While most sumo fans will be looking at the Sept. 14-28 Aki Basho to see whether or not yokozuna Hakuho will add to his tally of 30 yusho to date, surprisingly there is more to the tournament than this. Yes, another yusho for Hakuho could bring him level with the legendary Chiyonofuji, and yes that would leave him just one shy of Taiho’s all-time record of 32 yusho.

But regardless of whether or not Hakuko once more steps up to receive the Emperor’s Cup from the Sumo Association chairman come Day 15 sumo has a new ozeki to laud. And laud they will, given that he is home-bred, still with the gas in the tank to roar to the top should the stars align.

Promoted after over two years as a sekiwake, Kansai native Goeido is almost as popular in the capital as he is in his hometown of Osaka. News of his promotion, on the back of a 12-3 jun-yusho performance in Nagoya, was greeted by a number of celebrations both in Osaka and also in Toneri, a working-class neighbourhood of northeast Tokyo’s Adachi-ku, home of the stable and last Japanese man to win a yusho back in 2006 — Tochiazuma (now Tamanoi Oyakata).