The Grand Sumo New Year Tournament began at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on the 13th, but on the 12th, a little after 1:30 p.m., a party of seven performing the fure drums that announce the tournament's start came to Palaceside Building in Takebashi and paraded through the first-floor and basement shopping arcade corridors.
In Tokyo it has become customary for the fure drums to tour Palaceside Building and elsewhere on the day before each honbasho at Ryōgoku Kokugikan. That day, two callers carried a drum on a balance scale while caller Tasuke of Kitano stable struck it, sending a brisk rhythm and high pitch through the first floor and basement shopping arcade.
After touring the building's shopping arcade, the party gathered before The Mainichi Newspapers reception on the first-floor west elevator hall side. From an opening call of "Sumo's first day is tomorrow!" they introduced the day's matchups after the opening procession—"For Harumafuji, it's Tochiyama!" "For Hakuhō, it's Matsufū!"—and closed with the distinctive line "Don't be careless or you'll be packed in tight!" People who happened to be there happily snapped photos with digital cameras and mobile phones.
Besides these fure drums, sumo has tower drums beaten atop the yagura. Tower drums include the "yose daiko" beaten early to draw spectators, the "ichiban daiko" when the first wrestlers enter, the "niban daiko" when the sekitori enter, and the "hane daiko" struck the moment the day's bouts end—each with a different way of striking. The "hane daiko" expresses the wish that visitors will come again tomorrow; because it is struck the moment the final bout ends, the phrase "uchidashi" (striking out) for the closing bout comes from this custom, they say.
The fure-drum party is scheduled to visit Palaceside Building again on May 11 (Sat.), the day before the Summer Tournament. Please look forward to it.