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John Gunning
Japan Times
SUMO
Jan 10, 2019
Hakuho and rivals seeking to taste success in opening tournament of new season
After one of the best years in the ring the past couple of decades, sumo heads into the final January tournament of the Heisei Era poised on the edge of its own era change.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 10, 2019
In-arena experience provides thrills for fans
Why do people attend sumo tournaments?
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Jan 2, 2019
Scandals allowing sumo to ID, rid sport of bad elements
It's that time once again to make predictions, and state hopes and wishes for the year ahead in sumo.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 26, 2018
Sumo's young guns ready to make big impact in 2019
Last December, when looking ahead to 2018, I wrote that this would be the year when a new generation of sumo talent would rise to glory.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 19, 2018
Passion and technology behind English sumo coverage
Sumo fans around the globe are spoiled for choice these days when it comes to following their favorite sport.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 12, 2018
Ticket sales brisk despite Takanoiwa scandal
Once again, sumo finds itself embroiled in a violence scandal.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Dec 5, 2018
Change in stable can revive wrestlers' careers
Takakeisho, winner of this year's Kyushu tournament, was pictured alongside his stablemaster on Nov. 26 holding up a large red sea bream and drinking sake from an outsized trophy at a celebratory event.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 28, 2018
Takakeisho's victory may herald rise of new generation
Takakeisho's victory in the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament made him the third wrestler to lift a maiden Emperor's Cup in 2018.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 25, 2018
Sumo 101: Illegal moves
Prior to their first live experience, many people are under the impression that sumo is a plodding sport in which two overweight men slowly try to force each other backward in a straight line.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 24, 2018
Sumo 101: Ring-entering ceremonies
A normal day of a sumo tournament starts around 8:30 a.m. and ends just after 5:45 p.m.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 23, 2018
Sumo 101: Wrestlers' clothing and footwear
Sumo is a world where success or failure in the ring has direct and tangible effects on a wrestler's life.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 22, 2018
Sumo 101: Museums
It's no surprise that sumo, an activity hundreds (possibly thousands) of years old, has several museums solely dedicated to its history.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 21, 2018
Sumo 101: Keiko (training)
Amateur sumo is a sport and nothing more.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 20, 2018
Sumo 101: Gyōji
Sumo referees are arguably the most elaborately outfitted arbiters in the sporting world.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 19, 2018
Sumo 101: Ozeki
Yokozuna are the stars of sumo.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 18, 2018
Sumo 101: Oyakata (stablemasters)
Sumo is not a team sport, but neither is it an individual one.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 17, 2018
Sumo 101: Tsuriyane (Raised roof)
One of the most striking sights in sumo is the giant roof suspended over the ring.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 16, 2018
Sumo 101: Kensho
One of the defining sights of a sumo tournament is the parade of brightly colored kensho banners around the ring before the highest- ranked wrestlers fight.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 15, 2018
Sumo 101: Shitakubeya (dressing rooms)
Whether in the Kokugikan in Tokyo, or at one of the regional tournaments in Osaka, Nagoya or Fukuoka, sumo wrestlers warm up and prepare for their bouts in dressing rooms called shitakubeya.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 14, 2018
Sumo 101: Tokoyama (Hairdressers)
Outside of wrestlers and stablemasters, there are three main jobs in the Japan Sumo Association: gyoji (referee), yobidashi (ring announcer) and tokoyama (hairdresser).

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