Re: Very sad question about the .gifs...

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

>Has anyone else noticed that in the very nice .gif file of Takanohana,
>whilst his name is given as Takanohana in the black on red kanji
>at the top, his (oh shit, forgot the name) "apron" clearly still has
>his old name of Takahanada on.  
>
>Martin
>
This "apron" is called keshou-mawashi, a very colorful almost gordy or
goldy apron.  Good patron(s) of the rikishi or heya (stable) he belongs to
donate this expensive apron, probably cost arround a few million yen or so
with silk (Nishiki-ori), about the price of a car.  Yokozuna use a set of
three for Tsuyu-harai (rikishi without a sword), Tachi-mochi (rikishi with
a sword) and himself with a yokozuna rope.

Only seki-tori (all rikishi in Juryou and above) are allowed to ware
keshou-mawashi.  Only exceptional occasion is shusse-hirou, introduction of
new rikishi who will be entering jonokuchi, the lowest official rank in
professional sumo, next basho.  These young rikishi borrow keshou-mawashi
from seki-tori to whom he serves at his heya, or from oyakata, the stable
master.

Keshou of keshou-mawashi means "make-up" or "decoration" same as making up
a face of a woman.  Mawashi means loin-cloth or g-string, mawashi actually
means to spin or to roll.  I think this is because the way rikishi put on
"mawashi" is just like the way kids put a string on a top to spin. 
Spinning a top is called "koma-mawashi" in Japanese.

I still remember that great yokozuna Taihou used a set of three
keshou-mawashi with letters of "Shin (heart)", "Gi (technics)" and "Tai
(body)", one letter each on three keshou-mawashi for yokozuna dohyou-iri. 
His dohyou-iri style was a more-popular Unryuu-gata, which represent
defensing style of sumo.  This style is used by Akebono, also, with his
right arm wide open and his left hand on his belly when he comes up slowly
from squatting position.  The offensing style is called Shiranui-gata with
both arms open when the rikishi comes up slowly from squatting position
facing shoumen.

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Masumi Abe
Director, Japan Market Development              Tel: (415) 966-0824
Kaleida Labs, Inc.                              Fax: (415) 966-0496
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