When yokozuna Hakuho was interviewed ringside on Sunday, after wrapping up his first title in a year, he congratulated the people of the Philippines on the imminent promotion of Takayasu to ozeki. It was a nice nod to the Taganoura stable man's mother, who hails from an island in the south of the country.
Television cameras later showed Takayasu's parents applauding the comment as well as Hakuho's wife and children celebrating the day 15 win that sealed the yokozuna's record 13th perfect tournament.
Both men have in the past credited family as being responsible for a large part of their success, and a point that sometimes gets lost in a sea of training session and injury reports is just how significant a solid support structure is to a rikishi's prosperity.