Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Nov 28, 2012
Kyushu Basho: Harumafuji less than impressive as Baruto demoted
by Mark Buckton
In the days leading up to the Nov. 11-25 Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka, much of the talk in sumo circles centered on the ozeki trio of Baruto, Kotoshogiku and the forever injured Kotooshu being able to maintain their rank come the January tournament back ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Nov 9, 2012
Kyushu 2012 — once more, two yokozuna heading the rankings
by Mark Buckton
For the first time since 2009, the Kyushu Basho, Nov. 11-25, will see two yokozuna featured on the ranking sheet. Hakuho is in the slightly more prestigious east slot, with Harumafuji over on the west side of the banzuke. Harumafuji will, of course, be ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Oct 26, 2012
Sumo World Championships a shadow of former self
by Mark Buckton
Thousands of kids in Japan attend amateur sumo clubs every weekend. Many adults join them as part of fitness regimes. Hundreds more, young and old, in nations around the world have also given what many term the Japanese national sport a try over the ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Sep 25, 2012
Harumafuji — sumo's 70th yokozuna
by Mark Buckton
The 2012 Aki Basho will forever be remembered as the tournament at which ozeki Harumafuji, winner of the previous Nagoya Basho with a perfect 15-0 record, mirrored his performance in July and guaranteed his promotion to the rank of yokozuna. He will be the ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Sep 9, 2012
Aki Basho 2012: Time for ozeki Harumafuji to step up his game
by Mark Buckton
When the Aki-basho starts today, all eyes will be on one man, and this time it is not yokozuna grand champion Hakuho. Rather the focus of sumo fans throughout Japan and around the world will be on ozeki Harumafuji. Looking to secure a second ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Jun 30, 2012
Amateur sumo in crisis: Europe and Japan go head to head
by Mark Buckton
For the past 20 years amateur sumo has been bidding for full and formal IOC recognition. Making its way through the IOC’s various levels of acceptance, it was, according to many, doing rather well. Its governing body, the International Sumo Federation (IFS), initially served ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS May 3, 2012
Sumo's dohyo starting to level out
by Mark Buckton
If Hakuho wins the upcoming Grand Sumo Tournament (May 6-20) it will be the 50th time a Mongolian has won the Emperor’s Cup. Of the 32 championship portraits currently hanging in the Ryogoku Kokugikan, eight on each of the four main sides, none are ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Mar 31, 2012
Sumo returns to Osaka with a bang
by Mark Buckton
For the first time since March of 2010, the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium played host to a sumo tournament. Things started off slow and somber on the opening day as the tournament, as the entire nation paused to remember the victims of the 2011 earthquake ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Mar 10, 2012
One large step back, a few small steps forward
by Mark Buckton
Last month the sumo association, while supposedly seeing 2012 as the year to move forward and clear their sullied name, took a massive step backward. During the most recent reshuffle of bigwigs running the game, former chairman Kitanoumi was re-elected Rijicho. Under the latter ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Jan 24, 2012
2012 kicks off with a bang for Baruto
by Mark Buckton
Before the New Year’s Grand Sumo Tournament, most fans would have predicted that Hakuho, the reigning yokozuna, would claim his third successive Emperor’s Cup, and 22nd title overall. It was not to be. In what was perhaps the most interesting basho for sumo fans ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Jan 6, 2012
Hatsu Basho 2011 — time for domestic rekishi to shine
by Mark Buckton
For around a decade much has been made of the lack of domestic born talent in professional sumo. No Japanese sekitori has won a yusho now for six full years — the last local winner being then ozeki Tochiazuma back in January of 2006. ...
Sumo | SUMO SCRIBBLINGS Dec 27, 2011
Tis the season to be focused
by Mark Buckton
Unlike many sports, the sumo calendar can be predicted months, even years in advance. The start and finish dates of the six annual tourneys are pretty easy to work out when you know basho almost always start on the closest Sunday to the 10th ...