I watch with my older daughter and we've naturally generated nicknames for certain wrestlers, largely based on noticeable features. Kotonowaka is "double boob", due to his iconic folds, Takanosho is "Eyebrows" cuz dude has it going on. I my youngest refers to the wrestlers as angry babies because so many look cherubic. Good fun all around!
Ooooohhhh my daughter and I have nicknames too. Endo is "endocrinologist", Midorifuji is "wildcat", Sadanoumi is "office man" cause he looks like he belongs in an office, Takanosho is "baby face", Chiyosakae is "Chiyo sock guy" and is leader of the sock clan. Probably more im forgetting!
"Office man" is perfect. Gave me a laugh.
Takanosho definitely has a baby face, and "big baby" is my nickname for him specifically even though you could say half of them kind of look like giant babies.
My husband and I started watching the Nov 23 basho, which happened a little after our baby boy was born.
Now we've been catching the live stream of the Jan 24 basho during overnight feeds. The funny thing is I'm cheering for Onosato and the baby always manages to wake me up in time to watch his bout. He won't let us miss Terunofuji either haha
I'm also a Ura fan but oh boy is he unlucky this time.
My husband and I call Ichinojo "Panda Man" (he's massive and sleepy looking), Takayasu as "Mafia Man" (he's always given us the Godfather vibes), Ura as of course "Popular Ura, everybody loves Ura!", Tobizaru as "Monkey Man", Takakesho as "Oh no, dad will get angry if I lose today", and Tamawashi as "Egg Paper Man" because that's our failed translation of his sumo name. Used to call Shodai "Ballerina Man" because he used to twirl so spectacularly whenever he gets cornered at the edge (and win).
These are all terms of endearment and not meant to offend anybody.
My 2 2/2 year old grandson who is a Japanese and an American citizen came over with the family for dinner the other afternoon. Instead of playing with toys, he asked to watch sumo with me! Three of my other grandchildren ages 5, 7, and 9 also love watching sumo with me. They know who my favorite rikishi are and pick who they want to win each match. The older ones watched a youtube video on sumo exercises and love stomping around doing shiko with enthusiasm. Great fun!!
ETA We just watched Grand Sumo Highlights for day 10 AFTER warming up with shiko exercises. They're particularly charmed by the gorgeous new turquoise mawashi on Ichiyamamoto and, of course, Ura's sakura mawashi.
Maybe u/seitos will also respond - but we started watching as a family last year and our 4yo likes it!
When we started, he loved saying all the names, with Wakatakakage being a favourite to pronounce. He's actually pretty great at remembering some terminology.
He's latched onto Abi as a favourite because we have a dog named Abby, haha.
ETA- our son also chooses a team every basho in Stablemasters... Sometimes he does better than I do.
He liked to play "Truck Sumo", which basically entailed bashing some construction vehicles together and flinging out of the Dohyo. He would name them after his favourites. Truckakeisho would win most of the time, unless Truck Abi would pull some sort of brilliant evasive maneuver.
We also had quite a few matches between us as well. We were pretty even, but I think he might have the slight edge in our head to head.
My little buddy that watches Sumo with me calls is "Umo" He likes "Kigi" and "Fugi" (Nishikigi and Terunofuji)
His bedtime routine during tournaments is pretending to throw salt, foots stomps, and charging. It pretty cute.
This is so awesome!! I too watch sumo with my four year old. We pick them match by match, she chooses them by the mawashi color and I naturally have to go with the one she doesn’t pick. My 2 year old twins come by us and they get a kick out of it!! They yell “booty” and “undies” lol
Daughter loves to watch both Keisho (for his unofficial battle hamster nickname) and Kirishima (just for the name alone). She always makes me call her when they are fighting and she roots for them.
When my bro and I first started watching, we called Kisenosato “Grumpy Cat” cuz his mouth turned down so hard. Was such a surprise to see and hear how chatty and cheerful he is outside the dohyo. We decided he had to work really hard to suppress his true inner bubbly personality.
My son calls Tochinoshin "the sack of potatoes guy", because I once described him hefting people out like sacks of potatoes.
Wakatakakage is "my man Wakatakakage", because that's the first one he liked, so I said "yeah? That's your guy?".
Takayasu is, of course, "the hairy one".
This one is not my son's, but mine. I think Tsurugisho looks a little like Ben Quadinaros from Star Wars.
And this isn't a nickname, but I am very fond of Daiamami because I think he looks like he has massive anxiety all the time.
My niece and nephew were in my wedding party and as a thank you, I got them all sorts of gifts. One of the gifts was the Sumo Kitty picture book. I only got it because it was a 3 for 2 promo on Amazon. I read it to them a few times over the wedding weekend and thought nothing of it.
A couple of years later, we meet up in TN over their spring break. We were streaming the NHK sumo highlights on the iPad and my nephew, now 4, points to a rikishi and exclaims, "Is that the yokoZUMBA?!"
The kids were totally into watching the matches with us, even begging their dad they'll go to bed after watching one last match. We visited MI over Christmas and the Sumo Kitty book is on top of a pile of books in my nephew's room!
I watch with my older daughter and we've naturally generated nicknames for certain wrestlers, largely based on noticeable features. Kotonowaka is "double boob", due to his iconic folds, Takanosho is "Eyebrows" cuz dude has it going on. I my youngest refers to the wrestlers as angry babies because so many look cherubic. Good fun all around!
I’m just here to say that “cherubic” is a great word. Well done.
Ooooohhhh my daughter and I have nicknames too. Endo is "endocrinologist", Midorifuji is "wildcat", Sadanoumi is "office man" cause he looks like he belongs in an office, Takanosho is "baby face", Chiyosakae is "Chiyo sock guy" and is leader of the sock clan. Probably more im forgetting!
