l realize that the chance for an entrenched, ritualizedsport like sumo making these changes is improbable. But,l feel better airing? my thoughts.Sincerely,Joel BerenMalibu, California

Dear Sumo World staff,One suggestion that we would like to make. We feel

that eliminating ail but one or two lifetime kosho wouldnot be the right thing to do. We do feel, however, that themaster of each heya should be responsible for identifyingthose rikishi who refuse to train properly and vigorouslyand then become injured because of that failure. Thoserikishi could be restricted in the kosho area. Or would belike the Department of Defense investigating itself? Whenyou consider that American baseball players who becomeinjured can be absent for the entire season and still collecttheir millions, Japanese rikishi are actually treated ratherharshly.

Takamisakari is a good example. l am sure he trains

hard-he appears to be very conscientious. Yet he wasdemoted all the way to Makushita through no fault of hisown (our opinion, of course).

As we understand the kosho system, if an injury occursin the dohyo during honbasho, it is a "public" injury(kosho). If it occurs duringjungyo, the rikishi is penalizedby a demotion. Since rikishi are almost forced to performfor the public between exhausting honbasho, do you thinkthis is right?

If we may ask another question: What became ofAsanosho (Wakamatsu Beya) and Daihisho (AsahiyamaBeya)?

Thanks again for a most enjoyable magazine.Earl and Tomiko BoyerEverett, Washington

Note: Asanosho fell down to the Sandanme but worked hisway back up to the Makushita in 2001. He was absent atMakushita NO.26 in November. Daihisho retired inMarch 2001 in Makushita. (Ed.)

Hi Clyde: l think only theJapanese can revitalize sumo.So, they should be the ones to ask. Compare the culture ofAmerican baseball to that of Japanese baseball. It's awonder that any J apanese boys nowadays voluntarilyenter such a master-slave relationship. Is that the root ofthe problem or am l wrong?

W. Frazzini

Clyde:Here are my three suggestions for reviving sumo

popularity:1. Never again allow two heya to merge so that most of theyokozuna & ozeki & other top ranked rikishi do not faceeach other in tournaments. l think sumo popularity beganto decline a few years back when those two heya(Fujishima & Futagoyama) merged and put too many toprankers in the same heya.2. Allow Osaka Governor Fusako Ota to enter the dohyo& present the Governor's Cup to the winner of the OsakaBasho in March. This would be a big news story & drawattention to the event. Tradition is nice, but this is the 21stcentury. What happens when there is a woman PrimeMinister? As a fan of sumo, l would like to see her do this.Keeping her off the dohyo does nothing for me & serves nopurpose.3. On days when Diet sessions are held during a basho, getNHK to televise the sumo, rather than televising the Dietsession until5 p.m., then play catch-up with video replaysof the day's matches. The Diet sessions are boooooring. IfNHK must coyer the Diet, show it on the Educationchannel, or let one of the commercial networks televise thesumo.

Keep up the good work with Sumo World & theEnglish-Ianguage telecasts on BS-2.

Best regards,Wayne Graczyk,Tokyo Weekender Sports Editor

20

Addresses of the Heya(as of December 2001)

