March 2023 Grand Sumo Tournament, Day 7 (Saturday 18 March 2023)

(Looking for a different day? Try the master list!)

Compiled from: NSK's postings for makuuchi, juryo, makushita, sandanme, jonidan and jonokuchi; NSK's absence list, NSK's tournament leader list, NSK's tournament champions list and NSK's Day 7 program in Japanese.

There are 162 bouts listed on the schedule today. It's an odd-numbered day which means the east side is first to get called.

1 of today's 162 bouts are fusensho or fusenpai because of kyujo rikishi. This may change over the course of the day!

Check the appendices at the end of the schedule for more useful information!

What our fave toriteki are doing today

If you want a toriteki (non-salaried rikishi from divisions 3 to 6) added to this watch list, get in touch!

Appearing on day 7: Akiseyama, Asakiryu, Asasorai, Asonoyama, Furanshisu, Hanafusa, Hayashiryu, Hogasho, Ikazuchido, Itadaki, Ito, Kazuto, Kenho, Kyokutaisei, Mineyaiba, Miyagi, Moriurara, Najima, Otani, Rinko, Shoketsu, Taiga, Takerufuji, Tanji, Terutsuyoshi, Yamato, Yoshii

Having a rest on day 7: Arise, Baraki, Byakuen, Dainichido, Dewanojo, Gaia, Ishizaki, Kanzaki, Kawazoe, Kototebakari, Maikeru, Mogamizakura, Mukainakano, Rao, Satonofuji, Satsumao, Shishi, Shoran, Shunrai, Takahashi, Tochimaru, Urutora, Wakatakamoto, Yago

Kyujo on day 7: Koki, Nakashima

Note: Each division also has its own mini-report for who's on the schedule and who's kyujo!

Kyujo rikishi

The following rikishi are kyujo on day 7: Chiyotensho, Chiyotsurugi, Daikinryu, Daishomune, Haruminato, Higonoryu, Hokutoyakumo, Ishiura, Kirinofuji, Koki, Kotoegashira, Kotofuno, Kyokushori, Michihaya, Minorufuji, Motokiyama, Nakaishi, Nakashima, Oki, Oshoryu, Oyamazakura, Ryubumaru, Sakurai, Suio, Takakeisho, Terunofuji, Yoshinofuji, Yusui

Start at 9:20AM

Jonokuchi 序ノ口 (Division 6)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for jonokuchi

Coming up: Kenho, Moriurara

Shimpan are Tatekawa (sekiwake Tosanoumi), Hanaregoma (sekiwake Tamanoshima), Futagoyama (ozeki Miyabiyama), Tanigawa (sekiwake Hokutoriki), Ajigawa (sekiwake Aminishiki)

Yobidashi is Kumajiro; Gyoji is Shikimori Tomokimi

Jonidan 序二段 (Division 5)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for jonidan

Coming up: Asakiryu, Asasorai, Hayashiryu, Ikazuchido, Ito, Najima

Gyoji is Shikimori Komei

Gyoji is Kimura Shunta

Gyoji is Kimura Ryunosuke

Gyoji is Kimura Keitaro

Shimpan shift change

Shimpan are Urakaze (maegashira 1 Shikishima), Takenawa (sekiwake Tochinonada), Oshima (sekiwake Kyokutenho), Takasago (ozeki Asasekiryu), Nishonoseki (yokozuna Kisenosato)

Gyoji is Kimura Katsunosuke

Gyoji is Kimura Narimasa

Gyoji is Shikimori Kainosuke

Sandanme 三段目 (Division 4)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for sandanme

Coming up: Furanshisu, Hogasho, Itadaki, Kyokutaisei, Rinko, Shoketsu, Taiga, Takerufuji, Tanji, Yamato

Gyoji is Shikimori Tatsunosuke

Shimpan shift change

Shimpan are Onaruto (ozeki Dejima), Edagawa (maegashira 1 Aogiyama), Sendagawa (komusubi Toki), Asahiyama (sekiwake Kotonishiki), Naruto (ozeki Kotooshu)

