Hon-Basho
Hon - Basho (Japanese本 场所), often short Basho, the Japanese sumo tournaments, in which decisions are made about the rise and fall of the wrestlers in each league ( " divisions "). The name means literally " real tournament" to distinguish the Hon - basho of the intervening held tours ( jungyo in Japan or Kōen abroad). These smaller " tournaments " is also called Taikai (大会) or Tōnamento (トーナメント, of Engl tournament. ); they have no meaning for the ranking of the wrestlers.
Because Sumō, more precisely, the ( professional ) ozumo, in Japan, despite a total gesunkenem interest still is a popular spectator sport, it is at the tournaments to high-traffic events.
By the year 1926 only two tournaments per year were held. This changed after the founding of the Dai- Nihon Sumō Kyōkai; from 1927, the number of tournaments has been doubled to four, three of which were held in Tokyo and one in Osaka. Between 1933 and 1952 found only two or three tournaments (1946 only one). November 1957, the tournament in Fukuoka was introduced, and as early as next year, the summer tournament followed in Nagoya, so that from 1958 to this day retained number of six tournaments in Ordinary was reached.
The order of the tournaments is the following:
* This appointment is not always strictly adhered to, and may vary.
By 1949, the tournament lasted ten days since then has been 15 days long struggled so that each tournament ends on a Sunday. The rikishi in the classes under the juryo Division wrestle only seven days.
Most 13 days before the official start of the tournament ranking, the so-called Banzuke (番 付) appears, even here there are, for example, due to holidays deviations from the schedule.
Daily Schedule
The fight order is determined by the hierarchy of the wrestlers. The rikishi ( sumo wrestlers ) of the lowest class, the Jonokuchi Division already begin in the morning. Between the third and the eighth day also the struggles of the so-called Mae - Sumō or Sumōanfänger take place that will compete for the first time and have not yet been included in the lowest division. It follows the Jonidan division and so on. Between the individual divisions will also change the ring staff, ie the Gyoji, Shimpan and yobidashi, which will also be replaced by higher-ranking colleagues. Also between the individual struggles of the Makuuchi division is still changed to match the rank of the ring staff of the fighters. The final battles of the day are finally discharged from the highest-ranking sumo wrestlers, the sanyaku and finally the one or Yokozuna. They represent the culmination of the tournament day dar.
Most viewers are also only to the struggles of the upper divisions, which begin in the afternoon. The meetings of the juryo and Makuuchi be transferred from the Japanese state television via satellite, the latter even with bilingual commentary ( Japanese, English ).
The Struggles of the top division is preceded by the ceremonial feeder ( dohyō -iri ) with the splendor Aprons ( Kesho - mawashi ) clad wrestler. Only the owner of the Yokozuna rank will not be participating, but have a special ceremony ( see Article Yokozuna ).
The end of the day is the " bow dance " or Yumitori - shiki, in which a single sumo wrestler occurs with a bow. For this purpose, usually members of the makushita Division determined that belong to the same Ringer stable ( heya ) as the dominant yokozuna.
The planning of matings done from day to day and is based on the recent performance of the participants, as balanced as possible encounters are sought. If after 15 days still not a fighter who won the outright lead, it comes on the last day to eliminator ( Kettei - sen) between the remaining tie competitors until a wrestler has reached the tournament ( Yusho ). The victory in a tournament with 15 victories and thus without a loss is called zensho - Yusho.
Prices
The so-called Emperor's Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner, but there are three other awards that are awarded. This Sansho are:
- GINO shō, the price for outstanding technology,
- Shukun - shō, the award for outstanding performance, and
- Kantō shō, the price for extraordinary fighting spirit.
These prizes are awarded only to rikishi who kachi- koshi have achieved, that is, more victories than defeats. Ozeki and yokozuna are excluded from the award.