September Grand Sumo Tournament

Back in those happier, pre-March 11 days, it looked like a story about a bunch of wrestlers rigging matches via text message would be the biggest news event of the year in Japan. In retrospect, it's hard to remember exactly what all of the fuss was about – which is probably to the Japan Sumo Association's advantage. After a freebie 'test' tournament in May and a legit one in Nagoya in July, this marks the first real basho that Tokyo has seen since the scandal broke. Attendance was noticeably lower at the Nagoya meet, suggesting that the sport's slow rehabilitation may have a while to go yet; on the plus side, it means that you shouldn't have any problems scoring a seat on the day. Mongolian-born wrestler Harumafuji won the last tournament, besting compatriot and sole yokozuna Hakuho, who finished as runner-up at 12-3.