1

i

Tokitsukaze Beya (ex-Ozeki Yutakayama)Sadogatake Beya (ex-Yokozuna Kotozakura)Kitanoumi Beya (ex-Yokozuna Kitanoumi)Futagoyama Beya (ex-Ozeki Takanohana)Takadagawa Beya (ex-Ozeki Maenoyama)Oshima Beya (ex-Ozeki Asahikuni)Magaki Beya (ex-Yokozuna Wakanohana)Wakamatsu Beya (ex-Ozeki Asashio)Musashigawa Beya (ex-Yokozuna Mienoumi)Hakaku Beya (ex-Yokozuna Hokutoumi)Isegahama Beya (ex-Ozeki Kiyokuni)Taiho Beya (ex-Yokozuna Taiho)Kasugano Beya (ex-Yokozuna Tochinoumi)Takasago Beya (ex-Komusubi Fujinishiki)Hanaregoma Beya (ex-Ozeki Kaiketsu)Kokonoe Beya (ex-Yokozuna Chiyonofuji)Isenoumi Beya (ex-Sekiwake Fujinokawa)Oshiogawa Beya (ex-Ozeki Daikirin)Nishonoseki Beya (ex-Sekiwake Kongo)Kabutoyama Beya (ex-Maegashira 1 Daiyu)Araiso Beya (ex-Komusubi Futagodake)Kataonami Beya (ex-Sekiwake Tamanofuji)Miyagino Beya (ex-Maegashira 13 Chikubayama)Hanakago Beya (ex-Sekiwake Daijuyama)Tamanoi Beya (ex-Sekiwake Tochiazuma)Ajigawa Beya (ex-Yokozuna Asahifuji)Nakamura Beya (ex-Sekiwake Fujizakura)Asahiyama Beya (ex-Ozeki Daiju)Naruto Beya (ex-Yokozuna Takanosato)Minato Beya (ex-Komusubi Yutakayama)Kiriyama Beya (ex-Komusubi Kurosegawa)Tomozuna Beya (ex-Sekiwake Kaiki)Matsugane Beya (ex-Ozeki Wakashimazu)Hatachiyama Beya (ex-Ozeki Hokutenyu)Shikihide Beya (ex-Komusubi Oshio)Takashima Beya (ex-Sekiwake Koboyama)Kagamiyama Beya (ex-Sekiwake Tagaryu)Onomatsu Beya (ex-Sekiwake Masurao)lrumagawa Beya (ex-Sekiwake Tochitsukasa)Takekuma Beya (ex-Sekiwake Kurohimeyama)Oguruma Beya (ex-Ozeki Kotokaze)Dewanoumi Beya (ex-Sekiwake Washuyama)Minezaki Beya (ex-Maegashira 2 Misugiiso)Shibatayama Beya (ex-Yokozuna Onokuni)Nakadachi Beya (ex-Komusubi Ryogoku)Izutsu Beya (ex-Sekiwake Sakahoko)Oitekaze Beya (ex-Maegashira 2 Daishoyama)Mihogaseki Beya (ex-Ozeki Masuiyama)Azumazeki Beya (ex-Sekiwake Takamiyama)Michinoku Beya (ex-Ozeki Kirishima)Kasugayama Beya (ex-Maegashira 1 Kasugafuji)Tatsunami Beya (ex-Komusubi Asahiyutaka)Tagonoura Beya (ex-Maegashira 1 Kushimaumi)

Nihon Sumo Kyokai

3-15-4, Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo39, Kushizaki Minami Machi, Matsudo-shi, Chiba-ken2-10-11, Kiyosumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo3-10-6, Honcho, Nakano-ku, Tokyo2-1-15, Ichinoe, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo3-5-3, Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo3-8-1, Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo3-5-4, Honjo, Sumida-ku, Tokyo4-27-1, Higashi-Nippori, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo1-16-1, Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo1-12-2, Kotobuki, Daito-ku, Tokyo2-8-3, Kiyosumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo1-7-11 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo1-16-5, Hashiba, Daito-ku, Tokyo3-12-7, Asagaya-Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo4-22-4, Ishihara, Sumida-ku3-17-6, Harue-cho, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo2-17-7, Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo4-17-1, Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo5-19-7, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo9562-2, Tanibo, Kunitachi-shi, Tokyo1-33-9, Ishihara, Sumida-ku, Tokyo4-16-3, Midori, Sumida-ku, Tokyo3-21-10 Midori, Sumida-ku, Tokyo4-12-14 Ume da, Adachi-ku, Tokyo1-7-4, Mori, Koto-ku, Tokyo4-1-10, Chuo, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo2-13-24, Ojima, Koto-ku, Tokyo8-14-7, Hachigasaki, Matsudo-shi, Chiba-ken2-20-10, Shiba Nakada, Kawaguchi-shi, Saitama-ken2-47-7, Higashi-Oku, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo3-1-9, Gyohei Sumida-ku, Tokyo4-13-1, Kosaku, Funabashi-shi, Chiba-ken2-1-18 Tatekawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo4-17-17, Saga, Ryugasaki-shi, Ibaraki-ken3-21-2, Kami-Ishiki, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo8-16-1, Kita-Koiwa, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo5-15-14, Saginuma, Narashino-shi, Chiba-ken3-32-12, Hachioji, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken3-24-12, Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo2-15-5, Kiyosumi, Koto-ku, Tokyo2-3-15, Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo2-20-3, Tagara, Nerima-ku, Tokyo2-26-9, Takaido-Higashi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo4-3-16, Gyoden, Adachi-ku, Tokyo2-2-7, Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo874-2, Sezaki-cho, Soka-shi, Saitama-ken3-2-12, Chitose, Sumida-ku, Tokyo4-6-4, Higashi-Komagata, Sumida-ku, Tokyo1-18-7, Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo2-5-3, Taishi Kawabara, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken3-26-2 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo52-4, Takagi, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken

