A couple weeks ago, our reader Kiran asked me to write an article about usual kanji we see in the sumo world. What a great warm up idea, prior to the basho! I hope we’ll be able to translate a few new names without effort, come the last tournament of the year. I’d like to point out the fact that I’m no Japanese born speaker (actually, not a Japanese speaker at all), but did my best to produce a serious, reliable article. Please don’t recommand an intai, should you spot mistakes along the way!
Back to basics
A few kanji are not too hard to remember, I think:
- 海 (“umi”, as in “Mitakeumi”) means “sea”
- 風 (“kaze”, as in “Yoshikaze”) means “wind”
- 竜 (“ryu”, as in “Kakuryu”) means “dragon”
- 富士 is “fuji”, as in “Midorifuji”
- 丸 (“maru”, as in Daishomaru”) means “circle”
Not as commonly seen, but not too difficult to remember are:
- 若 (“waka”, as in “Wakatakakage”), meaning “young”, “youth”
- 里 (“sato”, as in “Kisenosato”) refers to a small village, or “hometown”
- 魁 (“kai”, as in “Kaisei”) means “pioneering”, “charging ahead” (thank you, @TheSumoSoul!)
- 聖 (“sei”, as in, well, “Kaisei”) means “holy”, or “sacred”
- 照 (“teru”), meaning “shining”, or, again according to @TheSumoSoul, “blasting”. Notable holders of that kanji are Isegahama beya rikishi: Terunofuji, Terutsuyoshi, etc.
Even less used, but as easy to spot are:
- 碧 (“aoi”), meaning “blue”, as in “Aoiyama”
- 翔 and 猿, giving the now famous shikona “Tobizaru”, meaning “flying monkey”!
Apart from the “Teru”, it has to be noted that these usual kanji do not give indication of the rikishi’s stable. Being common, they are used by everyone, so to say. For example, Mitakeumi and Okinoumi do not belong to the same stable; the same applies for Terunofuji and Hokutofuji.
Two kanji simply indicate the belonging: の and 乃, who both are pronounced “no”. More on that later.
What about 山 ? It means “mountain”, or “hill”. But here’s the first trick: it is pronounced either “yama”, or “zan”, like in “Asanoyama” or “Shohozan”, who share that kanji. That kanji is very interesting. It reminds us the fact that Japanese language has Chinese origins, which explains the fact that many words have at least two types of pronunciation. But both pronunciations refer to exactly the same thing – so it would be wrong to say that “yama” means “mountain”, while “zan” would mean “hill”, or the other way around.
Back to 山. Pronouncing it “zan” refer to ths Chinese origins of the kanji – where, by the way, it is rather pronounced “shan” (in Mandarin Chinese) or “san” (in Cantonese Chinese).
So, when should it be pronounced “yama”, and when is it “zan” (or “san”) ? Actually, the “yama” pronunciation is correct, only when the kanji is isolated. As a matter of fact, Mount Fuji (富士山) should be referred as “Fujisan”, not “Fujiyama”.
Less of a debate are:
- 琴 (“koto”), actually a Japanese instrument, a kind of zither made of thirteen strings. That kanji is of course used by Sadogatake wrestlers: Kotoshogiku, Kotonowaka, etc.
- 大 (“dai”, as in “Daieisho”; or “tai”, as in “Chiyotairyu”), meaning “large”, or “great”. Quite logically, a 大 横綱 is a “dai-yokozuna”, a great yokozuna. Contrary to common belief, it does not refer to each yokozuna who won at least ten yusho, but rather to one dominant champion, in a given period. For example, Harumafuji ended his career with nine yusho in his belt – but had he won a tenth, he would probably not have been given that title, as Hakuho naturally holds it.
Now let’s dig into the “taka” maze!
- First of all, Takarafuji does start with “Taka”, but the first kanji, 宝 actually is “takara”, meaning “treasure”
- 貴 (as in “Takakeisho”: 貴景勝) can mean “expensive”, “costly”, or can express nobility.
- 隆 (as in “Takanosho”: 隆の勝) has a similar meaning: “noble,” “prosperity”.
- 髙 (as in “Takayasu”: 髙安) means “tall”, “high”, and can only be used in first or last names.
If many rikishi possess another common kanji – the “Chiyo”, that one is fortunately easier to translate!
Indeed, 千 litterally means “thousand”, whereas “代” refers to years, or eras. Put it together, the “Chiyo” – 千代 – is simply translated into “eternal”.
One kanji curiosities
- 輝, Kagayaki’s only kanji, means “radiance”. That kanji is actually the last one of Kotoyuki’s shikona: 琴勇輝
- 勢, Ikioi’s kanji, means “strength”
- Sakigake’s kanji is actually the afore mentionned 魁 – “kai”!
A few entire translations
I hope not being miles off target with the last part of that article, but I think we have amassed sufficient knowledge for some not too difficult translations:
- 碧山: “Aoiyama”, of course, means “blue mountain”.
- Let’s try with former sekiwake Wakanosato: 若の里. We have 若, meaning “youth”, 里, the small village or hometown, and の, referring to the belonging. 若の里 could therefore be translated into something like: the hometown of the youth.
- Nishinoryu is currently ranked sandanme 8. His shikona is written as follows: 西乃龍. 西 means “West”, 龍 is “dragon”, 乃 is also referring to the belonging. 西乃龍, hence, means “dragon of the West”.
- Former komusubi Chiyotairyu: 千代大龍. 千代 means “eternal”, 大 means “big”, 龍 means “dragon”: eternal big dragon!
Feel free to give it a try; there’s no nothing better than pre-basho practise! Hakkeyoi!