For the first time since March 2020, a Grand Sumo tournament will be held outside of Tokyo. The July basho will be held in it's usual location of Nagoya, known for its oppressive hot and humid conditions. Audience size is capped at 50%.
Coverage continues on NHK World Japan, all times BST:
Grand Sumo Preview:
Friday 2nd July 0530 repeated at 0930, 1730 & 0030.
Daily Highlights:
Daily at 1730 from Sunday 4th July with repeats at 0030, 0530 & 0930.
Grand Sumo will be live:
Sunday 4th July 0910
Sunday 11th July 0910
Sunday 18th July 0830
NHK World Japan HD is available FTA in English:
28.2 east 11225V 23000 2/3 Europe beam
13 east... 11373H 27500 3/4
19.2 east 11229V 22000 2/3
May's tournament was won by Terunofuji, after a play off with fellow Ozeki Takakeisho. Another victory for Terunofuji will guarantee promotion to Yokozuna. A victory for Takakeisho could also earn him promotion to the top rank.
The event will also be Yokozuna Hakuho's final chance at proving his fitness. Anything less than a convincing performance will see the most successful Yokozuna in history be made to retire.
Ozeki Asanoyama has been given a six tournament ban for breaking sumo's covid regulations and, perhaps even worse, lied to the Sumo Association about his hostess bar visits. It will likely be two years minimum before he can return to the top division.
Ryuden has also been given a three event ban for breaking covid rules, after visiting his mistress on several occasions.
In happier news popular rikishi Ura and his sakura mawashi return to the top division for the first time since September 2017.
Ura has also being doing his utmost to dispel the myths of a sumo wrestler's diet (translation by Kintamayama on sumoforum):
"I'm lacking in stamina so I'm not able to train. I'm eating a lot of double MacDonald cheeseburgers lately. I hear it's about 40 grams of protein. If that's true, it's cool. I can't find 40 grams of protein in any other food. In the morning, I eat a morning Mac. Then a sausage muffin that has 15 grams of protein. I buy about ten of them and snack on them during the day. It's not what an athlete usually eats, it's not something recommended, but I feel it's a real shortcut for me"