Mak Tatton

Set nestled amidst the downtown backstreets of Tokyo's north-eastern Adachi Ward lies the home and stable of Ozeki / Sekiwake Tochiazuma.
Across the 'traditional' northernmost border of Tokyo that is the Arakawa River and roughly 2km from Kita-Senju's entertainment district lies the old 3 storey building. Providing board and shelter at any one time to around 25 young rikishi all gunning for glory and hoping to climb sumo's ladder to the Makunouchi division, Tamanoi is one of sumo's big 3 in terms of rikishi numbers.

The building, rumored to be superceded in the not too distant future by a new purpose built facility a couple of kilometers away in the Nishi Arai area of the ward, itself presents a genuine image of the true grit and simplicity which often produces some of the best rikishi the sport has known.
A far cry from the all mod-con equipped stables often found in the sumo heartland of Ryogoku, Tamanoi has little to boast of with but a standard dohyo, limited living quarters and a weight training 'area' that is more often seen by passers-by as either a bicycle parking area or a garbage collection point - the alley adjacent to the building.
With the first floor dohyo the standard size and set below an 'L' shaped wooden and tatami viewing platform, post practice the raised area on which observers traditionally seat themselves often serves as a relaxation-cum-food preparation-cum-interview area and it isn't unusual to see younger rikishi sat around talking or having their hair oiled in the afternoon hours preceeding the evening meal.

Tamanoi currently has just one sekitori, Ozeki Tochiazuma, out of a total of around 25 rikishi. Several Makushita rikishi are showing promise with Yoshiazuma pushing for Juryo promotion in May and Tooyama looking to improve on a good finish in Osaka in March.

Tamanoi has quite a reputation for recruiting young rikishi from Brazil. The most successful Brazilian to date was former Juryo sekitori Kuniazuma who retired from the sport in March 2004 due to injury. The current Brazilian is the 22-year-old, 160kg Christiano de Souza who claimed 3rd prize in last year's Brazilian national sumo championship and is an accomplished judoka.

Of the Japanese rikishi, perhaps the most promising of the lower ranks is (Kazuyoshi) Shibuya. Still aged 17, Shibuya has already reached the Sandanme division in little over a year since entering the sport. Similar success in rising through the Makushita ranks will hopefully see him entering Juryo in 2005.