How about a sumo thread?

[ursus arctos]

From Chris Gould on YouTube

Osaka tournament most likely to take place without spectators. Newspaper reports strongly suggesting such; unnamed coach: "We are a public body. We have to consider the public interest." Government has publicly requested cancellation, postponement or scaling down of major events for the next two weeks; letter requesting such has been sent to the sumo association today. Final announcement to be made Sunday. No signs of cancellation at this stage.

[Kevin S]

[Anton Gramscescu]

That is going to be very strange to watch.

I wonder if they can at least rig up a machine to shoot cushions at the dohyo when there is a kinboshi.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Not only is it going to be behind closed doors, but all rikishi will have to take their temperature 3 times before the basho and anyone who reads over 37.5 will be automatically kyujo.

[ursus arctos]

It is going to be carnage.

The government's approach to this is revealing: close schools for a month and completely disrupt the sporting calendar, but don't take any real action regarding government, business or public transit.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Public transit is the one that gets me. if there is an epidemic in Tokyo, the Chuo line is going to be ground zero

[ursus arctos]

The only rationale I see is that you can't disrupt public transit in Kanto and Kansai without disrupting Japan Inc, and that seems to be very much a last resort

[Anton Gramscescu]

Tokyo without mass transit is kind of hard to imagine. But it would probably do Japan inc good to experiment with telecommuting for a few weeks.

[ursus arctos]

The senior managers would want uniformed young women to turn on their computers at home

[Wouter D]

Please stop fucking around with my honeymoon. I need Japan's public transport in its usual fantastic shape between March 28 and April 24.

I know the problem is more serious than my luxury holiday trip being in peril, but this discussion is not good for my heart rate.

[Anton Gramscescu]

That sounds quite excellent. Where are you going?

[Anton Gramscescu]

Watching the Day 1 highlights, and sumo without fans is as boring as you'd imagine.

Early thoughts:

Asanoyama is going to get his twelve wins. Takayasu has two arms this tounrmanent. Enho is going to struggle. Regular bow-twirling dude is missing and I am sad about this..

[ursus arctos]

There is a weird dynamic where my brain tells me these must be bouts from the very low levels because the boxes are empty

[Wouter D]

That sounds quite excellent. Where are you going?

Sorry, I missed this initally. We are planning to visit, in order: Tokyo, Nikko*, Hakone, Osaka, Koya-san, Kyoto, Nara*, Himeji*, Hiroshima, Miyajima*, Okunoshima**, Onomichi***, Nagasaki, Gunkanjima*, Tokyo****, and Kamakura*.

*as a day trip from the preceding destination
**this is the only one I'm keeping as a surprise from my wife
***depending on whether we want to get out of Hiroshima upon seeing the Peace Memorial Museum
****including a visit to the Ghibli museum

At the moment, many museums and festivals are either cancelled or scaled back, to stop Covid-19. This is fine by me, as long as the country keeps the borders open and keeps the train network running. Tokyo, for instance, closed all kinds of tourist attractions including the Ghibli museum from the fourth week of February until mid-March; situation to be assessed for extension at the end of that period. I'd honestly be absolutely fine missing out on a museum or five, as long as the trip itself is not in danger.

The trip is timed to coincide with Sakura season, but we may have timed it too late; the mild winter has made the cherry trees all eager to bloom. We may still hit the tail end in Tokyo and Osaka, but the cherry blossoms will likely have disappeared once we hit Himeji. Oh well. It can't be helped.

Anyhoo, thanks for asking, and sorry for derailing the thread. I have a day of sumo action to catch up with.

[Wouter D]

This is so weird.

[Wouter D]

Some favorites hit the clay on day 2.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Man, this basho is tedious. There was literally only one match worth watching (because Enho is almost always worth watching). The rest of it....

My bet is both Yokozuna are out before day 5. Neither looks fit. Field wide open in theory, but in practice Asanoyama's to lose, I think..

[Anton Gramscescu]

Just checked the sakura-ometer and *wow* it is early this year. I went in early April in 2012 and it was still good in Tokyo up to about the 7th. I see from various twitter feeds that the first buds sprouted *today* in Tokyo, so I think you might be out of luck by the 28th which would be a shame.

Otherwise, sounds like a brilliant trip. I quite liked Hiroshima, FWIW, but my feelings were heavily influenced by watching a baseball match there at one of my all-time favourite stadiums (Mazada Zoom-Zoom)...but who knows if that will be an option.

In kamakura, eat here

[Wouter D]

If we miss out in Tokyo, we may still catch the sakura in Osaka, where the bloom is predicted to be eight days later than in Tokyo. We arrive there on April 2. Might work out.

However, at this stage, I'm going to be happy if we manage to get into and around the country. If the borders stay open and the trains keep driving, everything else is a bonus.

I'll have me a cracker like that, yes, thank you very much for the tip!

[Anton Gramscescu]

It's less the eating than watching how they are made, which is insane. (I think there are some videos on youtube, should you wish to take a gander).

[Anton Gramscescu]

Day 3: WHAT WAS THAT BULLSHIT YUTAKAYAMA WAS PULLING? If there were a crowd there he wouldn't dare try that shit.

Sad because actually on the whole the quality seems to be getting marginally better as rikishi start to figure out their groove in a spectatorless groove.

Of the new rikishi I think I like Kotonowaka the best,

[Wouter D]

I'd be very surprised if we see either Chiyotairyu or Takayasu back on Day 5.

[Anton Gramscescu]

I'd be surprised if we see Takayasu before 2021. That was awful.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Apart from that the sumo was much better today, though. They've starting to fight as though the silence does not bother them.

[Wouter D]

I'd be very surprised if we see either Chiyotairyu or Takayasu back on Day 5.

Well, I'm very surprised.

One third of the basho is gone. We have four rikishi unbeaten, of which Aoiyama is probably the biggest surprise. M18 Kotonowaka is also doing quite well at 4-1.

Terusuyoshi managed to escape from the clutches of Tochinoshin Delivery Service today.