1-3-28, Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo

21

MAKUUCHI 11 2001

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7

Sw Kotomitsuki 9-6 14e 515045120661301110e6616e 311e45200 96e6650 5180 830 51e72210 39051

8

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9

Ke AsashorvlI 10-5KS 150 430 5160276e 311e64140 55e10100 91206617024290721e1018072130 17e51

10

Kw Kaiho 5-10 1e66110115024150 570666e 112e 5ge 91304616e 417e1914e113e 318e 420e 8

11

MIeWakallosato 10-5KS 3e6610e666e 5le 590645e 57045120 514045150 816066270 3290 5170 5180 5

12

MlwTamalloshima 7-81 50 5ne 57e663e116e 5le79100 511e 5ge66220 3150 513e 5160 514064210 5

13

M2eTal,allownka 6-9 6e 85e 8le 57e113e 318e64150 51404910e46280 3220 8120 5230 5ge 116e 3

14

M2wTosanoumi 5-10 70 5le 53e 35e 518045ge 56e 813e4911e45230 325e 51001122e6612e64150 3

15

M3e1Tokitsuumi 2-139. 47. 418. 510e 51. 53e 313e 5150 621.7811e 812. 525e 6320 833e 514e 3

16

M3wDeiima 7-8 1 170246e24ge2718e 5210 570 320. 822·4550 5100 411e66240 312e 523e66130 3

17

M4eKotonowaka 7-8 16e24120 522066200 5se 3240 8le 5307218e 9ge241001921e 36e 311e 5230 5

18

M4wTochillonada 7-8 1ge4921e49150 5160 514.451306430 5le 5170 9240 97e 85. 8ge72100 411e 5

19

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20

M5wKvokutenho 8-7 210 6230 524e 3ne 5260 525072160 87e 91le 53e 3280 531e645e 529054100 8

21

M6eDaizen 6-9IKB 20. 6180 826. 323e 316e 528e 5220 5250 51507810 53e24170 331e547e 312e 5

22

M6wAkilloshima 8-7 230 325e 317e66240 327e 426e 521e 516045280'1212e 313. 8340 61406638010310 5

23

M7eTamakasu!!a 6-9 22e 320e 327e7221031280531. 324- 4260'121 2506414e 333e 6380 313e 5160661 ne 5

24

M7wToki 8-7 25072190 0200 322e 3290 3}7e 8230 460663e 318e 9le 516e 33906627e 335066

25

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26

M8wChi"otellzan 8-7 27e 92ge 9210 3250 820e 5220 528e4523e72320 5330 336047390 5350 340e 3 1 38e 9

27

MgeK"okllshnzan 10-5 260 9320532307228064220 42ge64360 630e 331045380 340e 311e 337e11240 31 390 4

28

M9wWakallo"ama 6-9 2ge 5310 5250 527e6423e 5210 526045360 322e7213e 320e 537e5934e 33206633e64

29

MIOeTakanollami 9-6 280 5260 4320523107224e 327064380 5390793002240064ge726e1111e 520e5437e 5

