Sumo - How many rikishi does it take to make a tsuna? A LOT!

Well! It took me a while, and I doubted some information that was given to me, but I finally did find out that the tsuna-making ceremony (“tsunauchi”) was to be held last Thursday. You know what the tsuna is: that huge white “braided” rope that the yokozuna wears when he does his dohyo-iri. Usually it’s the Monday or Tuesday before the start of the basho, so when I first heard “Tuesday or Wednesday” in response to my initial query, I assumed it would be Tuesday. But wait, the information came from a pretty good source, so I continued to try and pin down the exact date.

At the soken last Saturday, one of the Takasago-beya coaches was playing “guard” in the hanamichi, so I asked him when the tsunauchi would be. He put up ten fingers – May 10. Hmmmm, that seemed very late for this event, so I assumed he meant it would be at 10AM one day the following week, and I was STILL  ignorant. Finally, I asked someone to ask the yokozuna’s trainer, and he confirmed the 10^th. Good! Now, at least I had a goal.

Takasago is closed to any kind of “watching” except for the heya’s supporters. (Last year, they even had a sign on the door stating that if one wanted to watch sumo, one should by a ticket at the Kokugikan!) Having attended previously, though, I entered the heya anyway. I looked around, and found no one. There were murmurs coming from the living area upstairs, so I took a peek into the keikoba and saw the blue tarp on the floor and the white fabric around the teppu pole, and, at least I knew I had the right date. I also saw a number of professional video cameras and bags of accessories.

Some background –I never really wondered how the tsuna was made until I happened to meet the yokozuna sometime in 2005 (or was it 2004?) right before the September tournament, as he was stopped at a corner in his big, black Hummer. “Doko?” he asked me. “Where are you going?” I said for a walk. “Come to my heya. Tsunauchi.” I said “huh?”. “Heya, heya. Itte.”  “Go, go to the heya!” Okaaay……so I went around the corner to Takasago-beya fully thinking I was going to watch asageiko (morning practice). But what greeted me was an empty keikoba, partially covered with a blue tarp. Several reporters and photographers were readying their equipment. I asked one of the English-speaking reporters what they were there for, and he explained that the Takasago boys and others from the Takasago Ichimon (group) were going to construct the yokozuna’s ceremonial rope belt – the tsuna, the process known as “tsunauchi”. Needless to say, I was thrilled and have since been to four such ceremonies two with and two, including this one, without the yokozuna being present.

Back to today’s effort - the dohyo area was totally empty except for the blue tarp covering the corner and the back of the dohyo where the fabric-covered teppo pole is located. Since I was obviously very early, I took out my crossword puzzle book and sat on the step in the heya entrance until I could detect some activity.  Soon, there were shouts, then total silence, as the rikishi – about eight of them - came downstairs holding a very long length (actually three lengths) of fabric. As I greeted each one, there was a noticeable lack of response and a great deal of solemnity on the part of these young men. One, Daigonishiki, even gave me the hand-chop sign that I should not come in (or maybe not take pictures, which I hadn’t begun to do yet anyway). Well, I ignored his gesture, since I have a standing invitation to this ceremony – no matter how many times this rikishi sees me, and that’s a LOT, he never has a clue that I’ve been there before.

Very slowly taking my own camera out from behind my back, I followed the procession, which was, itself, followed by familiar cameramen from NHK, into the main area. Looked like this was going to be one of the features during the basho telecasts.  Shortly, one of the yokozuna’s tsukebito, Shinzan,

approached me, gave me a zabuton, and motioned for me to have a seat. Whew! I really felt better now! Settling in, I noticed another welcome sight, Kazafuzan, from Nishikido-beya (you remember - I saw him at the 20^th yusho victory party, too), who obviously has become quite comfortable in his role as “borrowed” assistant to Asashoryu.

