Chon-mage, the definitive word.

["Joshua A. Reyer" <jreyer@grn.mmtr.or.jp>]

Well, I took the liberty recently of popping off an email to Ichinoya via
the Wakamatsu heya webpage when the question of no mage = intai came up
again.  He didn't respond directly, but yesterday/today (as it is now 2:50
am Oct. 2 Tokyo time), he put the answer up in the "Today's Wakamatsu-beya"
section.

The answer?

It is, as Abe-san and Doreen said, not a definitive rule.  The mage is of
course the symbol of the rikishi, and not having one makes the danpatsu
shiki (hair cutting ceremony) a bit difficult, but there's no hard and fast
rule.  According to Ichinoya, this rumor came about because Yokozuna
Tochigiyama (the previous previous Kasugano oyakata) reportedly retired
because he could not make a chon-mage.  I'm assuming that this was a
personal decision, and not one forced on him by the Kyokai.  Abe-san also
told this story, as I recall.  Well, it's not that we don't believe you,
Abe-san, but at least now it's straight from the horse's mouth, as it were.
(No offense to Ichinoya, of course!)  Anyway, is there some sort of sumo FAQ
this could go into?

If your browser is Japanese capable and you want to see the site, go to
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~wakamatu/.  It looks like entries generally stay
up for two months or so.

---------
Josh Reyer
jreyer@grn.mmtr.or.jp