Christmas

["Katrina" <katrina@shoin.ac.jp>]

Hi Folks,

I'm just taking a break in my baking activities with three traditional fruit
cakes in the oven and the fruit mixture for three boiled pineapple fruit
cakes cooling on the stove.  She must have a big family, you think?  That's
right.  700 + little brothers in sumo.

Some years ago a Brazilian rikishi, former sekitori Ryudo aka Luis Ikemori
from the Tamanoibeya, was feeling pretty downhearted when I was talking to
him at the Sumo World Championships in the Kokugikan in December.  His
brother was competing and his father was there as the team coach and Luis
was feeling a bit homesick.  He was lamenting the fact that it was almost
Christmas but he would be in Japan rather than home with his family.  "They
don't even have a proper Christmas cake." he said, and it's true. Christmas
cake here is not what most of us would expect.  It's a layered sponge cake
decorated with cream and strawberries.  My first year in Japan I was
deceived by the outward appearance and, when asked to do the honours,
plunged the knife in expecting the traditional fruit cake encased in
marzipan with concrete frosting.  With no resitance at all the knife cut
straight through the cake and its cardboard box into the wood of the table!

I couldn't do much about Ryudo missing his family, but at least I could make
him a fruit cake, and have been making them each year for some of the
foreign boys.

Christmas is not a holiday here and the foreign rikishi will be lucky if
they get a slice of sponge cake on Christmas Eve.  While we are opening our
presents, and singing carols and enjoying our turkey dinners  they'll be
doing keiko as usual and eating chanko nabe.  So when you're writitng your
Christmas cards you might like to include one for the boys who won't be
going home for Christmas.

In particular the two boys from Tonga might feel a bit miserable in their
first cold Christmas.  Hope the pineapple fruitcakes cheer them up a little.

Of course last year when I went to Brazil with the International Sumo
Federation for the 9th Sumo World Championships, I discovered they eat a
kind of panettone rather than the British style fruit cake, Wakaazuma's
sister gave me one as a Christmas gift.  I'll try my hand at panettone for
the three Brazilian boys in Tamanoi a little later in the month.

Incidentally, Narutobeya's Okamisan told me that Takanoyama (Pavel Bojar)
was very pleased to receive a letter of encouragement from someone in Los
Angeles.  I don't know if it was someone on this list and she couldn't
remember the name, only that it wasn't a Japanese one.  At any rate, the
effort was appreciated so if you have time and the inclination.......

For your convenience the addresses are:

Aurora (Russia)
Kitanoumibeya,
2-10-11 Kiyosumi,
Koto-ku,
Tokyo 135-0024

Hisanoumi (Tonga)
Tagonourabeya,
52-4 Takagi,
Omiya-shi,
Saitama 331-0071

Hoshitango (Argentina)
Michinokubeya,
1-18-7 Ryogoku,
Sumida-ku,
Tokyo 130-0026

Kokkai (Georgia)
Oitekazebeya,
874-2 Sezaki-cho,
Soka-shi,
Saitama 340-0022

Kuniazuma (Brazil)
Wakaazuma (Brazil)
Azumao (Brazil)
Tamanoibeya,
4-12-14 Umeda,
Adachi-ku,
Tokyo 123-0851

Musashimaru (Hawaii)
Minaminoshima (Tonga)
Musashigawabeya,
4-27-1 Higashi-Nippori,
Arakawa-ku,
Tokyo 116-0014

Sentoryu (USA)
Tomozunabeya,
3-1-9 Narihira,
Sumida-ku,
Tokyo 130-0002

Takanoyama (Czech Republic)
Narutobeya,
8-14-7 Hachigasaki,
Matsudo-shi,
Chiba 270-0023

Sorry if I've forgotten anybody.  I don't know if the Mongolian, Korean and
other foreign guys celebrate Christmas or not, but I'm sure they'd be glad
of a Christmas or New Year card too, if your enthusiasm extends that far, to
say nothing of your favourite and adopted rikishis.

Katrina