Grand Sumo Corona July place started under high alert conditions

Grand Sumo Corona July place that started in the high alert situation July 20 12:35

Applause that boiled for the first time in half a year at the Kokugikan in Ryogoku, Tokyo. The July Sumo Wrestling Place, which began with a high degree of caution and took various infection prevention measures, will be a touchstone for asking what the future of the new Coronavirus bruise will be.

An unusual association greeting

The Grand Sumo July Place was held with an audience for the first time in half a year since the first place in this January.
The Japan Association of Sumo Association's Chairman Yakaku's customary opening day greeting was a place of request for an unusual audience.

Chairman Yasumi
“We have conducted in-depth discussions with experts on infectious diseases and have taken the best preventive measures against infection. We are here to protect the health and safety of all of our customers. We will make various requests, but we appreciate your cooperation."

As the Chairman said, the Sumo Association prepared guidelines for the event with the advice of experts from the ground up.
From how to spend in a sumo room with a group life to countermeasures of association members such as wrestlers and masters in this place, precautions when watching games, and even in the unlikely event that people related to the association are infected, A4 The edition has about 30 pages.

Measures for wrestlers

The biggest change in the measures for wrestlers in this place included in this guideline is the preparation room.
Until now, wrestlers and attendants who waited for efforts, and the press were gathered together in a so-called "3 dense" state. For this reason, we installed acrylic boards and set up booths so that wrestlers could stand by one by one. This booth is numbered in the order of work and the place to sit is decided.

Yokozuna is assigned 12 tatami mats in the furthest depth of the preparation room, Ozeki is 3 tatami mats, and other wrestlers are 2 tatami mats.
Even if each person has their own space in this way, the sumo wrestler and the ten ryo wrestlers have their own attendants, and there is a danger that they will be crowded. It was set up at the Sumo School.

The first day we met

On the first day of the 19th, the ten wrestlers were waiting for their turn in the new preparation room with a greater distance than usual. Furthermore, wrestlers should always wear a mask in the preparation room, including during preparatory exercises, and be able to remove it for the first time before approaching the flower path before the approach.
Below the ring, the umpire sat down to the front row of the tatami seat in order to keep the distance above the ring from the usual place, in order to prevent infection from flying.
When “talking” was given, and when the referees had discussions on the ring, it was seen that they were more distanced and exchanged opinions than ever before.

Regarding the measures against wrestlers and members of the association, Mr. Tatsumi, who is responsible for this place in Tokyo, said, "The main reason is not to be a rich contact person. It has the meaning to save lives and avoid holidays. I want you to understand that."

Measures for the audience

There are various measures for the audience.
First, we use thermography to measure body temperature before entering the hall. If 37 degrees or more than 5 minutes is measured multiple times, you will be asked to quit.
Currently, the place is limited to about 2500 people, which is about a quarter of the capacity, and we encourage the audience to refrain from loud cheering and encourage applause, and prohibit the act of touching wrestlers in flower paths. did.

Actually, on the first day, although there was no voice calling out for the wrestler's name or loud cheers, applause aroused after the approach, and I heard the buzz that leaked unexpectedly while holding out the loud voice.

The wrestlers who finished the efforts also commented that they were reminded that they were grateful to the customers and that they were even more enthusiastic. I took it."

At the spring place in March, which was held without an audience, the sumo wrestling attraction, such as entering a ring in a quiet atmosphere, was highlighted, but even if wrestlers showed good efforts. I felt a loneliness in the venue where it was still quiet.
The atmosphere of the Kokugikan on the first day made me reaffirm that "the sumo wrestling can only be done by the audience."

How do you inherit and protect the traditional culture of sumo wrestling, which is made up of the three pillars of "shinji," "sports," and "entertainment," in Corona Warrior? In the 15 days of the place now, it seems that hints of how to play sumo wrestling in the "With Corona" era will be revealed.
(Sports news department reporter Takao Kamada)