With holiday decorations now back in the box and vacations ending for most people, the 700 men active in sumo are once again warming up the muscles, stretching the limbs and preparing for combat.
That combat — officially titled the Hatsu Basho (the first of the year) — will take place between Jan. 10 and 24. The question on so many lips this year, again, will be whether — and when — the next generation of promising Japanese will successfully challenge for the coveted Emperor's Cup awarded to the makunouchi division winner on the final day of the six annual basho.
Indications are there that some of the locally born senior flight rikishi are improving and are closing in on back to back, consistently impressive basho. 2010 could, and should be, the year names such as Goeido, Kotoshogiku at komusubi and Kisenosato at maegashira 3 prove their worth. All can now be considered top-division vets having been around and mixing it with the top guns for 13 years between them.