One of the most venerable sumo traditions, in a sport loaded with them, are the 32 framed portraits of basho winners that ring the ceiling in Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
The frames depict the winners of the last 32 grand sumo tournaments, but as of Jan. 7, for the first time in over a century, none of the portraits are of Japanese wrestlers.
The oldest portrait and lone Japanese representative, ozeki Tochiazuma, winner of the New Year tournament in 2006, was removed in the morning of Jan. 7 to make way for Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho.
The tradition began way back in 1909, and since then, the oldest and the second oldest of the 32 frames are removed before new tournaments in January, May and September, and are replaced with the latest two winners.
Tochiazuma's portrait should have been removed before the autumn tournament in September. However, the removal was postponed to this month because the slated Osaka basho in March had been canceled and the following tournament in May became an unofficial one. The unusual circumstances were part of the fallout over the match-fixing scandal that rocked the sumo world last year.
Of the 32 frames now displayed at Ryogoku Kokugikan, 20 are of Hakuho, nine are of retired yokozuna Asashoryu, two are of ozeki Harumafuji and one is of ozeki Kotooshu. That's a whole lot of Mongolians (31), one Bulgarian (Kotooshu) and a big goose egg for Japanese grapplers (0), the first time in the 104-year-old history of the tradition.
That could change soon if Japanese rikishi Kotoshogiku and Kisenosato have anything to say about it.
"I want to be greedier for the victory. I want to strengthen my spirit," said ozeki Kotoshogiku.
Kisenosato, who will be fighting for the first time as an ozeki in the New Year basho, said: "I will do my best. That is my mission."
The New Year Grand Sumo Tournament gets under way Jan. 8 at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
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