Most of the wrestlers were wearing white fabric over their practice mawashi (belts); a few also wore towels over the mawashi.  There were Kimenryu, Asadoryu, Minanosato, Asahimaru, Daigonishiki, Hananosato, Shinzan, Asanotosa, Asakubo, Asashogo and two other youngsters who are (comparatively) new with the heya and whose names escape me right now – in other words, every Takasago rikishi plus Kazafuzan. Only Oga was missing, but then, he is formally retiring during this basho. After donning white gloves, eight or nine of them took the ends of what turned out to be three lengths of cotton and tied them to the cloth-covered teppo pole.  What followed was an exercise in precision, discipline, and exceptionally hard work as the group proceeded to twist and braid the cloth into what you see the yokozuna wearing during his dohyo-iri.

After a portion of the cloth was wrapped around the teppo, the lowest ranked rikishi had the chore of keeping one end of the material taut while the other rikishi were aided and spurred on by oyakata from Takasago (the former Asanosho and Asanowaka) and Hakkaku, Jinmaku from the latter. Jinmaku Oyakata, slim - but very well-built - has been there each time I’ve watched. I suspect that he is the driving force behind this effort with his strength and rich voice, which you will see and hear in the video.

The thickest part was braided first and was “padded” with additional cotton fabric. As usual, it was difficult to see, close up, exactly what that process was, particularly with the pro cameramen around, but, before I knew it, the

center section of the tsuna was done, and was the part now closest to the teppo pole. Three long thinner strips of cloth, reinforced with copper wire, were then individually rolled very tightly, with a lot of help from Jinmaku Oyakata, while one rikishi held each strand. When the rolling was done almost to the end of the cloth strips, sandanme rikishi Hananosato lay on a tatami mat placed on the tarp to guide the “braiding” of the tsuna from beneath as the rest of the party stood in two parallel lines handing the rolled strips over each other to form the rope-like product.

Around this point in time sekitori Asasekiryu came out to the dohyo to watch. Although he put on the white gloves, he really did not participate in the process.

Jinmaku again led the action with a booming: “hi, hu, mei” while the rikishi responded with “soo, ichi, ni, san!” each chant meaning one, two, three. In the old days, a taiko drummer would accompany the chant, but, although a drum still resides in a corner of the heya, it is not used anymore.

As the tsuna twisting approached the ends of the cloth, and the strips were rolled tighter and tighter, the “hi, hu, mei” chants became faster and faster, and louder and louder, until the braiding was done. The completed length was given to another rikishi close to the teppo pole, and the twisting and chanting began anew for the other end of the tsuna.

Occasionally, during the process, Shinzan would snip superfluous pieces of cotton and copper from the tsuna where the rope was required to be a bit thinner. The cotton remnants would later be given to friends and supporters

Another rikishi whom I hadn’t noticed before – looked a bit like Shinyu, a Sandanme rikishi from Azumazeki-beya, I didn’t recognize him from Takasago – took his place lying on the tatami to be the stabilizer for the braiding. Then, there were shouts for “Miyoshi”, that’s makushita rikishi Asashimaru’s real name, and he was the last to writhe on the floor until the braiding was done.

The yokozuna had already indicated that he would likely not attend the

tsunauchi, and, he did not, but the size is well-known by now and there appears to be no need to have a “fitting” as there used to be when he was a new yokozuna.  

When the strenuous activity was finished, Asasekiryu sat at the edge of the dohyo, while I was still taking my video, and motioned for me to come over. The rikishi are always intrigued by the cameras. He inspected my camera, I showed him what I had just filmed and he seemed tickled by all the rikishi’s - excuse me – “butts” in the video and the stills. In turn, he would call a junior man over to show him his butt. Of course, this prohibited

me from taking the video of the coiling of the tsuna, but - hey – who am I to complain? I did, at least,  get a picture of the finished product! Soon, most of the junior men, chomping on their rice balls were surrounding us, looking at the video.

I had some juice that was offered to me, while Asasekiryu had a Calpis drink (uck!), and, as I made my way back to my hotel, I reflected on how fortunate I am and how grateful I am for that..

Videos are coming later today or tomorrow, but here is the usual caveat:  Now, the video, at times, is like watching paint dry, very repetitious, and sometimes with an NHK cameraman in the frames, but I have tried to identify the more “exciting” clips, while leaving the paint drying in, as well.  

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