It’s been a bountiful few years for anyone interested in sumo’s more archaic elements.
While the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have long endured a tough time from a public relations standpoint, the games did lead to the revival of one sumo’s most seldom-seen ceremonies.
In October of 2016, at a government-funded, Olympic-focused event entitled “Оzumo Beyond 2020 Basho,” yokozuna pair Harumafuji and Kakuryu performed the first sandangamae seen in 20 years.