6 days ago
Sumo Scene / Nagoya Tourney Strides into Future in Striking New Venue
The venues for grand sumo tournaments rarely change. For four decades since opening in 1985, Ryogoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo, which also serves as the Japan Sumo Association's headquarters, has been the familiar home for the capital's three annual tournaments. But right now as July temperatures soar outside, the heated matches of the Nagoya tournament are being seen daily inside a new venue for the first time in 60 years.
The new facility is called 'IG Arena.' IG is the name of an England-based securities company that paid for the naming rights. The Aichi prefectural government and other entities built the arena as a successor to Aichi Prefectural Gym, the venerable arena located in the vicinity of Nagoya Castle that had long hosted the city's annual tournament.
Its sheer size makes IG Arena a sight to behold. It has a total floor area of 63,000 square meters, a ceiling 30 meters high and a maximum seating capacity of 17,000 for all manner of events. However, to ensure optimal viewing for sumo spectators, the capacity was limited during the tournament to about 7,800 for the three types of seating: ringside, box and chair.
Given that the Nagoya tournament is also the inaugural event of the new arena, many fans are eagerly awaiting to see which wrestler will be the first to lift the Emperor's Cup there.
The first tournament held at the current Ryogoku Kokugikan in 1985 was won by legendary yokozuna Chiyonofuji, who was in his prime at the time. Such milestone events seemed to make Chiyonofuji even stronger, as he also came away with the title at the first Kyu-shu tournament held at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center when it opened in 1981.
Tochinishiki, an ozeki at the time who later became a yokozuna, won the title when the Osaka Prefectural Gym hosted its first Spring tourney in 1953. In 1965, the first tourney held at Aichi Prefectural Gym was won by the great yokozuna Taiho, who dominated sumo in the Showa era (1926-1989).
The winners of these maiden tournaments form an illustrious lineup indeed.
The Nagoya tournament will likely continue at the new arena for years to come. The moment when a new name is carved into sumo history there will be one to remember.
— Kamimura is a sumo expert.
