Dohyō-iri (Japanese: 土俵入り) is a ring-entering ceremony performed by sumo wrestlers.
The dohyō-iri is performed by all makuuchi and jūryō wrestlers before their bouts, with the exception of the yokozunas. The jūryō perform their dohyō-iri five bouts before the end of the makushita division. Before the mid-seventies it was performed after all makushita bouts had finished, but changed to the current timing to save time. The makuuchi perform theirs after all jūryō bouts have finished. A jūryō wrestler always performs in the jūryō dohyō-iri, even if, on that particular day, he is scheduled to fight a makuuchi wrestler.
The wrestlers, wearing their kesho-mawashi, gather on the hanamichi, and are led by the referee onto the dohyo, lowest ranked first, forming a circle. Then, in unison, they clap once, right their right hands, raise their kesho-mawashi slightly, then raise both hands. These actions are a greatly simplified version of the shiko and seriagari performed in a yokozuna dohyo-iri. Edo era prints show wrestlers performing shiko. These days, wrestlers form a ring, facing outwards, until the last wrestler has entered, when they turn inwards. This format was introduced in January 1953. Before then, there were shihonbashira around the ring and the wrestlers would face inwards from the beginning, but in September 1952, at the same time as the removal of the shihonbashira, they tried facing outwards right up to the end, but it was found they had difficulty synchronising and immediately afterwards changed to the current system.
When the emperor is present (天覧相撲) a different ceremony called gozengakari (御前掛 or 御前掛かり) is performed. All wrestlers face the front (shomen). After clapping, they perform two shiko with the right leg and one with the left leg.
(bit on Edo period.....)
Yokozuna dohyo-iri (横綱土俵入り) is a special ring-entering ceremony performed by a yokozuna before the makuuchi bouts.
There are two types of yokozuna dohyo-iri, Unryu and Shiranui. These are modelled after Unryu ??? (10th yokozuna) and Shiranui ??? (11th yokozuna), though in practise there are slightly differences between all yokozunas. Tachiyama(?), who performed what is now called the Shiranui style, said his was Unryu's style, so the names of the two styles may have been reversed.
The yokozuna dohyo-iri is performed after the makuuchi dohyo-iri, accompanied by a dew-sweeper (露払) and sword-bearer (太刀持). These positions are normally taken by wrestlers from the same heya as the yokozuna, of rank sekiwake or lower (in practise ozekis may also do this, e.g. ??? served as Taiho's sword-bearer). Furthermore, since the dew-sweeper and sword-bearer should normally be makuuchi, it is common to borrow wrestlers from other heya in the same ichimon if there are none in the heya. Rarely, wrestlers are borrowed from outside the ichimon (for example, Kokonoe-beya's Chiyonofuji appointed ??? from ???-beya and Azumazeki-beya's Akebono appointed Tomozuna-beya's Kaio). Furthermore, even makuuchi wrestlers can be appointed dew-sweeper or sword-bearer if they have a oicho hairstyle. For this reason Takamisakari could not be appointed for Akebono during his first tournament in makuuchi, despite belonging to the same stable.
A yokozuna dohyo-iri generally consists of clapping, shiko, seiagari and another shiko. Spectators shout "yoisho" in time with each shiko.
If the dew-sweeper or sword-bearer are from a different heya to the yokozuna, they might meet each other in a bout. In these cases, another wrestler is selected for the ceremony.
Unryu style:
During the seriagari the left hand is held to the chest while the right arm is outstretched. Many yokozuna choose this style. The so-called "great" yokozuna of the Showa era, ???, Taiho, Kitanoumi and Chiyonofuji all used this style. Heisei yokozunas Akebono, Takanohana, Musashimaru and Asashoryu used this style and all achieved at least 10 makuuchi yushos and served at least 4 years as yokozuna.
Tsuna has a single loop.
Shiranui style:
Both arms are outstretched during the seriagari. In the past, ??? and ??? performed shiranui and had long careers as yokozuna, but since ??? shiranui yokozunas have had short lives, and so the style has become unpopular. Kotozakura and ??? were past 30 when promoted to yokozuna. ?????????????????. (But the two shortest-lived yokozuna, ??? and ???, both chose unryu). The third-youngest yokozuna on promotion, Hakuho, has chosen Shiranui and it is hoped that this will sweep away the jinx. Incidentally, ???'s Shiranui yokozuna are both (all?) Nishonoseki ichimon or ??? ichimon stables (Tachiyama also comes from ??? ichimon's Tomozuna-beya.) In addition to Hakuho, Heisei era Shiranui yokozunas are Asahifuji and Wakanohana.
It is often thought that Unryu style expresses a combination of defence and offence, while Shiranui expresses offence only. ??????????????????????????
Tsuna has a double loop.
Hono Dohyo-iri
Hono Dohyo-iri (奉納土俵入り) is a dohyo-iri performed at a Shinto shrine. When a new yokozuna is elected, he performs such a ceremony at the Meiji Shrine. Hono Dohyo-iri is also performed a New Year at the Meiji Shrine. Also at the Ise Shrine for the Hono Sumo, and such events as 日中平和友好条約25周年記念イベント.
When a new yokozuna is born, he performs a dohyo-iri at the ??? at ???, and the ??? ceremony is carried out.
Retirement dohyo-iri
A retirement dohyo-iri is performed on retirement, just before the danpatsu ceremony. Other active yokozuna act as dew-sweeper and sword-bearer. However, if there is an active ozeki is the same stable, he takes precedence (for example, Kitanoumi, Wakanohana II and ??? all had ozekis as dew-sweeper, and Musashimaru had an ozeki as sword-bearer). If a yokozuna acts as dew-sweeper or sword-bearer, he wears his tsuna. Makuuchi wrestlers from the same heya ranked sekiwake or lower can also act as dew-sweeper or sword-bearer. The following is a list of retirement dohyo-iri up to the present.
............................... Musashimaru (September 2004) dew-sweeper: Miyabiyama, sword-bearer: Musoyama
Kanreki Dohyo-iri
A kanreki dohyo-iri (還暦土俵入り) is a dohyo-iri performed to celebrate a former yokozuna's 60th birthday (kanreki). If he is an oyokata, the ceremony is held at the Kokugikan. Otherwise, if retired, at another location (although there are exceptions to this rule). A red tsuna is worn, instead of the usual white tsuna. This is commonly known as ??? (赤綱) but this term is unofficial. The following have performed a kanreki. If the dew-sweeper or sword-bearer is a former yokozuna, he wears his tsuna. Kanreki performed at Kokugikan 2000: Taiho (special-term toshiyori), dew-sweeper Chiyonofuji (Kokonoe), sword-bearer Kitanoumi (special-term toshiyori) ???(???),???(???),???(???) and ???(???) wore red tsuna but did not perform dohyo-iri. Asashio (Takasago) had a red tsuna made, but died aged 58 without performing the ceremony. Kanreki performed at locations other than Kokugikan 2007: Mienoumi (Musashigawa), dew-sweeper Miyabiyama (active), sword-bearer Dejima (active), Grand Pacific Meridian Hotel ??? and ??? also celebrated kanreki after retirement, but the dohyo-iri was not carried out. Mienoumi performed an early kanreki seven months before his 60th birthday, on the 25th anniversary of the founding of Musashigawa-beya.