GRAND SUMO Highlights: 2021 Haru Basho

Season overview

Season 4 of GRAND SUMO Highlights documents the professional sumo tournament held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. This specific event took place from 14 March through 28 March. While the tournament was originally scheduled to be hosted at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, the location was changed to Tokyo as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the ongoing series produced by NHK WORLD-JAPAN, this season continues the program's mission to provide international audiences with English-language coverage of major sumo events occurring within Japan. The episodes feature daily highlights of the matches, supplemented by background information regarding the sport and play-by-play commentary designed to enhance the viewer experience. By documenting these bouts, the season serves as a record of the sport's adaptation to public health requirements while maintaining its focus on the dynamic nature of professional sumo competition. The coverage ensures that fans across the globe remain informed about the tournament results and the technical aspects of the matches performed by the athletes during this specific two-week period in the spring.