Society

Sumo: Hakuho pulls out of meet, set to miss 2 months after surgery

Mar 16 (Kyodo) - Grand champion Hakuho will have surgery for a right knee injury that forced his withdrawal Tuesday from the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

The 36-year-old yokozuna informed the Japan Sumo Association he needs surgery to treat a damaged right patella and swelling around the joint, followed by a likely two-month rehabilitation.

His stablemaster Miyagino said Hakuho plans to return after recovering from the surgery and will decide whether to continue competing based on the results of his comeback tournament.

"He was told (by a doctor) that he couldn't wrestle in his current condition. He said he will make his final decision at the Nagoya tournament (in July)," Miyagino said.

The procedure, to take place later this month, will be on the same knee on which Hakuho underwent endoscopic surgery last August.

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

Tourist Graffiti Threatens Kyoto’s Iconic Bamboo Forest

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

Japanese Streaming Services Struggle Against Netflix

Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

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