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Lake Biwa shore. If you leave Maibara Station and head straight for the lake, this is what you will see.
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Lake Biwa shore
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Lake Biwa
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The old Maibara City Hall that was near Maibara Station. Replaced by the new city hall next to Maibara Station.
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Sign to city hall with misspelled word. "Distract" should be "District."
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Green Park Santo is an outdoor recreational area with exhibition halls, park, lodging, restaurant, tennis courts, and miniature golf.
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Green Park Santo: Spark Santo. Large indoor space. Venue for the annual Bonbai (Bonsai Plum Tree) exhibition during Jan. to March.
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Bonbai (Bonsai Plum Tree) exhibition at Green Park Santo. Held at Green Park Santo's Spark Santo during Jan. to March. The blossoms might not be in bloom during Jan. MAP
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Bonbai (Bonsai Plum Tree) exhibition
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Bonbai (Bonsai Plum Tree) exhibition
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Orchid exhibition. Held at the same time and place as the Bonbai (Bonsai Plum Tree) exhibition.
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Green Park Santo: Ibuki no Mieru Bijutsukan (Ibuki Museum of Art). Small exhibition space with meeting rooms. グリーンパーク山東、伊吹の見える美術館
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Ibuki no Mieru Bijutsukan. See Mt. Ibuki from the museum.
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Lodging
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Lodging
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Auto camping area
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Kamo Ike-so ryokan, restaurant and spa
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Kamo Ike-so's winter special: Soba noodles with duck meat.
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Kamo Ike-so Bihada-no-yu hot spring bath 鴨池荘 美肌の湯
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Green Park Santo tennis courts
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Mini golf
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Train going to Omi-Nagaoka Station in spring.
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Scenery on the way to Kannonji temple in Maibara. Mt. Ibuki and rice paddies.
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Turn in here to go to Kannonji temple in Maibara.
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Way to Kannonji temple in Maibara.
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Pond in front of Kannonji temple in Maibara.
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Kannonji Pond 観音寺池
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Gate of Kannonji temple in Maibara. Kannonji temple is noted as the place where Toyotomi Hideyoshi rested during falconry session when he met Ishida Mitsunari who was studying at the temple.
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Gate of Kannonji temple in Maibara. MAP
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Kannonji temple in Maibara. It belongs to the Tendai Buddhist sect.
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Gate to Kannonji temple.
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Omote path in Kannonji temple in Maibara.
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About Kannonji temple in Maibara.
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Well where Ishida Mitsunari fetched water for tea he made for Toyotomi Hideyoshi in three servings. 観音寺 水汲みの井戸
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Well where Ishida Mitsunari fetched water for tea he made for Toyotomi Hideyoshi in three servings at different temperatures to quench Hideyoshi's thirst well.
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About Mitsunari servng tea to Hideyoshi.
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Map of Kannonji temple grounds.
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Steps to the Hondo main hall of Kannonji temple.
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Kannonji temple Hondo main hall in Maibara, Shiga. Ishida Mitsunari was suppsedly a young monk here where he met Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
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Altar inside Hondo.
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About the Hondo hall.
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Kannonji
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Kannonji temple bell.
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Kannonji temple Hondo
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Corridor connecting the Hondo to the Yakushido Hall.
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Yakushido Hall 薬師堂
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Hondo on left and Yakushido on right.
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Little shrine nearby.
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A little path lined with little Kannon statues at Kannonji.
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Kannon statue at Kannonji.
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Kannon statue at Kannonji temple.
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Rice paddy art by 180 junior high students from Yokosuka visiting Maibara in late May 2016. It's their city's mascot.
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Rice paddy art by 180 junior high students from Yokosuka visiting Maibara in late May 2016. It's their city's mascot Sucurry.
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A temporary tower was constructed to view the paddy art. But it was covered with bird droppings and kind of scary for people afraid of heights.
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Sports Recreation Shiga 2008 was held in Shiga during Oct. 18-21, 2008. Various sports tournaments were held all around Shiga. The aerobics competition was held in Maibara. Maibara Station had this sign.
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Banners guide the way to the Shiga Prefectural Cultural and Industrial Exchange Hall (Shiga Kenritsu Bunka Sangyo Koryu Kaikan) 滋賀県立文化産業交流会館
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Shiga Prefectural Cultural and Industrial Exchange Hall (Shiga Kenritsu Bunka Sangyo Koryu Kaikan) 滋賀県立文化産業交流会館
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A Caffy doll in front of the hall. Aerobics participants from all over Japan gathered in the hall. The Sports Recreation event is held annually in a different prefecture. It is open to adults of all ages.
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Inside the hall with the aerobics competition which started at 9:30 am on Oct. 20, 2008. The hall was filled with energy and cheering. Thirty-nine teams of 3 to 5 people competed, totalling about 190 competitors. Three South Korean teams also competed.
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The highlight and newsmaker was this group called the Tokimeki Silvers consisting of women in their 80s and 90s. They were from Shiga.
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Tokimeki Silvers ときめきシルバーズ
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Tokimeki Silvers
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Each team had to have 3 to 5 people performing 90 sec. to 120 sec. long. The routine was required to include jumping jacks, kicks, and push ups.
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The contestants had to be at least 20 years old, but I think most people looked middle-aged.
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Audience in the seats.
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Local children watch aerobics behind a "Welcome to Maibara" sign.
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Aerobics team from Hiroshima.
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Aerobics team from Shiga.
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Aerobics team from Tokushima.
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Aerobics team from Miyagi.
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After the aerobics performances, there was a one-hour lunch break at noon, and a group picture-taking session of all the aerobics teams and officials.
