How to Notice One Shikona Without Inventing Its Meaning
A sumo ring name, or *shikona*, may draw on a…
Chanko Is More Than Hot Pot: Reading Stable Life in One Bowl
Chanko is not only the name of a Japanese hot…
Sumo Kensho Banners and Prize Money: What the Parade Means
Kensho sponsorship is available only for maku…
Sonkyo in Sumo: The Low Posture You See Twice Before a Bout
Sonkyo is a basic sumo posture made by keepin…
Shimekomi vs Kesho-mawashi: Two Different Sumo Belts
A *shimekomi* is the silk mawashi worn by a s…
Shiko in Sumo: Watch the Supporting Leg, Not Only the Stomp
Shiko is a fundamental sumo movement: the wre…
Why does a sumo ring have two white starting lines? Radio left them there
The two white marks at the centre of a profes…
Sandan-gamae: Sumo’s Three Postures of Nature, Attack and Defence
Sandan-gamae is an old-form ritual in which t…
What Are Sagari? The Stiff Strings on a Sumo Wrestler’s Mawashi
The narrow strands hanging from the front of …
Rikishi Handprints: The Sekitori Milestone You Can See
A Sumo Museum exhibition published in 2017 sa…