Gyoji is Shikimori Seisuke

Gyoji is Kimura Sakuranosuke

Gyoji is Shikimori Seiichiro

Gyoji is Kimura Kintaro

Gyoji is Kimura Kazuma

Gyoji is Shikimori Shiho

Gyoji is Shikimori Kinosuke

Shimpan shift change

Shimpan are Kataonami (sekiwake Tamakasuga), Tamagaki (komusubi Tomonohana), Azumazeki (komusubi Takamisakari), Tokitsukaze (maegashira 1 Tosayutaka), Ikazuchi (komusubi Kakizoe)

Makushita 幕下 (Division 3)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for makushita

Coming up: Akiseyama, Asonoyama, Hanafusa, Kazuto, Miyagi, Otani, Yoshii

Gyoji is Shikimori Tomokazu

Gyoji is Kimura Ennosuke

Gyoji is Kimura Satoshi

Yobidashi is Soichi; Gyoji is Shikimori Kazuki

Yobidashi is Yohei

Yobidashi is Keisuke; Gyoji is Kimura Hideaki

Yobidashi is Fujio

Yobidashi is Shigetaro; Gyoji is Kimura Kozaburo

Yobidashi is Tasuke; Gyoji is Kimura Zennosuke

Yobidashi is Satoru; Gyoji is Kimura Chishu

Juryo dohyo-iri at 2:15PM

Makushita Joi 幕下上位 (Division 3)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for makushita

Coming up: Terutsuyoshi

Shimpan are Asakayama (ozeki Kaio) facing away on mic, Takenawa (sekiwake Tochinonada), Oshima (sekiwake Kyokutenho), Takasago (ozeki Asasekiryu), Nishonoseki (yokozuna Kisenosato)

Yobidashi is Masao; Gyoji is Kimura KANKURO

Yobidashi is Rokuro; Gyoji is Kimura Kichijiro

Juryo 十両 (Division 2)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for juryo

Coming up: Mineyaiba

Yobidashi is Hiroyuki; Gyoji is Shikimori Shinnosuke

Yobidashi is Matsuo; Gyoji is Kimura Yukihiro

Yobidashi is Kunio; Gyoji is Kimura Mitsunosuke

Yobidashi is Mitsuaki; Gyoji is Kimura Takao

Yobidashi is Rikinojo; Gyoji is Kimura Asanosuke

Yobidashi is Koji; Gyoji is Shikimori Kiichiro

Yobidashi is Teruki; Gyoji is ❤️ Kimura Yonosuke ❤️

Intermission at 3:40PM: Makuuchi dohyo-iri

Makuuchi 幕内 (Division 1)

Official NSK fixtures, results and winning techniques for makuuchi

Shimpan are Kumegawa (komusubi Kotoinazuma) facing away on mic, Onaruto (ozeki Dejima), Edagawa (maegashira 1 Aogiyama), Sendagawa (komusubi Toki), Asahiyama (sekiwake Kotonishiki)

Yobidashi is Daikichi; Gyoji is Kimura Ginjiro

Yobidashi is Kotoyoshi; Gyoji is Shikimori Kindayu

Yobidashi is Kotozo; Gyoji is Kimura Akijiro

Yobidashi is Ryuji; Gyoji is Kimura Motoki

Yobidashi is Akira; Gyoji is Shikimori Kandayu

Yobidashi is Kokichi; Gyoji is Kimura Hisanosuke

Shimpan shift change

Shimpan are Sadogatake (sekiwake Kotonowaka I) facing away on mic, Kataonami (sekiwake Tamakasuga), Tamagaki (komusubi Tomonohana), Azumazeki (komusubi Takamisakari), Tokitsukaze (maegashira 1 Tosayutaka)

Yobidashi is Goro; Gyoji is Kimura Konosuke

Yobidashi is Shigeo; Gyoji is Kimura Shotaro

Yobidashi is Shiro; Gyoji is Kimura Yodo

Yobidashi is Katsuyuki; Gyoji is Kimura Tamajiro

Yobidashi is Jiro; Gyoji is Shikimori Inosuke

Takakeisho is kyujo! Nishikigi picks up the fusensho

Bow-twirling with Satonofuji

Appendices

General knowledge

Wikipedia has a list of winning techniques like oshidashi, yorikiri, etc and a sumo glossary, the heaviest grand sumo competitors ever, and an English-language page for just about every sekitori there is or was.

