Although the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament got underway on Sunday, the current unpredictable state of Japan’s national sport means little of significance can be read into results across its first few days.
Following three successive tournaments where just 12 wins proved good enough to lift the Emperor’s Cup, two or even three losses in the first week are no longer enough to rule any of the top-rankers out of serious contention for the title.
But while it will take some time for a true picture of the championship race to emerge, there was some news of note in the sumo world this week.