Re: More Quiz Questions PART 3

[Masumi Abe <abe@accesscom.com>]

In Japan, 60th year has a special meaning. There are two ways to count years in
traditional Japanese. One is 5 year cycle and the other is 12 year cycle. So,
after 60 years, people will go back to the biginning, in a sense. It's called
Kanreki or "circle of calendar." Cerebration is to treat the old person of age
60 just like a new born baby. Both male and female people with 60 years old
will wear red clothes, for example.

In Sumo community, former Yokozuna who reached 60 years old will celebrate his
kanreki with performing Yokozuna Dohyo-iri with red Yokozuna rope to symbolize
his kanreki. Usually Tachimochi and Tsuyuharai are the Yokozuna with closest
relationship, I believe. Not necessarily his deshi from his own heya, if I
remember correctly. If he is lucky enough to raise two yokozuna from his own
heya, he will have them his left and right, of course. But sometimes they are
from the same Ichimon, and sometimes they are not even from the same Ichimon,
since some Ichimon do not have recent Yokozuna, for example.

I remember the late Kasugano Oyakata, former Yokozuna Tochigiyama, did Kanreki
Dohyo-iri. That was the first one I ever remember. After that, I remember
Yokozuna Tochinishiki and Yokozuna Wakanohana-I did Kanreki Dohyo-iri. I don't
remember any one else.

Sakaigawa Oyakata and Kasugano Oyakata have been reached the #60 last year, but
I haven't heard their Kanreki Dohyo-iri, so far. They are close friends and
their birthdays are less than a month apart. Taiho Oyakata will be 60 in a
year. His birthday is May 29, 1940. If Waka-Taka are still active at that time,
then they will be the ones supporting Taiho Oyakata in Kanreki Dohyo-iri, since
they are the Yokozuna from the same Nishonoseki Ichimon, I believe.

-Toshiyori Masumiriki


Nashinokawa wrote:

>Q3. Who was the oldest man ever to perform yokozuna dohyoiri (he is one of

> >the top 10 yokozuna of all time!)?
>
> there appear to be a couple of the original yokozuna who competed to around
> 45. Tanikaze is the most famous (born 1750, died "in harness" 1795). The
> other was Inazuma Raigoro ( born 1795, quit sumo 1840)
>
> Of course this assumes active rikishi.  A number of former Yokozuna have in
> more recent times performed a 60th birthday "dohyo-iri" using a red rope
> (hawser) flanked by a couple of their most successful deshi.
> Wakanohana I did this flanked I believe by Takanosato and Wakanohana II, the
> two Yokozuna he raised as a stablemaster.
> It was performed in a hotel, not on a hon-basho dohyo.