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Group shot
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Maibara's official mascot, a family of fireflies.
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Posters for aerobics teams made by local school children.
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Posters for aerobics teams made by local school children.
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Poster for the Tokimeki Silvers
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The hall lobby had posters showing Maibara's major sights.
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The hall lobby also had articles and snapshots of the aerobics event the day before.
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Outside the hall were a few food booths and Spo-rec mascot Caffy walking around.
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After lunch, everyone participated in a joint aerobics session at 1 pm with a well-known instructor.
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This one-hour joint aerobics session was called the "Memorial Program."
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At 2 pm, all the teams sat in the front to listen to the announcement of the winners.
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As each winner was announced, the respective team cheered and went backstage. The senior group was of course a winner.
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The MC was an NHK Otsu TV newscaster.
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The winning teams performed their routines again.
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Aerobics team from Hiroshima.
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Awards ceremony with the winning teams on stage.
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ときめきシルバーズ
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The three South Korean aerobics teams were awarded with the International Exchange Award.
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During the closing ceremony, Maibara Mayor Michio Hirao offer congratulations.
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People from Miyazaki Prefecture which will host the next Sports Recreation meet in 2009, do some PR.
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People from Miyazaki Prefecture which will host the next Sports Recreation meet in 2009, do some PR.
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Banners line the way back to Maibara Station.
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JR Maibara Station with a Spo-rec welcome banner.
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Green Park Santo was the site for the Ozumo Maibara Basho or Maibara Exhibition Sumo Tournament on Oct. 17, 2008. It was nice sunny day. Banners with the name of famous sumo wrestlers (rikishi) were up. グリーンパーク山東
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Arch to the sumo arena. 大相撲米原場所
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Two sumo wrestlers near the gate greeted spectators. The sumo contingent's stop in Maibara was part of their autumn exhibition tour. The day before, they were in Noto, Ishikawa Pref.
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The sumo arena was under a large tent. The ground was covered by a blue, vinyl tarp.
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Zabuton cushions with "Maibara Basho" imprinted were also sold for 1100 yen.
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Miyabiyama stands near the entrance gate to sign autographs.
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Outside the tent arena was a grassy area where the rikishi warmed up. About 160 rikishi were in the tournament.
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Baruto from Estonia and Tochinoshin from Georgia chat with each other (probably in Russian).
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First the lower ranking Makushita wrestlers practiced on the ring.
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Banners above written with "Maibara Basho" and "Full House." It actually wasn't sold out.
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Later, the top division Makunouchi wrestlers started practice. They wear white mawashi belts.
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Maibara basho zabuton cushions
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Ozeki Chiyotaikai
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Ozeki Chiyotaikai works out and gives a great photo op.
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Ozeki Chiyotaikai 大関千代大海
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Ozeki Kotomitsuki signs autographs.
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Ozeki Kotomitsuki 大関琴光喜
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Baruto signs autographs. This is something we cannot do during official sumo tournaments.
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Kisenosato signs autographs. He's quite popular with the ladies.
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Finally, Yokozuna Hakuho appears. At first, his tsukebito attendants declined autographs. But when a lady following him asked for an autograph, he stopped and said okay.
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A large crowd instantly formed around Hakuho.
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Yokozuna Hakuho signs autographs. Unfortunately, Yokozuna Asashoryu was in Mongolia recovering from an injury.
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Takamisakari swings around the helpless young boy.
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Baruto also flies the kid around.
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Hanamichi to the sumo ring
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About 1,800 people attended the sumo tournament.
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A comedic sumo called shokkiri. 初切
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Singing sumo jinku songs. 相撲甚句
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Taiko drumming demonstration. 檜太鼓打分け
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Ozeki Kotomitsuki
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Ozeki Chiyotaikai
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Ozeki Chiyotaikai says, "Sorry, no time for more autographs."
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Yokozuna Hakuho and his yokozuna rope belt.
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Yokozuna Hakuho waits to enter the sumo ring.
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Yokozuna Hakuho's yokozuna rope is held by his attendant wearing white gloves.
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Demonstration of putting on the yokozuna rope belt on Yokozuna Hakuho.
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This is the Shiranui style with two loops in the back. The rope has a wire core to stiffen the rope. 横綱白鵬 不知火型
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Picture-taking with Maibara mayor.
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Yokozuna Hakuho rests until it's time for his dohyo-iri ring-entering ceremony. Behind is Mt. Ibuki.
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Takamisakari carried a little boy (crying) from Maibara during the ring-entering ceremony.
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Baruto
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Makunouchi dohyo-iri ring-entering ceremony on the west side.
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Yokozuna Hakuho performs the yokozuna dohyo-iri ring-entering ceremony.
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Yokozuna Hakuho performs the yokozuna dohyo-iri ring-entering ceremony. 横綱白鵬
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The Shiranui style has both arms extended outward when going up. 横綱白鵬 不知火型の土俵入り
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Maibara Mayor Michio Hirao greets the crowd. If he were a woman, he would not be allowed to stand in the sumo ring.
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Takamisakari
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Takamisakari wins. He declined to sign any autographs, and just ran back to the dressing room. He must be tired of being mobbed all the time.
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Miyabiyama sits in a spectator seat as he waits his turn.
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Baruto flashes the peace sign to a photographer.
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Baruto shares a laugh.
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Homasho had very smooth skin.
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Ozeki Kotomitsuki signs autographs.
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Sanyaku wrestlers: Kotomitsuki, Chiyotaikai, and Kotooshu.
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Hakuho vs. Kotomitsuki, the last bout of the day.
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Hakuho vs. Kotomitsuki
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Hakuho won
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Maibara Basho sumo booklet.
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