Yes, they can get away with it to a unique degree, especially given that they only have 5000 tickets to sell
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165 new cases in Tokyo and the trend continues to be very troubling. I don't see them getting relief from the restrictions
https://covid19japan.com/
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Shows what I know.
Notwithstanding a further increase in new cases to 286, the Association has announced that up to 2500 fans (25 percent of capcity) will be allowed to attend each session of the July basho.
Details from Tachiai
Regulations for audience members:- The Kokugikan will open at 1:00pm.
- Upon entering the Kokugikan, audience members will have their temperature checked and their hands disinfected. Mini disinfectants will be distributed.
- Spectators must wear masks, and keep eating and drinking to a minimum. Food sales and shopping opportunities will be limited.
- Only one spectator may sit in the 4 person masu boxes located in the first level of the Kokugikan.
- Spectators must sit 3 seats apart, and rows will be staggered to avoid sitting directly in front of each other. No one will be permitted to sit in the aisle seats.
- The Tamari seats that surround the dohyo will be vacant.
- Any fan service that would bring audience members into contact with rikishi are cancelled.
- Spectators are encouraged to show self-restraint, and applause is recommended instead of cheering.
Regulations for rikishi and other association members:- Precautions put into place during the Haru Basho in March, such as temperature checks and hand sanitization, will continue to be followed.
- Masks are to be worn in the shitakubeya during preparation and warmups.
- Acrylic dividers will be used to separate each rikishi’s preparation area.
- The sumo school will be set up as an extra preparation space to avoid crowding.
- Markers will be placed along the hanamichi for rikishi, yobidashi, and gyoji to practice social distancing.
- Tokoyama are encouraged to do as much of their hairdressing as possible at the heya.
- Rikishi will remove their mask when they exit the shitakubeya and will put on a fresh mask after their match, before re-entering the preparation room.
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Day one is here. Not much in the way of inspiring sumo. - lots of ring rust. Nice to see Terunofuji re-open his account with a win and this young Kotoshoho looks like one to watch.
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Originally posted by ursus arctos View PostMy understanding is that they are not paying for the other three seats. Have you heard otherwise?
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I believe they have done just that, fearing that no one would have bought them otherwise.
They aren't using the usual website, and the one they are using is Japanese only (and requires a Japanese address). I'm now wondering if the boxes are to people with Association connections.Last edited by ursus arctos; 19-07-2020, 12:43.
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Could be. The "A" class boxes - the four rows of tatami mats nearest the dohyo - are all empty for social distancing reasons and I *think* those are mostly given out to JSA insiders, so they may have just re-distributed some of the the "B" and "C" class boxes to the people usually in the A boxes.
Not sure I would pay $600 for a box on my own, but for our first day at Kokugikan a couple of years ago I did buy one for just me and Little Miss Sumo, just to see what it was like. And as an aging white guy not used to spending 5-6 hours sitting cross-legged in the floor, I was super-appreciative of the extra space to stretch out. Four adults in one of those would be cramped.
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In light of the UK permitting spectators for snooker and looking at whether the Sumo regulations above could be adopted, I'm still not sure how those regulations would work for spectators going to the toilet between contests or during an interval. Entry and exit would also have to be staggered, such that spectators must arrive an hour before the start so that everyone can be checked and spaced. Presumably also tickets must be rationed by a system such as membership being prioritized.
Would there also be additional cultural factors that make these regulations easier or harder to implement for Sumo than for a UK indoor event like the world snooker?Last edited by Satchmo Distel; 21-07-2020, 01:32.
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Very much so.
Starting with the fact that a significant portion of the sumo audience is female.
Alcohol consumption patterns are also very different. Gramsci can correct me, but I don't think that beer is sold separately. People in the boxes will often bring/buy box lunches, which can be rather elaborate. Those are being limited for this tournament, but are still allowed.
My sense is that sumo is much more like the theatre or opera than snooker.
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You can absolutely buy beer separately. It is true that a large portion of the folks on the lower levels get these huge gift boxes of food and drink which they order in advance and pick up on their way into the kokugikan. The boxiness plus the sitting on the ground lends the whole thing a very picnic atmosphere. However folks in the bleachers for the most part buy food and drink at concessions just like you would at any other sports event. I understand this is partially restricted for this basho but not quite sure how..
Also: Terunofuji!
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Well, this has turned into something
Takakeisho is kyujo and Hakuho will reportedly do the same if the knee issues that were crucial to his losses yesterday and today don't magically clear up.
And the committee has decided to pit Terunofuji and Asanoyama (the only rikishi who are 10-1) against each other on Day 13 tomorrow, notwithstanding the massive difference in their ranks. My guess is that they want to have a clear winner emerge as soon as possible.
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Terunofuji has been amazing so far. That slugfest with Tamawashi today was the best bout of the basho. His whole trajectory this tournament has made me so, so, happy. It will be great to see him back in san'yaku (if his knees hold up).
Onosho (0-12) has been utterly perplexing. I don't think his sumo is actually that bad, but he just never gets a break.
Enho has been asked to fight a lot of guys well above his station, I think his 5-7 is a bit unfair.
I would be surprised if Hakuho shows up tomorrow, which makes Asanoyama the prohibitive favourite. He looks awfully good this tourney, like Goeido at his best. So strong and smooth. This is deffo the start of a yokozuna run.
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TERUNO-FUCKING-FUJI!
(His hands get nowhere near the dohyo at the tachiai and it should have been a matta but the gyoji have been letting him go on this pretty much all tournament).
I think we'll see these two again in a playoff. Looking forward to the weekend!Last edited by Anton Gramscescu; 31-07-2020, 14:18.
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