No more train-ing

[Moti Dichne]

The famous Sumo- train used by the rikishi to travel to the three non-Tokyo venues has been discontinued. Makushita and under rikishi used to travel on this train a day after the Banzuke was released and returned to Tokyo a week after the end of the basho. Tokyo station used to be filled with hundreds of rikishi and officials giving off the the sweet aroma of the bintsuke oil and fans used to gather to see their idols board the train. This always signaled that a basho was approaching. But as times change, the use of the train dwindled and for Kyushu only 11 of the 44 heyas used the train. The turning point was COVID- after March 2020 the train was suspended and was reinstated only last Nagoya. So now, each heya will get to the provincial tournaments on their own. Another historical facet of sumo comes to an end. Trains will be continued to be used during some parts of jungyo, but the Sumo train is no more.

A young Taihou (1960)

Mah_jong parlor