In the wake of a calamitous July tournament that saw the enforced absence of almost one third of the top division by the final day due to COVID-19 infections, there was genuine concern over whether or not the 2022 summer jungyō regional tour and degeiko inter-stable training sessions would proceed as scheduled.
Given that fan interaction — and the presentation of sumo to a wider audience — are the raisons d'etre of jungyō, some questioned the point of continuing with the five scheduled events in and around Tokyo as all-time high coronavirus infection rates necessitated continued separation between rikishi and audience.
However, with hosting agreements made months in advance, venues and transport booked, thousands of tickets sold and relationships with local authorities to consider, canceling the jungyō would have created an enormous headache for everyone involved.