千秋楽 [せんしゅうらく] – concluding festivities; the final day of a sumo tournament

• 千 [セン・ち] – thousand
• 秋 [シュウ・あき] – autumn
• 楽 [ガク・ラク・たのしい] – music; carefree; fun

This word is a favorite of mine.  I love how it sounds and love the poetic nature of the characters that comprise it.

天覧相撲 [てんらんずもう] – A Sumō tournament which the Emperor is attending

• 天 [テン・あま] – heaven; imperial
• 覧 [ラン・みる] – peruse; see
• 相撲 [すもう] – Sumō (lit “mutual striking”)

In this compound, 天 is an abbreviation for 天皇 [てんのう] “the Emperor.”  覧 is often used in the 敬語 [けいご] (honorific) phrase ご覧下さい or “please have a look.”  But, I’m afraid we’ll need to tackle 敬語 some other time.

朝青龍「すべて真剣勝負」と否定

大相撲の八百長疑惑を報じた「週刊現代」の記事で名誉を傷付けられたとして、日本相撲協会と横綱朝青龍関ら力士が発行元の講談社などに損害賠償を求めた訴訟の口頭弁論が３日、東京地裁（中村也寸志裁判長）で開かれ、八百長の中心人物として名指しされた朝青龍関本人が出廷し、八百長への関与を「ありません。すべて真剣勝負」と全面否定した。現役横綱が法廷で証言するのは「記憶にない」（相撲協会）といい、極めて異例だ。

口頭弁論では、講談社側が「記事が出て八百長がしにくくなったから、成績が振るわないのでは」と追及。朝青龍関は「（原因は）けがです」と反論した。一方、被告側からは記事を執筆したフリーライターの武田頼政氏と、八百長を告白した元小結の板井圭介氏が出廷。武田氏は、「八百長は相撲界の因習で、根深く始末に負えない」と批判した。

講談社側は、大麻取締法違反容疑で逮捕されて協会を解雇された後、「八百長にかかわった」と記者会見で述べた元幕内若ノ鵬（２０）＝本名・ガグロエフ・ソスラン、起訴猶予＝を証人申請したが、中村裁判長は採否を留保した。

[http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/trial/081003/trl0810032326021-n1.htm]

Vocab list coming… maybe. 

Asashōryū denies allegations of match-fixing

Claiming that the magazine “Shūkan Gendai” has damaged his honor by publishing an article giving rise to suspicions that he has been involved in Sumo match-fixing, The Japan Sumō Federation and Yokozuna Asashōryū have filed suit against publisher Kōdansha, seeking compensation for damages.  Oral proceedings began on the 3rd in Tōkyō District Court (Judge Nakamura Yasushi presiding). The central individual accused of match-fixing, Asashōryū appeared in court and flatly denied the charges, saying, “There was none.  Ever match was hard-fought.”

The Sumō Association said that this is unprecedented; there is no record of an active Yokozuna ever having testified in court.

In oral arguments, attorneys for Kōdansha asserted that “since the article has come out, it has become harder to fix matches.  One cannot deny the results.”  Asashoryu objected, stating that this is “injurious.”  Meanwhile, Takeda Yorimasa, the freelance writer who penned the article for the defendant, and the former Komusubi Sakai Keisuke appeared in court, commenting that “match fixing in Sumō is a long-established, deep-rooted tradition; cleaning it up will be impossible.”

Kōdansha’s defense team testified that former Makunouchi-ranked Waka no Hō said at a press conference that, after his arrest and indictment on charges of violation of the Cannibus Control Law were dismissed, he “became involved in fixing matches.”   Judge Nakamura is currently withholding judgment on this information.