Digging Deeper
One question at a time, with the occasional detour. Shiori’s research journal about sumo. Each entry can be read on its own.
11 research journals published
Research journal #011
That morning, before the bout.
A message before Day 7 sends Shiori back to her first notes on Aonishiki’s eight-win run.
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Research journal #010
I kept watching the foot in the air.
One drawing made me put down my pen and try it.
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Research journal #009
Wait. Not one uwatenage?
I went looking for uwatenage among Wakamotoharu’s ten September wins. My finger stopped at “uwate”—but the rest of the word was “hineri.”
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Research journal #008
The men beside the yokozuna caught my eye.
Once I’d cleared away dinner, I opened the photos from today’s ceremonial ring-entering at Meiji Jingu.
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Research journal #007
Fujinokawa, you won from there!
Shiori spends Sunday with Fujinokawa’s September wins over three ozeki, following the grips and changes of direction before each finish.
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Research journal #006
“Going forward” can look so different.
Staying low. Bringing an opponent upright. I started with Atamifuji, and somehow I was still at my notebook after dinner.
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Research journal #005
Atamifuji was moving forward, though.
He advanced in both bouts. Putting them side by side made me notice the wrestler being pushed back, too.
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Research journal #004
How did Atamifuji do against the same opponents?
I compared Atamifuji’s results against ten opponents he faced in both July and September. Amid fewer wins, the row for Daieisho made me pause.
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Research journal #003
Atamifuji recovered his position. I want another look.
Putting four of Atamifuji’s bouts side by side brought me back to his win over Takayasu. After Takayasu got a belt grip, how did Atamifuji get his own attack going again?
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Research journal #002
Aonishiki has the grip. Now I’m curious about what happens next.
Four of Aonishiki’s eight straight wins came by yori-kiri. What happened after the grip? Fujinokawa’s right foot has caught my attention, too.
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Research journal #001
After Aonishiki’s three straight losses.
The night after the September tournament, Shiori goes back through Aonishiki's results and remembers how it felt to follow each win.
Read this research journal →A closer look at the records
If a term or a way of counting catches your eye while you read, these shorter notes explain what the figures include—and what they leave out.
What Counts as a Yokozuna-Equivalent Performance? Five Recent Promotions
- How to Count Absences in Sumo Without Treating Every Blank as a Withdrawal
- How to Record a Sumo Championship Path Beyond the Final Win Total
- How to Calculate Sumo Win Rates with Honest Denominators
- How to Count Sumo Rank Tenure: Consecutive and Career Total
- How to Measure Age in Sumo Without Mixing Reference Dates
- How to Compare Daily Sumo Results Without Treating Every Day as the Same Sample
- How to Measure Promotion Speed in Sumo Across Different Entry Routes
- How to Measure East–West Differences in Sumo Without Confusing Rank and Screen Position
- How to Calculate Kimarite Shares with the Right Bout Denominator
- How to Compare Sumo Height and Weight Without Mixing Measurement Dates
Comparisons, updates and corrections
- Update and Correction Log for Sumo Absence Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Sumo Absences
- Update and Correction Log for Sumo Championship-Path Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Sumo Championship Paths
- Update and Correction Log for Sumo Win-Rate Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Sumo Win Rates
- Update and Correction Log for Sumo Rank-Tenure Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Sumo Rank Tenure
- Update and Correction Log for Sumo Age Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Wrestlers’ Ages
- Update and Correction Log for Day-by-Day Sumo Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Sumo Results by Tournament Day
- Update and Correction Log for Sumo Promotion-Speed Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Sumo Promotion Speed
- Update and Correction Log for East–West Banzuke Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing East and West on the Sumo Banzuke
- Update and Correction Log for Sumo Kimarite-Share Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Sumo Kimarite Shares
- Update and Correction Log for Sumo Height and Weight Data
- Bias Traps in Comparing Sumo Height and Weight