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Kakuryu performs dohyo-iri at legendary shrine

March 28th - Yokozuna Kakuryu carried out his first official duty as Yokozuna today at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo where he performed a Yokozuna dohyo-iri in front of 3,300 spectators. Flanked by Ikioi as his sword bearer (tachi-mochi) and Kagamioh as the dew sweeper (tsuyu-harai), Kakuryu performed the unryugata style of dohyo-iri where he keeps his left arm bent inward at the elbow and his right arm fully extended at a downward angle. It was the first time that a newly-crowned Yokozuna performed the unryugata dohyo-iri in eleven years back when Asashoryu was promoted to the sport's highest rank. Afterwards, Kakuryu spoke briefly with reporters regarding the one minute and thirty second ceremony saying, "In my heart all I could think was not to make a mistake. I tried my hardest." Kitanoumi Rijicho who was also on hand to witness the ceremony commented, "He looked a little bit stiff out there, but for his first time it wasn't bad." Kakuryu will next perform his dohyo-iri at the Ise Shrine on March 30th before embarking on the exhibition season next month where the sumo caravan will visit 10 locations in 11 days.