Newly Renamed Ikawasakura Drops His First Bout Under the New Shikona
East Makushita 41 Ikawasakura (Nakamura), formerly Kanpuzan, lost his first bout under the new name by tsukiotoshi after a strong tachiai charge was slipped. 'The attack itself wasn't bad,' he told Sports Hochi.
The shikona comes from his hometown of Ikawa, Akita. Sports Hochi gives the reading Ikawasakura, with the characters chosen around JR Ou Main Line's Ikawa-Sakura Station. He said his stablemaster and the town mayor decided on the change as he returned to makushita. His old shikona matched the rikishi role in the NHK morning drama 'Hirari.' 'If the new shikona helps people learn about our small town, that would be good,' he said.
Source: Yahoo! Japan Sports