In a matchup of veterans on Day 2 of the ongoing Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, Myogiryu sent Chiyotairyu crashing out of the ring and onto the ground.
On his way to the floor, the Kokonoe stable man hit the edge of the raised dohyō with such force that it knocked a large chunk out of the clay structure, and unintentionally provided a perfect allegory for the current state of Japan’s national sport.
"Seemingly stable, but with areas of surprising fragility" — this summation can be applied to the action across the first three days in Osaka as well as to the last few months of sumo as a whole.