Spring Banzuke! | February News

The official rankings chart for the 2020 March Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo was released Monday morning! A few things stick out immediately:

1. Both Yokozuna have made it to Banzuke-day without retiring (or should I say we made it to Banzuke-day without our Yokozuna retiring?) In fact, Kakuryu has made a great showing at the joint sparring sessions this past week. Hakuho is letting neither his past-prime body, nor his coronavirus battered lungs get in his way too much during practice matches.

2. Where some thought there would be an extra Sekiwake row to make room in a crowded sanyaku, there is an extra Komusubi slot instead. First time champion Daieisho fills that spot, once again only seeing inches of rank progress for his miles of achievement on the clay. He is situated at West Komusubi #2 in particular to balance out the lack of a West Ozeki #2. The last time there were more than two Komusubi on the chart was November 2019.

3. All top division wrestlers absent from Hatsu Basho due to either having COVID, or simply having it in their stable, have received complete rank forgiveness. Whether this would happen as before with Tamanoi-beya was under question. It goes without saying, we are relieved that everyone from those outbreaks seems to be safe now, although there have been more recent anonymous outbreaks in the news. We’re also glad their ranks were not stripped from them over something they had no choice over. However some lower division corona-related absentees did fall slightly on the chart.

4. While there are no rikishi entering Makunouchi for the first time, three old faces return from Juryo this March, including Juryo champ Tsurugisho (Oitekaze), Hidenoumi (Kise), and another Oitekaze success, Daiamami. As for brothers Tobizaru and Hidenoumi, the last pair of brothers to be in the top division simultaneously was Chiyootori and Chiyomaru, exactly 7 years ago. This is the 9th time it’s happened in history.

The following is a rundown of the top division banzuke. A Juryo + lower division discussion follows…

	East	MAKUUCHI	West
recovering from COVID; strong showing at joint practices	Hakuho Miyagino	Yokozuna	Kakuryu Michinoku	dominating joint sparring among fellow sekitori
Tokitsukaze-beya under new management, Shodai taking everything in stride	Shodai Tokitsukaze	Ozeki	Asanoyama Takasago	shoulder healing well; honing his right inside grip skills
danger of demotion; pleased with new Tokiwayama- beya location	Takakeisho Tokiwayama	Ozeki
needs 9 wins for Ozeki promotion; newly-wed	Terunofuji Isegahama	Sekiwake	Takanosho Tokiwayama	once again, maintaining personal highest rank; enjoying new Tokiwayama-beya
welcomed his 1st child (a girl) on 2/17; maintains previous rank	Takayasu Tagonoura	Komusubi	Mitakeumi Dewanoumi	hurt right shoulder (and possibly neck) in practice; disappointing results overall
		Komusubi	Daieisho Oitekaze	January’s champion moves into an extra “K2” slot
up from E. M2	Takarafuji Isegahama	M1	Onosho Onomatsu	up from W. M3
down from E. M1	Hokutofuji Hakkaku	M2	Wakatakakage Arashio	receives rank forgiveness after COVID absence; still suffering from loss of stamina
up from E. M7	Meisei Tatsunami	M3	Shimanoumi Kise	up from E. M10; another big jump (13)
up from W. M8	Kiribayama Michinoku	M4	Myogiryu Sakaigawa	up from W. M9
maintains previous rank	Endo Oitekaze	M5	Okinoumi Hakkaku	maintains previous rank
up from W. M8	Tamawashi Kataonami	M6	Ichinojo Minato	up from E. M12
down from E. M4	Tochinoshin Kasugano	M7	Kagayaki Takadagawa	down from W. M6
up 15 slots from W. M15; biggest jump on the Makuuchi banzuke	Kotonowaka Sadogatake	M8	Tobizaru Oitekaze	down from W. M7
receives rank forgiveness after COVID absence; adjusting to new Kokonoe-stable location	Chiyonokuni Kokonoe	M9	Hoshoryu Tatsunami	up from E. M14
up from W. M14	Midorifuji Isegahama	M10	Ryuden Takadagawa	down from E. M6
receives rank forgiveness after COVID absence; adjusting to new Kokonoe-stable location	Chiyotairyu Kokonoe	M11	Kotoshoho Sadogatake	down from E. M3
up from W. M16	Akiseyama Kise	M12	Aoiyama Kasugano	down from W. M10
down from W. M12	Terutsuyoshi Isegahama	M13	Chiyoshoma Kokonoe	receives rank forgiveness after COVID absence; adjusting to new Kokonoe-stable location
down from W. M11	Kotoeko Sadogatake	M14	Tsurugisho Oitekaze	January Juryo champion; up from E. J8
maintains rank; Tokitsukaze-beya under new management	Yutakayama Tokitsukaze	M15	Hidenoumi Kise	up from W. J6; back in Makuuchi after 3 years
receives rank forgiveness after COVID absence	Kaisei Tomozuna	M16	Daiamami Oitekaze	up from W. J1, back in Makuuchi after 5 tournaments.

JURYO and below

Dropping all the way from East Maegashira #8 to East Juryo #1 after 12 gut-wrenching losses in January, Tokushoryu becomes the 14th rikishi ever to win a top division title and subsequently fall to Juryo. He also became the fastest to do so; five tournaments since his underdog yusho. Akua and Sadanoumi join Tokushoryu in his descent.

As introduced in the last mammoth Grand Sumo International article, brand new to Juryo and salaried status are Takakento (Tokiwayama) and Bushozan (Fujishima). And returning from the depths are Nishikifuji (Isegahama) and Ichiyamamoto (Nishonoseki).

After pulling out of day 15 of January’s meet — his first time doing such a thing in 16 years of sumo — Ikioi was demoted to Makushita. It was an incredible nearly 10 year run as a sekitori. But wait, does that mean Ikioi is done for good? Not necessarily. He recently had thumb surgery, but I haven’t heard whether he will compete this month. Either way, he is ranked at East Makushita #1. Kotoyuki joins him there in the West slot, after an even slightly longer run as sekitori. We hate to see them go, and we don’t love to watch them leave (or maybe some of you do; to each their own!).

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Also demoted after only his first whack at the salaried boys was Oho. A similar situation for Ryuko after his second Juryo rodeo.

Match-ups for days 1 and 2 are to be announced on March 12th. Action begins on the 14th.

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FEBRUARY NEWS

• Tokitsukaze-oyakata’s disciplinary retirement has been made official. He has turned over the Tokitsukaze name and stable to Magaki-oyakata. Shodai, for one, seems to be taking everything in stride, and expects to perform well, a change in management notwithstanding.

• Terunofuji got married on February 11th to a girl from his home country of Mongolia. The two had been dating for about 5 years, and the marriage has apparently been in the works for a few years now. Congratulations!

• Takayasu became a father to his first child, a girl, on February 17th! He hasn’t seen her in person yet as she was born in Hokkaido. Maybe he can bring her a Cup of some sort after the tournament… We can hope!

• Former Arawashi, who retired in January 2020, had his haircutting ceremony on February 23rd. His former stablemaster Minezaki-oyakata, fellow Mongolian Kakuryu, and around 300 others were in attendance.

• Tokiwayama Stable has changed locations from Taito Ward to Itabashi Ward. Takakeisho seems quite pleased with the new building.

• Kokonoe Stable also has a new location, moving from Sumida Ward to Katsushika Ward.

Sources:
Nikkan Sports
Japan Sumo Association
Sumo DB