Overview
- A near-capacity crowd of about 5,400 watched opening night, with yokozuna Onosato and Hoshoryu winning their first bouts.
- An authentic clay dohyo under a shrine-style canopy hosted a ring-blessing and yokozuna rope-tying before competition began.
- The venue installed heavy-duty seating and reinforced toilets, issued ringside safety notices, and reported no incidents on day one.
- Roughly 40 elite rikishi are competing Oct. 15–19 in an exhibition format, with the winner determined by best record rather than ranking impact.
- Organisers present the event as cultural outreach supported by NHK’s English guidance and strong public interest, with a Paris stop planned next year.