new banzuke

[abe@zoom.com (Masumi Abe)]

I have only a spotty news about the new banzuke announced earlier today.

Sanyaku
                Higashi (East)          Nishi (West)
Yokozuna:       Takanohana            Akebono
Ozeki:          Takanonami              Wakanohana
                Musashimaru
Sekiwake:       Kaio                    Takatoriki
Komusubi:       Musoyama        Kotonowaka
                                                Kotonishiki

Takanohana: 8 consecutive basho in Higashi Yokozuna
Takanonami: back to the top rank ozeki for the first time in three basho
Kaio: 11 consecutive basho in sekiwake (3rd best in the history, best since the
        begining of Showa Era), 12 consecutive basho in kumusubi or
sekiwake (best since 
        the begining of Showa Era, tied with Kitabayama)
Musoyama: lost sekiwake rank after three consecutive basho in sekiwake rank
Kotonowaka: promoted back to komusubi
Kotonishiki: promoted back to komusubi, his 27th basho as either sekiwake
(19 basho) 
        or komusubi (8 basho) (2nd best since the begining of Showa Era behind 
        Hasegawa's 30 basho and tied with Takamiyama)
Asahiyutaka: lost sanyaku status
Daishoho: lost sanyaku status
Kyokushuzan: first Mongolian Maku(no)uchi rikishi, 6th "foreigner"
Maku(no)uchi rikishi,
        first new "foreigner" Maku(no)uchi rikishi since Musashimaru at
Kyushu in 1991, 
        (foreign maku(no)uchi rikishi: Takamiyama, Konishiki, Nankairyu,
Akebono, Musashimaru)
        started sumo at Haru-basho in 1992, took 4 and a half year to get
to Maku(no)uchi,
Daihisho: first new Maku(no)uchi rikishi from Asahiyama-beya in 26 years
since Ryuo
        in 1970, first new Maku(no)uchi rikishi from Asahiyama-beya under
the current
        management of former Komusubi Wakafutase, first new Maku(no)uchi
rikishi from 
        Osaka since Kenko at Nagoya-basho in 1992
Mainoumi: Nishi Juryo 4-maime, lost Maku(no)uchi status after 30 basho in
Maku(no)uchi
        since Aki-basho in 1991
Dejima: new sekitori, 40th sekitori as a former college student, first new
sekitori
        from Musashigawa-beya since Mutetsuyama in 1994, first new sekitori
with their
        real name as shikona since Teraki (Aogiyama) at Kyusho-basho in 1991
Tochitenko: promoted back to Juryo from Makushita
Chiyonowaka: promoted back to Juryo from Makushita

-Masumiriki