The cherry blossoms are on their way coming up Honshu from the south and may reach Osaka in time for the basho. This basho we have 4 rikishi stepping in front of the curtain, 2 returnees, and 2 newcomers.
Tokyushoryu Ms2w (4-3) finished his one basho visit to the unpaid ranks and is our first returnee.
Tomokaze Ms2e (4-3) is a former Maegashira 3 but suffered a terrible leg injury in 2019, dropping him behind the curtain. He is our second returnee of this basho.
Tamashoho Ms1e (4-3) is a Mongolian rikishi who is the brother-in-law and stablemate of Tamawashi. After 11 years in sumo, he is making his sekitori debut this basho. He beat Asanoyama in November to secure the Makushita Yusho at that basho.
Ochiai Ms15 TD (tsukedashi) (7-0) won the Makushita Yusho. Being ranked in the top 15 slots, means automatic promotion to the paid ranks, though there was some question of this rule applying to him. In a previous Ms15 TD zensho, the rikishi was not promoted to Juryo, due probably to a lack of open slots. Since he started sumo at Ms15 TD, he will be a sekitori in only his second tourney, and without a chomage but a crew cut.
For these 4 rikishi to step in front of the curtain, four rikishi have to trade their silk mawashi for cotton and get behind the curtain.
One of the four slots opened when Okinoumi retired from sumo, becoming an oyakata. The other 3 slots were opened by rikishi that managed 5-10 records at the Tokyo basho; J12w Kaisho, J11e Chiyosakae, and J10w Terutsuyoshi.
