[sumo] Fwd: [Sumo news] - Ex-Kotoshougiku's column - behind the scenes of a shinpan- very interesting..

[Jeff A]

Moti

Greatest stuff, read it!

Best regards,
Jeffrey Anderson
Gai

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these:
It might have been.
- John Greenleaf Whittier


---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Moti Dichne <niramiai at gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Aug 21, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Subject: [Sumo news] - Ex-Kotoshougiku's column - behind the scenes of a
shinpan- very interesting..
To: Sumo Newsletter2 <sumo-newsletter2 at googlegroups.com>


Hidenoyama (ex-Kotoshougiku) writes for Tokyo Sports today:

In sumo , while the rikishi engage in heated battles on the dohyo, the
shinpan are tasked with guiding the match and helping to determine the
outcome. From what vantage point do the shinpan, seated around the dohyo,
watch the matches? What are the unknown challenges they face? Former Ozeki
Kotoshougiku- Hidenoyama Oyakata, takes a look behind the scenes at the
work of a shinpan in his "Gaburi Talk" series.


Hello, readers! Today, I'd like to introduce the work of the shinpan that I
am a part of. During a basho match, there are usually five shinpan seated
around the dohyo. The head shinpan sits at the front, with one shinpan on
each side. Two shinpan sit next to the gyoji seat facing the dohyo, with
the east-facing shinpan also acting as timekeeper. Of course, the shinpan
aren't just idly watching the matches from below the dohyo. They monitor
the overall flow of the match to see if the rikishis' feet step outside the
straw bales, and if their bodies remain in the dohyo. They also check to
see if their fingers are grabbing their opponents' topknots during the
bout. Even if one rikishi is attacking and in full control, if the top of
his foot turns over during the match, he loses. Even if a rikishi falls off
the dohyo, the shinpan dodges him and keeps his eyes peeled to determine
the outcome. Until the match is completely decided, they cannot let their
guard down, even for a moment. If the match is close or there is a
possibility of a foul, they will call a monoii and hold a discussion among
themselves. If necessary, the head shinpan will contact the video room via
wireless to confirm the result. There is usually one video shinpan, but two
for sekitori matches. They repeatedly check the slow-motion footage on the
monitor from four angles, different from the angle used for NHK's
broadcast. However, the final decision regarding the outcome of a match is
made by the on-site shinpan.

The head of the judging department or his deputy serves as the head shinpan
for sekitori matches, but for makushita and below, it is another Oyakata.
Explaining the results of the discussion when a monoii is called is also an
important role. First, which side did the gyoji point his  gunbai to? This
is a basic point, but if you get it wrong, it can confuse the audience and
the rikishi, so you need to be careful. Next, you need to briefly explain
the key points of the discussion, taking into account the flow of the
match. It took me a while to get used to it. In addition to judging the
match, the head shinpan also warns rikishi if they don't bow properly or if
there are too many mattas. The timekeeper also has the role of announcing
when the bout should start and when the match will be stopped if there is
no winner after about 4 minutes- a mizu-iri. The shinpan starts the
stopwatch immediately after the tachiai and after about four minutes have
passed, and there is no winner, he signals to the head referee with his
hand.

The job of a shinpan is also fraught with danger. You can get seriously
injured by having a rikishi fall on you. I've never been injured, but I've
had rikishi step on my feet.. it's not uncommon for a rikishi to step on
your hakama  <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakama>and tear it. In that
case, you can have the yobidashi give you a temporary stitch as a first aid
measure after returning to the shitakubeya, and it will be repaired after
the match. The job of a shinpan requires physical strength and
concentration, but it is very rewarding to be able to watch the rikishis'
heated battles from the front line. My former Oyakata (former Yokozuna
Kotozakura) used to be so tense when he was a shinpan that his body would
move from the effort (laughs). Now I understand how he felt. If fans would
also pay attention to the shinpan in between bouts, it might broaden the
ways in which they can enjoy sumo .

Until next time!

-- 

---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Sumo Newsletter2" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
email to sumo-newsletter2+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sumo-newsletter2/6b6f5a9c-446c-4096-8126-a86d25b3e981n%40googlegroups.com
<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sumo-newsletter2/6b6f5a9c-446c-4096-8126-a86d25b3e981n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://server.webtrek.com/pipermail/sumo/attachments/20250821/faa102e8/attachment.html>