With national enthusiasm for sumo wrestling said to be at an all-time high, and crowds forming queues a day in advance to buy tickets, the summer
tournament will open today in the Kokugikan, for 15 days, the Yomiuri reports.
    The popularity of sumo has always reached in height during wartime, the paper explains. It was at a high ebb during the Sino-Japanese War in the middle of the Meiji era, and very popular during the Russo-Japanese War 10 years later. Once again, enthusiasm seems to have reached a new peak.
    Since early yesterday, the approach to the amphitheater has been crowded with hundreds of thrifty fans willing to stand in line a day for a good seat at 50 sen, instead of paying ¥5 for a ticket no better a day later.
    Interviewed by a reporter from the Yomiuri, Grand Champion Futabayama expressed complete confidence that his, the East side will repeal its victory of the spring tournament.
    "Every one of our men is in fine shape and ready to go," he declared. "Trying to beat us in this summer tournament would be like trying to wring water from a stone."
    Grand Champion Minanogawa, leader of the West team, made no such lavish predictions of victory and when asked what tactics he intended to follow replied he had not thought much about the matter.
    "Of course, I want to take the pennant from the East team this time," he said, "but I really don't know how well we will do. However, we were beaten in the spring tournament because Ryogoku, Dewanohana and Matsunosato, who are the stars of our team, could not take part because of injuries."