SumoDB has the entire banzuke in both Japanese and English. SumoDB also contains information about historical results and head to head matchups.

Nihon Sumo Kyokai (Japan Sumo Association) links: current rankings Japanese/English; yobidashi (ushers & attendants) Japanese/English; gyoji (referees) Japanese/English; oyakata (coaches) Japanese/English; heya (training stables) Japanese/English. NSK homepage in English.

News sources and blogs: Tachi-Ai sumo blog (in English); Japan Times sumo coverage (in English); Nikkan Sports sumo articles (in Japanese); Sponichi sumo articles (in Japanese); Chunichi sumo articles (in Japanese). Hochi.news sumo articles (in Japanese). Useful Japanese terms to search in the highlights page for: 休場 (kyujo, absence); コロナ (korona, COVID).

Japanese language resources: DeepL for translating entire articles; Jisho for looking up specific words and kanji; the 10ten extension for Firefox lets you mouse over particular Japanese text of interest on websites.

Curiosities: that time half a stable went AWOL because the stablemaster's wife was being too harsh on them.

Videos

Miscellaneous

A comprehensive gallery featuring head shots and bios of rikishi, oyakata, gyoji, yobidashi and more (correct to the beginning of 2022). Pre-bout rituals explained; What do the gyoji say?

Sumo match announcements

  1. Yobidashi sings the names of the rikishi about to bout in turn, then rikishi ascend the dohyo
  2. Once rikishi are on the dohyo, gyoji hollers their names in turn while gesturing their way
  3. Announcer clearly announces each rikishi's starting side (nishi/higashi-gata rikishi), name, place of origin (-shusshin) and training stable (-beya) as they perform shikiri and throw salt
  4. Once timekeeper judge says to begin, gyoji commands rikishi into position, then officiates the match
  5. (optional) If the outcome is unclear or in dispute by a judge, a mono-ii is called and head judge reports on their findings; gyoji announces a rematch if that's what the judges want
  6. Once winner is decided, announcer says who won and what the kimarite (deciding technique) was (technique de rikishi name no kachi) - this can be delayed by up to a few matches if the technique is hard to determine!

Understanding the judges' reports

Good news: mono-ii reports are very formulaic! They're usually a couple of long run-on sentences that go something like this:

  1. Now we're going to explain our conference. Tadaima wa kyogi ni tsuite setsumei itashimasu or similar
  2. The gyoji pointed (one way or another), but.. Gyoji gunbai wa higashigata/nishigata/(rikishi name) arimashita ga..
  3. (Some matter was up for discussion)
  4. We had a conference, the result of that conference was.. Mono-ii ga tsuki, kyougi shita kekka..
  5. (The findings of that discussion) (???)-te ori/orazu
  6. (The outcome of that discussion)

Matters for discussion and findings may include a touchout (te ga dete ori/orazu..), a simultaneous landing for both rikishi (doutai or ryousha), or even a disqualification (hansoku).

Helpful words to listen out for to get the gist of the report:

The outcome can go three ways:

Who's that shimpan (ringside judge)?

Click the name of the shimpan to see what they look like. (You may need to middle-click it to open the link in a new window.) Thanks to the maintainer of this page for providing these images!

Shimpan groups

These groups have been shuffled a bit for March 2023!

Senior shimpan

Members of this senior group join up with other shimpan groups to act as head shimpan after the juryo ring entrance ceremony & intermission.

Substitute shimpan

Expect to see one or more of these folks subbing in if someone doesn't make their shift: Hatachiyama (komusubi Tochinohana), Minato (maegashira 2 Minatofuji), Shiranui (komusubi Wakakoyu), Takadagawa (sekiwake Akinoshima) and senior Fujishima (ozeki Musoyama)

Who's that off-schedule yobidashi

The official program only lists sekitori yobidashi from Soichi onwards. Even after their match-calling shifts, these youngsters work throughout the day as attendants.

There's a slightly outdated gallery of yobidashi headshots with bios at Heyaaz - it's missing Jin because he debuted during 2022, plus there's some yobis in that chart who retired in 2022.

To help spot them, here's links to screencaps of the non-sekitori yobidashi in their order of appearance, including onscreen bios in Japanese: