Asashoryu's pressie

I have acquired this little item. A. thinks it is absolutely naff but I am quite pleased with it. It turns out that A.'s dad is on quite chummy terms with the "heya" of the aforementioned sumo wrestler Asashoryu. A "heya" is usually translated into English as a "stable" and is like a horse racing stable in that each wrestler is trained from a young age in it and represents it in competition. A.'s dad went to Asashoryu's wedding.

Anyway, this box was sent as a gift from Asashoryu when he was made Yokozuna, or grand champion. The white thing on the stand is a piece of the rope that Yokozuna wear around their waists to mark their rank. There is a ceremony, when wrestlers first become Yokozuna, in which all the members of their heya collectively wind the white rope for them.