Mineko Noumachi's 'Ozumo Chukei Chukei' Series: Ex-NHK Announcer Yoshida Talks Notes, Plus Atamifuji and Ura Excerpts
BBM Sports has started a run of pieces tied to writer and illustrator Mineko Noumachi's book 'Ozumo Chukei Chukei' (Baseball Magazine Sha), released in late September. It collects eight years of her column in the monthly 'Sumo' magazine and is her first sumo book; it went into a reprint before release.
The first of a three-part talk pairs her with Ken Yoshida, who called sumo for 38 years and retired from NHK after the May 2025 basho. His first makuuchi call was Day 10 of the May 1993 basho, the first top-division meeting of Mainoumi and Tomonohana (now Tamagaki oyakata). Noumachi says she takes notes every day of a basho, about ten times the volume of the column, and was glad she had kept them when Kitanofuji died. Yoshida says his old-fashioned vocabulary may come from his parents' love of kabuki.
Two excerpts round out the series. One follows Atamifuji's growth, from his wide-eyed new-juryo interview to a September 2023 technical breakdown by his then-stablemaster Isegahama (ex-yokozuna Asahifuji), who said his right-yotsu charge was 'high, with no speed, and the feet don't come out.' After beating Abi that day Atamifuji said he was glad to win 'since my master was commentating.' The other collects Kitanofuji's affection for Ura, from 'So cute' and wanting to buy his T-shirt in 2017 to 'He's clever, this kid,' and his 2019 reply to Mainoumi's idea of an 'Enho to sanyaku' club: 'You be the chairman. I have Ura.'
Sources: Yahoo! Japan Sports (BBM Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (BBM Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (BBM Sports)