on this day: 1925

["Rowan Klein" <rowanchan@hotmail.com>]

The Japan Times and Mail, Tuesday 6th January 1925

SUMO SEASON OPENS TODAY

Revival In Wrestling Seen Again This Year With Onosato Starring

 Debagatake, the tallest and heaviest man in the sumo troupe, is six feet 
eight inches tall and can make the weighing needle spin dizzily to the 358 
pound mark. He will attempt this season, as he has done in the previous 
years, to push his contender out of the ring or tire his opponent with his 
weight. Being still a newcomer, found in the mountains of Kyushu only a few 
years ago and consequently still poor in the finer arts of wrestling, 
Debagatake has to resort to brute strength to uphold his title.
 The extra champion of Japan at present is Tochigiyama, but if no unfair 
plans have been laid out, as they frequently have, Tochigiyama may not see 
himself seated in the championship seat after the coming tournament, since 
there are not a few wrestlers under him who have promising sumo careers 
ahead.
 With the wrestling season back again, the great Ryogoku wrestling stadium 
is preparing to welcome a record crowd on Friday. Wrestlers are now tackling 
each other with might and main, training for the ten days' tournament which 
will either raise them into the "maku" or drop them into oblivion before the 
end of the month.
 Onosato, the small but skillful wrestler who has been promoted to second 
champion of the East, and the giant Debagatake are the two most popular 
figures in sumodom this season. For the first time in many years has such a 
small man as Onosato ever been girdled with the belt of second champion. As 
a result of his coming debut in this role is arousing interest of every 
zealous wrestling fan. Onosato must rely on his skill and speed to overthrow 
his contenders, who are all bigger than him.
 Tachihikari, the second champion of the West, who three years ago 
surprised the wrestling world by successively defeating two noted sumotori, 
may this season show himself in the limelight again after two years of 
retirement.
 The sumo season though reviving since the great earthquake of 1923, is 
still generally speaking, waning. The days of the great wrestlers, 
Umegatani, Hitachiyama and Tachiyama when persons gathered at the Ryogoku 
stadium hours ahead of it's opening to see the day's wrestling, are memories 
of the past today. Probably no sumotori as strong as Tachiyama will reappear 
in Japan for years to come, possibly never.



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