If March 13, 2011, had been a normal Sunday in Japan, at around 4:30 p.m. this writer would have popped open a beer, grabbed a packet of shelled peanuts, switched on his TV and watched the first day of the Osaka Grand Sumo Tournament on NHK.
But the day was hardly a normal one. Not only NHK but all of Japan's commercial and satellite channels were broadcasting uninterrupted news bulletins about the earthquake devastation in Tohoku.
At least the Tohoku Kanto Daishinsai — as history will record its name — cannot be blamed for sumo's absence from the airwaves that day, since the sport had already suffered its own catastrophe one month earlier.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.