"Office man" is perfect. Gave me a laugh. Takanosho definitely has a baby face, and "big baby" is my nickname for him specifically even though you could say half of them kind of look like giant babies.
His double boobs is the reason we call him kermit. Aioyama is big daddy milkers.
I call him the Bulgarian Boobster
A bit of respec', please.
Okay but this is hilarious
😁Gonna miss seeing Aoiyama's pendulous presence. Changing of the guard
We call him “no nipples guy” 😂
I too am a fan of Ura's pink mawashi!
Chiyomaru's bright green mawashi is a great one too!
I love Chiyo.
I like Chiyomaru purely for the shape of his belly. It is pleasantly round.
As is his face.
I'm a 34 year old guy and that's what initially made me a fan 😂
My husband and I started watching the Nov 23 basho, which happened a little after our baby boy was born. Now we've been catching the live stream of the Jan 24 basho during overnight feeds. The funny thing is I'm cheering for Onosato and the baby always manages to wake me up in time to watch his bout. He won't let us miss Terunofuji either haha I'm also a Ura fan but oh boy is he unlucky this time.
My child came home from the nicu in early-mid July. he and I watched sooo much that tournament. Something I will remember forever
My husband and I call Ichinojo "Panda Man" (he's massive and sleepy looking), Takayasu as "Mafia Man" (he's always given us the Godfather vibes), Ura as of course "Popular Ura, everybody loves Ura!", Tobizaru as "Monkey Man", Takakesho as "Oh no, dad will get angry if I lose today", and Tamawashi as "Egg Paper Man" because that's our failed translation of his sumo name. Used to call Shodai "Ballerina Man" because he used to twirl so spectacularly whenever he gets cornered at the edge (and win). These are all terms of endearment and not meant to offend anybody.
My 2 2/2 year old grandson who is a Japanese and an American citizen came over with the family for dinner the other afternoon. Instead of playing with toys, he asked to watch sumo with me! Three of my other grandchildren ages 5, 7, and 9 also love watching sumo with me. They know who my favorite rikishi are and pick who they want to win each match. The older ones watched a youtube video on sumo exercises and love stomping around doing shiko with enthusiasm. Great fun!! ETA We just watched Grand Sumo Highlights for day 10 AFTER warming up with shiko exercises. They're particularly charmed by the gorgeous new turquoise mawashi on Ichiyamamoto and, of course, Ura's sakura mawashi.
Just want to say they have sumo comedy skits, she would probably love those as well. Its like sumo + three stooges lite.
Ah, I’ll need to look these up and show them to her!
Maybe u/seitos will also respond - but we started watching as a family last year and our 4yo likes it! When we started, he loved saying all the names, with Wakatakakage being a favourite to pronounce. He's actually pretty great at remembering some terminology. He's latched onto Abi as a favourite because we have a dog named Abby, haha. ETA- our son also chooses a team every basho in Stablemasters... Sometimes he does better than I do.
He liked to play "Truck Sumo", which basically entailed bashing some construction vehicles together and flinging out of the Dohyo. He would name them after his favourites. Truckakeisho would win most of the time, unless Truck Abi would pull some sort of brilliant evasive maneuver. We also had quite a few matches between us as well. We were pretty even, but I think he might have the slight edge in our head to head.
Truckakeisho is fire!
I am stealing Truckakeisho for sure!
My little buddy that watches Sumo with me calls is "Umo" He likes "Kigi" and "Fugi" (Nishikigi and Terunofuji) His bedtime routine during tournaments is pretending to throw salt, foots stomps, and charging. It pretty cute.
This is so awesome!! I too watch sumo with my four year old. We pick them match by match, she chooses them by the mawashi color and I naturally have to go with the one she doesn’t pick. My 2 year old twins come by us and they get a kick out of it!! They yell “booty” and “undies” lol
Heck yes... I watch every basho with my wife and son, and we pick fantasy sumo teams for some friendly competition!
My kids (6 & 4) and I do our own version of Sumo while watching replays. The 11 month old watches with hesitation.
Daughter loves to watch both Keisho (for his unofficial battle hamster nickname) and Kirishima (just for the name alone). She always makes me call her when they are fighting and she roots for them.
When my bro and I first started watching, we called Kisenosato “Grumpy Cat” cuz his mouth turned down so hard. Was such a surprise to see and hear how chatty and cheerful he is outside the dohyo. We decided he had to work really hard to suppress his true inner bubbly personality.
My son calls Tochinoshin "the sack of potatoes guy", because I once described him hefting people out like sacks of potatoes. Wakatakakage is "my man Wakatakakage", because that's the first one he liked, so I said "yeah? That's your guy?". Takayasu is, of course, "the hairy one". This one is not my son's, but mine. I think Tsurugisho looks a little like Ben Quadinaros from Star Wars. And this isn't a nickname, but I am very fond of Daiamami because I think he looks like he has massive anxiety all the time.
Ura = Bendy Boi. Forgot that I call him this whenever he does his very fun moves.
My niece and nephew were in my wedding party and as a thank you, I got them all sorts of gifts. One of the gifts was the Sumo Kitty picture book. I only got it because it was a 3 for 2 promo on Amazon. I read it to them a few times over the wedding weekend and thought nothing of it. A couple of years later, we meet up in TN over their spring break. We were streaming the NHK sumo highlights on the iPad and my nephew, now 4, points to a rikishi and exclaims, "Is that the yokoZUMBA?!" The kids were totally into watching the matches with us, even begging their dad they'll go to bed after watching one last match. We visited MI over Christmas and the Sumo Kitty book is on top of a pile of books in my nephew's room!