Ahead of the Spring Tournament, which opens on the 10th of this month, the yokozuna dohyo entry, which had been canceled due to the new coronavirus, will be held at Osaka's Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine for the first time in five years, with a large number of spectators watching at Terunofuji. performed the heroic "Shiranui Kata".
At Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine in Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka, the yokozuna dohyo entry was held every year to pray for the safety and success of the spring tournament, but it was canceled from 2020 due to the influence of the new coronavirus.
This was the first time in five years that Yokozuna Terunofuji, accompanied by Atamifuji as a long sword holder and Midorifuji as a dewwasher, performed a heroic ``Shiranui-style'' dohyo-iri in the shrine grounds, and the approximately 1,000 spectators cheered ``Yoisho.'' There were shouts and applause.
Terunofuji was interviewed after entering the ring and said, ``It's been more than two and a half years since I became a yokozuna, but I'm glad I was able to enter the ring for the first time.''
He then expressed his enthusiasm for the spring tournament, where he will be competing for his 10th consecutive victory, saying, ``I'm getting better day by day, and I want to do what I can.''