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33

Ml2eHamanishiki 7-8 32e7238e72370 5340 340e 33ge 535e 245e 336e6626e 3230 6460 525053150 528064

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JURYO: 41-Takaloriki 42·Asanowaka 43-Julllollji 45-0ikari 46-Sentoryu 48-((unÎazullla 50-ShimotoriISBN 5-86479-089-3 Copyright (e) 2000 by S.rgey Praottsev and Japan loday, Ud"" ... _ •... -- ---_._ ..• '--" ..-"---

JURYO 11 2001

W-L-A 1

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41

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42

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43

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49

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55

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MAKUUCHJ: 32-Kitazakura 33·Hamanishiki 34-Tochisakac 35-Aogiyama 37·Kobo 38-Aminishiki 39·Tamal'Îkido 40·Buyuzall

MAKUSHITA: 67-Hokutoriki 68·Vshiomarll 69-SlImanofuji 70-To)'ozakura 71-Kinkayama n·Tomonohana 73-Goto 74·Hoklltoiwa 76-Kotokanyu

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Hatsu Basho Preview

Musashimaru a Slight Favorite in JanuaryBy Clyde Newton

With Takanohana absent for the fourth consecutive

tournament (tying the record held by Onokuni),Musashimaru is once again the favorite for the yusho. Ashas been the case with most recent basho, theMusashigawa Beya yokozuna is not reported to beespecially good condition. However, given the lack of acredible rival, Maru is a slight favorite to take the yushoagain inJanuary, probably with about 13 wins.

If Musashimaru made more of an effort to get intoshape, he might even be capable of zensho yusho. ln fact,no rikishi has achieved zensho yusho in Makunouchisince September 1996, when Takanohana did so. Over 30basho have passed since the last 15-0 record inMakunouchi, an aIl-time record. Musashimaru had a 15­o record in his first yusho tournament inJuly 1994, butrivaling that performance now seems out of reach.

The most critical factor in Musashimaru'sperformance inJ anuary will be his tachi-ai. A really weakdeashi could cost him the yusho, but with a mediocre orrelatively strong initial charge, he will be the odds-onfavorite for the yusho.

yokozuna Takanohana is absent again, and has notcompeted since the senshuraku of the May tournamentlast year. The 29 year old yokozuna resumed lightworkouts in early December, after six months away fromthe dohyo. There is no chance at aIl that he will be ableto compete inJanuary, and the most likely date for hisreturn is May. If Taka do es return in May, he will havebeen absent for a year.

Ozeki Kaio's performance is becoming almostimpossible to predict. Given the precarious balancebetween his considerable strength and fighting spirit onone hand and his chronic lower back condition on theother. He could take the yusho and again be on the brinkofyokozuna promotion or as easily drap out winless andbe faced with kadoban again.

Kaio had no choice but to compete in November, andit was certainly a wise decision, given the difficulty recentformer ozeki have encountered in their futile bids toreturn to their highest rank. The odds are that Kaio willat least achieve kachi-koshi. He should be able to at leastmatch the 10-5 record he had in November.

Ozeki Musoyama was in very good condition intraining sessions in December. He may be able to equalhis best record at ozeki to date, 12-3 in March 2001, butgiven the somewhat erratic nature ofhis sumo, he is onlya longshot darkhorse candidate for the yusho. Muso hasgood fighting spirit and real power, but his defense israther weak and unlikely to imprave much at this stage ofhis career. He may again play a key role in helpingMusashimaru, also from Musashigawa Beya, win theyusho.

Chiyotaikai's ozeki rank is in kadoban status this time.He has had ample time to get back into shape, and heshould be able to win 9 or 10save for another injury. Untilhe was injured, Chiyo was winning Il or 12 bouts in mosttournaments, and once he is back in top shape, he mayeven be a candidate for the yusho again.

