video list

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

Yugo:

This is a list of my video collection other than Sports Dramatic '94. Most
of Takanohana special programs are interview type with some unique video
scenes from his younger days before and after his entry to sumo world.

Jungyo, etc. includes demonstrations (process of wearing yokozuna, process
of making hair-do "oh-ichou"), shokkiri (a funny performance of sumo),
yokozuna dohyo-iri, children against Ozeki, etc. and rikishs singing, etc.
You may see the behind scenes of Jungyo in Isehara-basho. In NHK Charity,
there is a segment of interviewing two new tate-gyoji. Also, there is a
rikishi singing segment in it.

World Sumo Championship is exciting and surpass our expectations. Americans
are HUGE, including former makushita Takami-?, I don't remember. One of
three Americans lost mawashi at the end of a bout. Mongolians are awesome.
They brought their version of yokozuna, ozeki and sekiwake. They shared
individual championships with Japan for two pieces each. Team championship
belongs to Japan, and US team was second, but very evenly mached. Most
interviews were done in English with Japanese subtitle.

If you need a good laugh, East/West Sumo Team Games and Haya Team Singing
Tornament are recommended. You'll discover a different side of rikishi in
these tapes. If you like to sing with karaoke, Singing Tornament and NHK
Charity are the choices. NHK Charity is slitely more serious but not too
much. 

The "documentary" is about a lady who has been coloring yusho-gaku, a
framed picture of yusho rikishi near the ceiling of Kokugikan. Camera
followed her process of coloring the picture of Takanohana for his last
zensho yusho. Chiyonofuji misses one of his yusho-gaku replaced by
Takanohana's two zensho yusho pictures from recent basho.

* Fukushima and Isehara tapes have audio problem. You can hardly hear anything.

About Takanohana:
Yokozuna Special        11/20/94        TBS
Waka/Taka Brothers      11/21/94        NTV
Close-up of real 65th Yokozuna Takanohana       11/22/94
Congratulations New Yokozuna Takanohana 11/23/94
Secret Story of Takanohana      12/18/94

Jungyo, etc.
Fukushima Charity Ozumo 10/16/94        Asahi Hoso
Isehara Basho   10/16/94        Tokyo TV
28th NHK Charity Ozumo  2/4/95

3rd World Sumo Championship     12/18/94

Documentary "Human Theatre"
A lady who colors the dream of rikishi  1/25/95

Sumo Variety
East/West Sumo Team Games       1/95
Heya singing tornament  1/95
Value of Kesho-mawashi (kurama): a short segment from sometime in 94


By the way, Kurama was a popular sumo commentator for mimpo stations, but
he passed away by leukemia last month while I was in Tokyo. Leukemia was
the very reason, it turned out, for him could not get to Ozeki, despite
high expectations by many sumo experts, and eventual his retirement. There
were many well known people attended his funeral.

-Masumi