Freedom Ahn

Should sumo become an Olympic sport? Is Hakuhō's Olympic goal a good thing for sumo? My latest examines the institutional and cultural questions behind sumo’s Olympic problem. #sumo #hakuho #japan #sumoscholar sumoscholar.substack.com/p/sumo-has-a...

With Halloween just around the corner and a new Godzilla film on the horizon, I’ve been thinking about what our fascination with monsters says about us.#godzilla #monsters #halloween #kaiju #godzillaminuszero freedomahn.com/2026/10/14/w...

Kirishima’s #yokozuna bid is over, for now. But what actually determines whether an #ōzeki gets the rope? A closer look at the results, the rules, the judgment behind sumo’s highest rank. #sumo #japan sumoscholar.substack.com/p/what-happe...

The new banzuke for the Aki Basho was announced on August 31, with plenty of movement &a few notable changes. This is the first opportunity I've had to dig in. New Substack post. Get caught up before Sunday's first bout #japan #sumo #banzuke #tokyo sumoscholar.substack.com/p/aki-basho-...

Moved my sumo research to #Substack In #sumo, a yokozuna can't be demoted the way other ranks can. Once you’re at the top of the sumo rankings, the only way down is retirement #sumo #japan #basho #sumoscholar #sumo #onosato #yokozuna #japan #tokyo #sumoscholar

In the final Day 13 bout, at the Natsu #Basho, the 39th Kimura Shōnosuke gave the win to Kirishima on an utchari. It was his first gunbai-sashichigae (reversed call) as tate-gyōji, + the first such miscall by a chief referee in over a decade. #sumo #kirishima freedomahn.com/2026/05/31/t...

Japan almost never sends #sumo abroad. London in Oct 2025. Paris next month at the @Accor_Arena. Both timed to bilateral security negotiations with those countries. My latest post talks about dohyō diplomacy. #sumo #france #sumowrestler #sumofrance freedomahn.com/2026/05/25/w...

Some clouds show up just to remind you the world isn't all seriousness #Japan #Tokyo #Shinjuku

A reasonable response to modern life: giant Gundam.

Tram with a view #Hongkong #DingDing

Came to the Day 1 footage already knowing #Hoshoryu was injured. But didn't know what I was about to see. New piece on what this basho's injury crisis reveals about the rank that has no exit. #sumo #natsubasho #maybasho #tokyo #japan

Best explainer of my favorite sport that I've seen in a while.

#Sumo is more than an (awesome) sport; it's also a governance institution with a thousand years of political history behind every bout. If you've ever wondered what you're actually watching, this is for you. freedomahn.com/2026/05/03/t...

Twenty-nine days, twenty-seven locations, and more signal than most people caught. My notes from the Haru Jungyo. #japan #sumo #Tokyo #HaruBasho #jungyo

Japan's proposed food tax holiday costs ¥4.8 trillion in annual revenue. The projected GDP return: ¥0.3 trillion. I broke down what that ratio means for fiscal credibility, the BOJ's rate path, and the yen. #BOJ#JapanPolicy #FiscalPolicy #BOJ www.linkedin.com/pulse/japans...

My latest commentary. The strait that supplies 70 percent of #Japan 's oil is now a test of what its alliance with Washington actually requires. #Takaichi cannot simply say yes. The constitution has views on that. And so does history. #StraitOfHormuz www.linkedin.com/pulse/japan-...

Optical Illusion by Akiyoshi Kitaoka.

An absolute must-watch from the BuschTrio BEETHOVEN | Piano Trio in E flat op. 1 no. 1 Sooooo good 🤩🤩🤩🤩

Composer Benjamin Britten was born on 22 November 1913. This extraordinary musician found his place right at the heart of 20th century British music and he was the first composer to receive a life peerage. What are your favourite Britten works and recordings? #classicalmusic

Nothing says Amadeus Cafe like …🤣🤣🤣 #classicalmusic #music