New Ozeki Tochiazuma is in reasonably good

condition, but given the pressure and distractions usuallyassociated with a promotion to the top two ranks, he isunlikely to figure in the yusho race, as he did in November.Given his exceptional dedication and fighting spirit, Tochimay have a lengthy tenure at ozeki ifhe can avoid injuries.Undoubtedly, he will be able to win the yusho at leastonce, as his father did, and it could come later this year.However, he needs to work on developing a consistentlyfast tachi,ai, if he is to compete on even terms with theother ozeki and yokozuna. Tochiazuma is not likely tohave mu ch impact on the yusho race, but should be ableto win about 10 bouts in his ozeki debut.

Kotomitsuki's 9-6 record at sekiwake in November,which came on the heels of his fine 13-2 yusho as a highmaegashira in September, was somewhat disappointing,but still represented progress, since he had never beforeachieved kachi-koshi at sekiwake. Koto has a real chanceto achieve promotion to ozeki late this year or next year,but first he needs to put together three consecutive double­digit records, at the very least. With more seasoning, hecould even emerge as a yokozuna candidate in the future.10 wins.

Asashoryu has been promoted to sekiwake for the firsttime. The spirited Mongolian is still only 21, but isbecoming stronger and more skillful with each passingbasho. He tends to falter a bit in the final stretch oftournaments, however, he is a threat to aIl the sanyakurikishi, right up to the yokozuna. He has had consecutive10-5 records, and even at sekiwake, the odds are that hewill win 9 or 10 and again be awarded one or two of thesansho.

This is a critical tournament for sekiwake Miyabiyama.He can regain his ozeki rank ifhe wins 10 or more bouts.The 24 year old Musashigawa Beya rikishi has thepotential to win in double-digits, but it aIl depends onwhether he has done enough training to get back intosomething close to top shape. He also tends to lack selfconfidence. Given his recent performances, Miyabi islikely to faIl short with about 8 wins, but as he is still veryyoung, he may still have a bright future.

Wakanosato is back at komusubi. The burly NarutoBeya sekiwake made a remarkable comeback inNovember from 1-5 to 10-5. To go beyond this level, heneeds to get off to a strang start. He has lookedunimpressive in most of his bouts with the yokozuna andozeki in recent basho. 9 wins.

Kyokutenho has been promoted to komusubi for thefirst time, by virtue of "luck of the banzuke." He only had8 wins at No.5 maegashira in November. He is the thirdMongolian rikishi to reach sanyaku. Kyokutenho's tachi­ai has improved in the last year or so, but he needs muchmore powerful and aggressive sumo to hold his own insanyaku. He is likely to fall short with about 5 wins.

Sumo World Website

www.sumoworld.com

24

Kyush" Basho Round"}> / Hi-lightsSummary of the Kyushu Basho

yokozuna Musashimaru lost to ozeki Kaio in the finalbout of the KyushuBasho, but it made no difference to theoutcome of the tournament, as he had already clinched his9th championship on the 14th by defeating Tochiazuma.Maru suffered a shocking upset at the hands of 36 year oldNO.6 maegashira Daizen, the oldest rikishi in theMakunouchi, on the 10th day.

Musashimaru looked considerably stronger in the lastfew days, and appeared especially determined in his 14thday bout with Tochiazuma. At 30, Musashimaru butshows no signs of advancing age. However, he is knownfor not training very hard, sometimes not at aIl. Withfellow yokozuna Takanohana likely to be absent until nextMay, Musashimaru has his chance to win a few moreyusho this year, but he will have to make a better effort toget in shape before each basho, and also to keep his weightunder control.

Ozeki Kaio, who was kadoban (rank in jeopardy) inNovember and notexpected to compete, decided to makea do-or-die effort to main tain his rank, despite a totallackof training due to severe lower back pain.

Though obviously in pain, the 29 year old ozekisurvived a discouraging start to finish with a respectable10-5 record. Kaio's struggle created the only realexcitement for the local fans in Fukuoka. Kaio is fromFukuoka himself. The dohyo was covered with cushionsthrough by excited fans over his defeat ofMusashimaru onthe senshuraku. Were it not for his back trouble, Kaiowould undoubtedly already have been promoted toyokozuna. He is by far the strongest of the current ozekiand won two tournaments last year. However, his backtrouble is not likely to heal fully, and given his age, theodds that he will reach yokozuna next year are not high.

