令和8年5月1日 (金曜日) には、国技館にて、家族と共に稽古総見 (けいこそうけん) を見ました。
On Friday, May 1, Reiwa 8 (2026), a family member and I saw the Keiko Soken (稽古総見: a full-scale practice session by rikishi and inspection of the practice by the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, an advisory body to the Japan Sumo Association) at the Kokugikan (国技館).
稽古総見とは、1月、5月、9月の東京での本場所前に、横綱審議委員会に見てもらうための国技館での力士の稽古です。一般に公開される稽古総見は5月のみです。
The Keiko Soken is meant to have the Yokozuna Deliberation Council monitor a full-scale practice session prior to the January, May, and September ozumo tournaments in Tokyo. Of the three Keiko Soken each year, only the one in May is open to the public.
私は国技館での本場所は何度も観戦したことがありますが、力士の稽古を目の前で見たのは初めてでした。また、本場所では見ることのできない「大相撲とはどのような世界なのか」を垣間見ることができたという意味でも楽しい経験でした。
I have watched the basho (ozumo tournaments) at the Kokugikan firsthand many times. However, it was the first time for me to see any practice by rikishi in person. Moreover, the Keiko Soken was enjoyable because it enabled me to see aspects of what ozumo is all about that one cannot discern from or experience in any basho.
大相撲とはどのような世界なのかを感じた事象の一つは、多くの関係者が目上の人達、お世話になっている人達に丁重に挨拶することでした。
In the Keiko Soken, here is a phenomenon that I felt makes ozumo unique: many ozumo stakeholders greet extremely politely their elders and coaches as well as those they recongize as their benefactors and essential contributors.
入場してきた力士は稽古を始めるまえに、親方達に丁寧に挨拶していました。また、親方達 (佐渡ヶ嶽親方、藤島親方、高田川親方等) は、横綱審議委員の方々や、委員以外で土俵に最も近い席に座っている人達に度々丁重に挨拶に来ていました。
Before they began their practice, rikishi who entered the arena greeted oyakata (親方: sumo coaches and stable masters who are also former rikishi) extremely courteously. Moreover, oyakata including Sadogatake Oyakata (佐渡ヶ嶽親方),
Fujishima Oyakata (藤島親方), and Takadagawa Oyakata (高田川親方), respectfully and repeatedly greeted the Yokozuna Deliberation Council members, and those who were not Council members but apparently important and seated in the row closest to the dohyo, and exchanged pleasantries.
更に、日本相撲協会の八角理事長が入ってきて着席すると、土俵の外にいた力士達は入れ替わり立ち代わり理事長のところに来て、深くお辞儀して挨拶していました。遠くからのお辞儀で済ませず、ちゃんと理事長ご本人のところまで来て挨拶する、というのが礼儀であり習慣のようでした。
Furthermore, when Chairman Hakkaku of the Japan Sumo Association (日本相撲協会の八角理事長) entered the arena and sat down, rikishi who were outside the dohyo came to him one by one and greeted him, bowing deeply. Apparently it was considered polite and customary for rikishi to greet the chairman in person and not just bow to him from a distance.
幕下以下の力士による稽古で、最もよく頑張っていたと思えるのは黒姫山 (くろひめやま) (西幕下12枚目; 境川 [さかいがわ] 部屋) です。この番付ならば、彼は五月場所で7戦全勝すれば十両に上がり、関取になることができます。
In the practice by those rikishi at the rank of makushita (幕下) or below, Kurohimeyama (黒姫山) (West Makushita 12 [西幕下12枚目]; Sakaigawa Stable [境川部屋]) seemed to work hardest. At his present rank, he will be able to attain the rank of jyuryo (十両) and become a sekitori (関取: salaried rikishi) if he wins all seven bouts in the upcoming May basho (五月場所).
黒姫山は今年三月場所では東幕下23枚目で5勝2敗の好成績でした。私は境川部屋とその力士を贔屓にしていますので、黒姫山を一層応援します。
In the March basho of Reiwa 8 (2026), Kurohimeyama performed well with the record of five wins and two losses (5勝2敗). I root for Sakaigawa Stable and its rikishi. In the May basho, I hope Kurohimeyama will perform even better than the March one.
関取の稽古では、大関霧島 (きりしま) が若ノ勝 (わかのしょう) (東前頭16枚目; 湊川 [みなとがわ] 部屋) に、横綱豊昇龍 (ほうしょうりゅう) が伯乃富士 (はくのふじ) (西前頭10枚目; 伊勢ヶ濱 [いせがはま] 部屋) に、それぞれ厳しい「ぶつかり稽古」をやらせていたのが印象的でした。
In the practice among sekitori, two high-ranking rikishi were noteworthy for having lower-ranking ones try extremely hard in "butsukari geiko" (ぶつかり稽古: a session in which a rikishi has another one hit and push him as hard as possible repeatedly in the dohyo): Ozeki Kirishima (大関霧島) for Wakanosho (若ノ勝) (East Maegashira 16 [東前頭16枚目]; Minatogawa Stable [湊川部屋]), and Yokozuka Hoshoryu (横綱豊昇龍) for Hakunofuji (伯乃富士) (West Maegashira 10 [西前頭10枚目]; Isegahama Stable [伊勢ヶ濱部屋]).
今回の稽古総見は午前7時半頃に始まり、午前11時20分くらいまで続きました。終了時には、呼出しさんが拍子木 (ひょうしぎ) を打って柝の音 (きのね) を鳴らしました。但し、本場所中ではないので、呼出しさんは裁着袴 (たっつけばかま) ではなく、日本相撲協会公式のジャンパーを着ていました。
The Keoko Soken began around 7:30 a.m. and lasted until 11:20 a.m. At the end of the Keiko Soken, a yobidashi (呼出し: often translated as "usher" but one who performs many important tasks in ozumo such as constructing the dohyo in each basho) hit hyoshigi (拍子木: two pieces of dried and precisely shaped wooden sticks that are usually made from select lumber of such tree species as cherry) and made a distinct sound known as "kinone" (柝の音: a sound that is meant to announce important occasions in ozumo such as the end of all the bouts of a day in a basho). However, as the Keiko Soken is not part of any basho, the yobidashi wore an official jacket of the Japan Sumo Association, not a "tattsuke bakama" (裁着袴: a Japanese attire often worn by ozumo-related workers and specially degigned for the wearer to move easily).
今まで稽古総見はインターネットやテレビのニュースで見聞きしていましたが、実際に行って見ることができたのはとても良い経験でした。
I had watched news on the past Keiko Soken on the Internet and TV. Seeing a Keiko Soken firsthand at the Kokugikan was a highly beneficial and fascinating experience.
