Interesting Items of the Week: Hakuho Retires! 2021 10 03
Short (sometimes) videos or stories about interesting Japanese culture, language, entertainment, and many other things.
Sumo has become very interesting lately. The Yokozuna (Grand Champion) with the most records in the sport, Hakuho, has announced his retirement.
The retiring Yokozuna Hakuho has spent 20 years in the sport. He has won the most tournaments (45), wins (1,187), perfect championships at 15-0 (16), and more consecutive championships (7) than any other rikishi in history.
The only record hes hasn’t broken is the number of consecutive wins, which were 69 by Futabayama; whose winning streak ending during the January 1939 tournament. Coincidentally, Hakuho is the 69th Yokozuna in the sport.
The Sumo Association has decided that Hakuho can become a stablemaster, as long as he ‘behaves’. Hakuho is known for becoming upset, and not playing along, when disciplined in the past for ‘behavior unbecoming a Yokozuna”. Still, I think he is much less arogant than Asashoryu was.
This leaves newly promoted 73rd Yokozuna Terunofuji as the sole Grand Champion of Sumo at the moment. Looks like there is not much competition for Terunofuji, so as long as he doesn’t get injured, he should do fairly well. At least in the short term.
Places to watch Sumo:
ABEMA.tv – some free, some paid streaming video. During the Sumo tournaments, you can watch the entire days events free.
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