Ozeki Musoyama finished with a mediocre 9-6record. Never really in the yusho race in recent basho,Musoyama has achieved stability in mediocrity. Whilepowerful when his pushing and thrusting meets its mark,he lacks technique and an effective defense. N evertheless,he should be back to survive at ozeki for at least anotheryear, with no chance ofbeingpromoted to ozeki. The thirdand youngest ozeki, 25 year old Chiyotaikai, was absentthis time and will have his rank on the line when he returnsinJanuary.

Sekiwake Tochiazuma finished with a fine 12-3 recordin November and gained promotion to ozeki after thebasho. The 25 year old was in the yusho race until the 14thday, when he was eliminated by Musashimaru. Tochi hada 12-3 record in September, and 10-5inJuly, and has beenranked at sekiwake or komusubi for 20 basho.

Tochiazuma appeared to injure his leg in his bout withMusashimaru, however, he managed to compete on thefinal day and slapped down ozeki Musoyama to finish asthe runner-up. Had Tochiazuma not defeatedMusoyama, he would have lost to aIl three competingyokozuna and ozeki, and his promotion would have beenin jeopardy.Sekiwake Kotomitsuki, who won the Septembertournament, got off to apoor start, but graduallyimproved, to finish with a 9-6 record. Both powerful and

skillful, Kotomitsuki is likely to become a strong ozekicandidate in 2002, though he needs more seasoning, self­confidence, and stability. Ifhe can avoid injuries, he hasa very bright future and could go aIl the way to yokozuna.

Mongolian Komusubi Asashoryu turned in his secondconsecutive 10-5 record. Still only 21 and somewhatunderweight, Asashoryu is extremely aggressive and quitesavvy in his defense for a rikishi ofhis age. He is becomingstronger with each passing basho, and could even have achance to take the yusho at sorne point in 2002.

New Komusubi Kaiho got off to a strong start with a4-1 record after the first five days, but despite a valianteffort, finished with a pOOl'5-10 record and demotion backto the maegashira ranks.

NO.l Maegashira Wakanosato went aIl the way from1-5 to 10-5. The two NO.I0 Maegashira 10 Takanonami,a former ozeki, and Hayateumi, got off to a tremendousstart, but petered out like punctured ballons in the lastweek. Hayateumi dropped out with an injury at 8-2, whileTakanonami was trashed by the sanyaku and lost his lastfive bouts, going from 9-1 and a share of the lead, to 9-6.

Both new maegashira achieved kachikoshi; Buyuzanwon 10 bouts and a share of the Kantosho, while Kobomanaged an 8-7 mark.

The Kyushu Basho was overall an improvement overthe September tournament in Tokyo, which was one ofthemost lackluster in memory. H 0 w e ver , su mo' spopularity is still at its nadir, and the arena in Fukuokalooked more than half empty on most days. One of thekeys to more exciting basho and a recovery in popularityis an improvement in the performance of the ozeki, whichoverall was very pOOl'in 2001. Sekiwake Tochiazuma wasawarded the Ginosho (Technique Prize) for the 7th time,while the Kantosho (Fighting Spirit Prize) was shared byKomusubi Asashoryu (10-5), NO.l MaegashiraWakanosato (10-5), and NO.15 Maegashira Buyuzan (lO­S). The Shukunsho (Outstanding Performance) was notawarded, but would have gone to Daizen, who upsetMusashimaru, if he had won eight or more bouts.

~Bad Start for Kaio-No.l maegashira Tamanoshima upsetozeki Kaio on opening day.

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~Muso Overpowered-Komusubi Asashoryu upset ozekiMusoyama by yorikiri on the second day.

Wakanosato Unimpressive-Yokozuna Musahimaru hadLittledifficulty in defeating Wakanosato by yorikiri on the 4thday.

