Re: Yokozuna Quiz

[Masumi Abe <abe@accesscom.com>]

Since it's the end of the day, I may try to find the answers to some of them.

Nashinokawa wrote:

> since we have been discussing Yokozuna's recently I thought I'd put together
> the following quiz:
>
> 1. What is the Yokozuna Hawser made from?

Right in the middle is a copper wire. The main portion is flax and covered with
cotton cloth.

>
>
> 2. Who makes it?

Rikishi (mostly the younger or lower-ranked rikishi) from the ichimon or heya
group the yokozuna belongs to.

>
>
> 3 How often does a yokozuna get a new one?

Every other month when they are at home in Tokyo area before Hon-basho.

>
>
> 4. The rope is usally cut to fit. What happens to the excess and what is
> their peculiar reputed lucky property
>
> 6. How do the two dohyo-iri styles differ, (both in performance and in the
> hawser) and what is the irony in their nomenclature.

Unryu-gata: one loop for the tie in the back. Right arm stretched and left arm
bent when he go up with "seri-agari" move. This represents both offensive and
defensive moves.

Shiranui-gata: two loops for the tie in the back. Both arms stretches wideways
when he go up with "seri-agari" move. This represents exclusively the offensive
move.

>
>
> 7. What are the zig-zag strips called and how many are there.

It's called "Go-hei." There are five of them hanging from the Yokozuna rope.

>
>
> 8. Who was the first modern yokozuna to perform the shiranui style and who
> is reputed to have taught him.

It depends on when you refer to "modern." The first Yokozuna performed this
style since Meiji restoration was Tachiyama. But the first Yokozuna performed
in this style after World War II was Haguroyama. The first Shiranui style
Yokozuna promoted after WW-II was Yoshibayama. The oldest Shiranui style
Yokozuna still being around today is Yokozuna Kotozakura or current Sadogatake
Oyakata.

>
>
> 9. What is to stop a new Yokozuna coming up with his own style.

I'm sorry to say but I don't understand what this question is about.

>
>
> 10. What would an early yokozuna be most surprised about if he looked at the
> modern Yokozuna's hawser.

I think it is because of the size and the thickness of the Yokozuna rope.

>
>
> 11. Which family traditionally had the right to grant Yokozuna licences.

Yoshida family in Higo Hosokawa-han, or current Kumamoto in Kyushu. Usually the
family is called Yoshida Tsukasa-Ke. Ke means family or home. Tsukasa means
authority or in charge of.

>
>
> 12. Who is the only rikishi to have joined the precursor to the present sumo
> association as a Yokozuna and how did he do it.

I think this is about Miyagiyama who joined to Dai-Nippon Sumo Kyokai from
Osaka when Tokyo Sumo Kyokai and Osaka Sumo Kyokai merged after Royal Prince
Hirohito donated money to Tokyo Sumo Kyokai and Tokyo Sumo Kyokai thought it is
rude to spend that type of money from the next emperor for only one of two
major Sumo association at that time in Japan. Tokyo Sumo Kyokai asked Osaka
Sumo Kyokai to merge into a new Great Japan Sumo Associaion. Miyagiyama was a
Yokozuna for Osaka Sumo Kyokai at that time and became a Yokozuna of the merged
Sumo Kyokai with the merger of two organizations.

>
>
> 13.  Where is the tradition of using a rope around a yokozuna said to have
> come from (note there are many stories to this -- so there are no correct
> answers in my view -- but it is a chance to look at the possiblities.)

I wrote about it recently. I think I should correct my earlier post of saying
that shiko is for keeping bad spirit under the gound, but it should be more
accurate to say that shiko is for keeping bad spirit from the area. Yokozuna
rope is from shime-nawa rope which is to show the sacred area. Rikishi were
used for ground breaking ceremony and the area for the ceremony are surrounded
or enclosed by Shime-Nawa. Rikishi doing ceremonial shiko for keeping the bad
spirit away used to wear the Shime-Nawa around their waist.

-Toshiyori Masumiriki