The Outside
 

The Banners (nice day for a picnic, huh?)
 
 

No, this isn't the leaning tower of Pisa- it's the drum-tower where the drum calling the
 people to come and watch is situated. If you look closely, you can see that the drummer gets to
the top by way of an elevator..
 
 

The entrance where you give your ticket to the man etc. etc...
 

So, we are inside- not many people there yet.

Two kids from Jonokuchi at 9 AM. (look how close we are...)
 

Doreen and I got real close up to the Dohyo, and stayed there till about three o'clock,
 seeing nearly all of the Juryo bouts from the good seats till we went up to our own seats
which weren't that bad..As chance would have it the Crown Prince and Princess were at hand,
so all the rituals before Makuuchi were done facing them, and since I sat two rows above them...
( Hey!! I can finally use my  flash in here!!)

  The Crown Prince and Princess, and everybody looking their way (and mine..).
 

Some pictures from Juryo and onward - Day 1:

Hoshitango in Juryo after quite a while..
 
 

Largest and  smallest in Sumo: Susanoumi  and Mainoumi at Juryo Dohyo-iri
 
 

The battle of the oceans: Mainoumi is lost somewhere in Toyonoumi, but wins in the end..
 
 

Makuuchi  East face the Royal box standing.
 
 

Makuuchi West face the Royal box squatting.
 

   Akebono's Dohyo-iri
 

 Wakanohana's Dohyo-iri
 

 Takanohana's Dohyo-iri
 

Shakin' all over- Mitoizumi shakes it, and  I couldn't help wondering for how long more..
 
 

 Hakkaku Oyakata (former Yokozuna Hokutoumi)  gives it a thought...
 
 

The Sanyaku Soroibumi
Left to right: Chiyotaikai and Wakanohana, Musashimaru and Takanohana, Takatoriki
and Tokitsukaze Rijicho ( boss man again, and thank you Rob Hoey), Musoyama (can't see him)
and Akebono, and finally, Dejima (can't see him 2) and Takanonami.
 

Musashimaru and Kotonowaka will soon be at it.  Musa wins, but only after much cavorting..
 

Wakanohana versus Tochiazuma-   Waka won.
 

Akebono - Kaio  --- Akebono - "Let's shake on it and forget about the whole thing.." Ake won.
 
 

Takanohana against Musoyama   - Taka almost got whupped, but won in the end.
 
 

Thus ends the saga of my trip, and what better way to end it than with the Yumitorishiki-
Wakakaze-  twirling the BOW to end the day's proceedings....I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.
 Thanks for watching!!

Well, a bonus before I turn out the lights. An old man came up to me and Doreen
and gave us each this picture which he took from some party,
I think in honour of Wakanohana's promotion.

Left to right: a bespectacled Takanonami, Takanohana, Wakanohana, Akebono,
 and Musashimaru hammering their message home. Everyone looks a bit tired, ne?