If, on Jan. 10, the first day of the 2016 Hatsu Basho, the 11,000 sell-out crowd at the Ryogoku Kokugikan had been asked who they thought would be standing atop the dohyo two weeks later to collect the Emperor’s Cup, few, if any, would have pointed to ozeki Kotoshogiku.
But come the 24th, on Day 15, shortly before 6 p.m., Kotoshogiku was indeed the man being crowned champion.
And as he collected the solid silver trophy, and the hoard of prizes that go with it, much of Japan and the sumo following world breathed a collective sigh of relief.