Hayateumi Injured-No.IO maegashira Hayateumigrimaced in pain after he suffered an injury in his both withfellow NO.IO maegashira Takanonami on the 9th day.Hayateumi withdrew the next day. Takanonami got off to apoweiful start, withfinished with a 9-6 record.

Unbelievable Upset-No.6 maegashira Daizen, the olLlestrikishi in Makllnouchi at 36, achieved a remarkable upset ofunbeaten yokozllna Musashimaru on the /Oth day. Daizenwou/d have been awarded his jirst sansho prize il he hadachieved kachi-koshi, but unfortunately he fell short.

Closer to the Yusho-Yokozuna Musashimaru overpoweredhis nemesis Kotomitsllki on the /41h day, to come close totaking his jirst yusho in over a year.

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Kaio Wins lO-Ozeki Kaio easily defeated yokozunaMusashimaru on the senshuraku, for his 10th win..

Key Win for Ozeki Promotion-Tochiazuma upset ozekiMusoyama on the final day, to c/inch promotion to ozeki.Musoyamafïnished with a mediocre 9-6 record.

13-2

12-3

10-510-510-5

12-3

Yokozuna MusashimaruSekiwake Tochiazuma

Komusubi AsashoryuNO.1 Maegashira Wakanosato

NO.15 Maegashira BuyuzanSekiwake Tochiazuma

Kyushu Basho Awards

* Yusho:* Jun-Yusho:':' Kanto-sho:* Kanto-sho:* Kanto-sho:* Gino-sho:

Ozeki Clash-ln the only bout between ozeki during theKyushu Basho, Kaio threw Musoyama down by uwatenage onthe 14th day.

Sansho for Shin-Nyumaku-New Makunouchi rikishi

Buyuzan clinced a share of the kanto-sho by defeatingOgin.ishiki on senshuraku.

Musashimaru Takes Yusho-Musashimaru clinched his 9th

yusho by hurling down sekiwake Tochiazuma on the 14th day.

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Then&NowIntai-Zumo Leaflets

by Clyde NewtonRetiring Makunouchi rikishi publish leaflets, containingthe torikumi and other information for distribution tothose who attend their intai-zumo, or retirementceremony at the Kokugikan. Sorne of the higher or morepopular rikishi also bring out commemorative booklets/magazines. At the most recent intai-zumo, for formeryokozuna Akebono in September 2001, everyoneattending that day was given a colorful booklet on thecareer of the first foreign-born Yokozuna. Intai-zumo atthe Kokugikan began in November 1946, with theretirement ceremony of Futabayama. Initially, only asimple torikumihyo (list of bouts) was printed, but by theearly 1950s, leaflets with a portrait of the retiring rikishi onthe front coyer were launched. From the late 1960s, mostof these leaflets were printed in full color.

Left-Yokozuna Sadanoyama (Dewanoumi Oyakata)june2, 1968, at Kuramae Kokugikan. Right-SekiwakeKairyuyama (Tateyama Oyakata), October 5, 1968 atKuramae Kokugikan.

J­if,~

Left-Yokozuna Taiho (Taiho Oyakata)-October 2, 1971,at Kuramae Kokugikan. Right-Sekiwake Kongo(Nishonoseki Oyakata), May 29, 1977 at KuramaeKokugikan.

Left-Ozeki Takanohana 1 (Naruto Oyakata)-May 29,1981, at Kuramae Kokugikan. Right-Yokozuna Wajima(Hanakago Oyakata), October 4, 1981 at KuramaeKokugikan.

Left-Sekiwake Takamiyama (Azumazeki Oyakata)­February 3, 1985 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Right­Maegashira 1Kushimaumi Oun-Toshiyori), May 30,1999at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Kushimaumi, a Macintosh buff,designed his own program on his computer, a first.

Left-Komusubi Asahiyutaka (Tatsunami Oyakata)­October 2, 1999, at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Right­yokozuna Akebono (Akebono Oyakata), September 29,200 1, at Kuramae Kokugikan.

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