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The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
The saviour
SUMO is Japan's national sport, steeped in hundreds of years of history and tradition. But Japanese wrestlers no longer dominate sumo. So there was a sigh of relief in local sumo circles when Onosato Daiki of Japan was named as yokozuna, or grand champion, the highest title in the sport. He is the first Japanese yokozuna in eight years and only the second in 27 years, at least temporarily breaking Mongolian dominance of the elite levels of the sport. Yokozuna are selected by a council of elders after great achievement in the ring. There have been 75 since the 1600s, although the process was only formalised in the early 20th century. Once named a yokozuna, a wrestler can never be demoted. Traditionally, winning two consecutive top-division tournaments is enough to earn the yokozuna title; Onosato, as he is known, earned such titles in Osaka and in Tokyo. He achieved the title after just 13 top-level tournaments, the quickest ascension since the current system came into effect in the 1950s. 'This is a very much unknown territory for me,' Onosato said at a news conference, as translated by Japan Today. 'I want to maintain my style, be Onosato, and I will work hard to become a unique and unparalleled yokozuna.' There is currently one other yokozuna, Hoshoryu, a Mongolian who earned that title in January in Tokyo. In the May tournament where Onosato won his second consecutive top-division title, Hoshoryu was second, with a 12-3 record to Onosato's 14-1. The rivalry will continue in Nagoya in July. That will be more than a battle between two sumo wrestlers at the top of the game. For many fans, it will be a referendum on sumo in Japan. Akebono, from Hawaii, was the first non-Japanese yokozuna. Sumo's traditional scenes, rituals and action set it apart from other high-profile professional sports around the world. The athletes are enormous; Onosato is 190.5kg (420lbs), and even his trim rivals are over 136kg (300lbs). Rituals before the match, like bowing, foot-stomping and the tossing of salt, last far longer than the match itself, which is over in seconds, as soon as one of the big men is pushed out of the ring or drops to the ground. Athletes wrestle just once a day in the two-week major tournaments, which are held six times a year. Sumo was an all-Japanese affair for centuries. Finally in 1993, Akebono, from Hawaii, became the first non-Japanese yokozuna. A few years later, another yokozuna from outside Japan, Asashoryu of Mongolia in 2003, ruffled some feathers for behaviour that some felt defied sumo tradition, like celebrating excessively. Asashoryu ushered in a period of Mongolian dominance. At times it seemed as if Japanese wrestlers would never again reach the pinnacle of the sport. While sumo has gained some popularity around the world – events with second-tier wrestlers have been held in the United States – it remains closely linked to Japanese tradition and culture. Onosato Daiki is the first Japanese yokozuna in eight years and only the second in 27 years. — AP Japan is still where all the best sumo takes place, and the top wrestlers aspire to succeed there. But the rising popularity of other sports, notably football, with young people in Japan has given sumo a reputation for being old-fashioned. The previous drought for Japanese yokozuna was even longer – 19 years – until Kisenosato earned the title in 2017. Kisenosato never became dominant, however, winning just two top-level tournaments in his career. Onosato will try to do better. His rise has been predicted for years, and at age 24 he has already won four top tournaments. That could bring the weight of expectations, however: Some have already labelled him the saviour of Japanese sumo. —NYT
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
When and where to see the best cherry blossoms in the U.S.
