Was the appearance of snow linked to ozeki Tochiazumas victory on that cold day?
Probably not but it made it all a little more picturesque as he took his trophy home and paraded it around the streets of his home in Adachi-ku in the city. So, after a run of seven successive tournaments — and what some think was almost an international affront to Japanese pride in their national sport — Mongolian Asashoryu lost out to a local rikishi. The media rejoiced. The TV stations were clamoring all over the Tamanoi Stable of Tochiazuma in his northern Tokyo working class suburb, and the lone yokozuna essentially ceased to exist for a while. Tochiazuma soon left for warmer climes and a break from the frenzy, Asashoryu took his own post-basho vacation, and the world of ozumo began to settle once more. The media moved on to Livedoor and Horie-mon with, ironically, the former media darling now detained but a couple of kilometers from Tochiazuma’s home. Having said that, come late February and early March, as the Tokyo based sumo stables start to filter down to Osaka for the March