Since the introduction from their native Japan in the early 1900s, blossoming cherry trees signaled seasonal change in the United States. Bred for blooms and not for fruit, varieties like Yoshino, Kwanzan, and Akebono explode in a showy spectacle of delicate pink and white flowers for around two weeks each year. The downy blooms blanket parks, gardens, and towns in a visual transition away from the harsh chill of winter and toward the growing warmth of longer days. The tradition of cherry blossom festivals in the U.S. dates to 1935 in Washington, D.C. That's when the National Cherry Blossom festival was launched to honor Japan's 1912 gift of some 3,000 trees. Not only do these celebrations in communities around the country persist as symbols of international peace and friendship, but they also mirror hanami, outdoor fêtes beneath sakura, cherry blossom blooms, which have been held in Japan since the late eighth century. There, the fleeting flowers have long served as spiritual metaphors, and a reminder to live in the present moment. (How cherry blossoms came to America.) An individual tree's blooms only last around one week, while whole stands bloom and fall in about two. Understanding bloom timing is useful when trying to match a visit or festival to their short-lived, natural beauty. Typically, peak blooms—when 70 percent of flowers in a stand are out in their full, showy glory—arrive in the nation's capital sometime between the last week of March and the first week of April. In New England, cherry trees bloom some 20 days later, and in southern states—like Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas—a week-and-a-half to two weeks earlier. More precise predictions must consider year-over-year comparisons of the complex interplay of weather and climate, including factors like cloudy days, rain and snowfall, and temperature. The National Park Service, tasked with predicting peak bloom in advance of the capital city's National Cherry Blossom Festival, says it's virtually impossible to say with accuracy more than 10 days in advance of the actual event, and human-induced climate change can make precise estimates even more challenging. Bart Connors Szczarba, a locally dubbed 'Chief Bloomologist' based in New Haven, Connecticut, notes that 'Until you see green buds, there won't be blossoms. They fall into a pattern but can bloom out of nowhere!' He adds that cold winters are good for blossoms. 'What's bad is warmth followed by snow and freeze.' To make your own educated guess on when the tree will be at its best, look at the peak bloom times in the capitol in years past or watch the cherry blossom cam. Eleven species of flowering cherry tree ring the Tidal Basin fronting the Potomac River in National Capitol Park. Their scenic blooms draw some 1.5 million people during the four-week celebration, which salutes spring and international friendship. Events include a kite festival, parade, fireworks, and art installations, while across the capital, schools and neighborhoods plant new trees, and everything from buildings to busses don pastel pink. Georgia's Macon-Bibb county has the largest concentration of cherry trees in any U.S. county—and boasts nearly one hundred times more than the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The area celebrates its blossoms with plant sales, a parade, concerts, outdoor movies, and markets. The festival culminates with tethered hot air balloon rides and fireworks over downtown. The city's 70-odd cherry blossom trees—most planted in 1978—surround a rectangular park downtown and form a tree tunnel over one block of Hughes Place. A single-day springtime celebration doesn't always coincide with the best blooms, but it does with the anniversary of the city's founding in 1638 and includes artist and author presentations, food vendors, and live music. This Southern city celebrates spring and Japanese culture with its annual festival. Around 1,000 cherry trees have been planted in inner-city parks and neighborhoods in the last decade or so, a testament to the power of nature to revitalize. 'Nashville is beautiful during cherry blossom blooming time because of all the trees,' says festival organizer Ginger Byrn. 'It can often be a wonderful surprise when you round the corner or turn down a street and see all of the beautiful pink blossoms.' Popular festival events include trapeze performances, martial arts demonstrations, anime vendors, and a cosplay contest. See full-size and bonsai blooming trees spanning 42 cultivars throughout the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens during this nighttime event. The cherries are also on display daily from late March through early May, when different varieties of the trees bloom. Highlights include the Cherry Walk, which has been planted with the ethereal trees since 1921. Tiny Marshfield has a population of 7,300 that blooms with its cherry blossoms each April. Instead of a traditional spring or international cultural festival, this cherry blossom shindig is a showcase of Americana and Missouri heritage beneath the town's beautiful blooms. The Dallas Arboretum hosts a six-week celebration of spring featuring concerts, talks, floral arrangement classes, beer and wine pairings, and outdoor picnics. The backdrop is expansive gardens in full vernal splendor: 150 flowering cherry trees, alongside countless other flowers from daffodils to irises to 500,000 tulips. The only parade here is a progression of colorful blooms throughout the season; peak cherry blossoms are expected in mid-March. Ohio University's 217 cherry trees line the bike path along the Hocking River beyond campus, living gifts from its sister institution, Chubu University in Japan. Each year, during peak bloom—usually late March to mid-April—the blossoms across from Wren baseball stadium are illuminated for late-night viewing. The Japanese Student Association hosts a Sakura Festival in conjunction with flowering that features presentations and internationally-themed events. This article was originally published on March 6, 2019, but updated on March 12, 2025. Based in Hawaii, frequent contributor Meghan Miner Murray covers science and travel. Follow her on X @megminer.
