Jonosuke

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Everything posted by Jonosuke

  1. Jonosuke

    New recruits for May 2011

    Yeah, I forgot. This may like Haru Mae-zumo. It's 10 to 9 AM in Japan and Nico already is over 9,000! Amazing! A lot of people are not working there or waiting for a train to arrive.
  2. Jonosuke

    New recruits for May 2011

    A bunch of yobidashi guys are sweeping the dohyo now so soon you will see the new recruits start coming in. We can at least identify Sakuma whichever side he lines up.
  3. Jonosuke

    May basho to be broadcast in full on the internet

    At Japan time, 8:20 AM, Nico is already up (obviously no one is there yet but I digress..) We should get Mae-zumo started today so the young'uns should be up and ready soon. With Haru Basho recruits and new for this basho, we should some interesting spectacles shortly. For those of you who have never woke up early enough to see Mae-zumo bouts, these should be a treat as some of guys will have no idea which side is up. Enjoy!!! Edit: According to a blurb, Mae-zumo bouts will start at 9 AM - I believe the place is now open (8:30 AM now) so we should start see some people coming in - not sure if they can actually sit around Sunakaburi but some people should be around. 10 or 15 minutes before the first bout, you will see Sewanin start lining up guys one side or another and a very young gyoji will arrive and one of young yobidashi goes up there as well while the rest of guys are all at lining up at East side Hanamichi. Bouts are normally over so quickly so don't blink! To see all these from the comfort of your home, it's really well worth paying the premium membership of Nico for just this month because we may never get to have another opportunity like this.
  4. Jonosuke

    Video Streams - Natsu 2011

    I doubt Nico would be able to simulcast once NHK is back as NHK has the exclusive contract for regular basho at the moment, even Nico's premium charge won't cover the cost unless provided free by NSK. Of course there can be some kind of contract set up to keep airing it but unlikely for outside of Japan like they do it for a mobile site Actually Nico has live broadcast coverage of Japan's professional baseball but only for those residing in Japan. But I feel NSK can keep having their live streaming going as NHK will not show early division bouts any longer as they cut their BS sumo broadcast out. Maybe this all turns out to be a plus for all of us who won't be able to go to the venue to watch sumo regularly. But at the same time Nico can keep showing it to 3 PM, just prior to Juryo bouts. At the moment there are a lot of curiosity seekers viewing the stream so it's pretty busy but once the novelty wears off, non sumo fans will stay away so even without their premium membership, we probably can watch it continuously. Reading Nico comments, most were not that much interested in sumo and wondering why there was no spectators around (well Sunakaburi were all reserved for Iji-in and all pre-reserved) or commenting on why a yobidashi keeps sweeping the dohyo etc.
  5. Jonosuke

    Hello Nagoya

    Now that for all intents and purposes, the Kyokai has given up holding a "regular" hon-basho in May at the Kokugikan and working towards preparing themselves for Nagoya, they will soon have to come up with the concrete and firm steps to hold the Nagoya. With expected ouster of Yaocho suspected rikishi, they will lose a substantial number of Juryo and Maku rikishi so obviously they will need to come with a new banzuke for Nagoya as their current banzuke will not reflect those who will be competing in Nagoya and at rank they will be competing. That all means they will need to hold a "mock" basho to gauge the rikishi to make up the banzuke for Nagoya. Since the Kokugikan is already open but with scheduled (and unscheduled) rolling power blackouts on and off, they certainly cannot really plan for all day full regular basho, especially considering other sports activities in Tokyo area are being curtailed (baseball, soccer etc). I have no doubt there will be no yusho cup or any kensho or etc for this mock basho so they should realize they could not be asking for paying customers. If they open the basho to the general public with free admission, it's fine for Ozumo fans but it means no Chaya to bring food and drinks for service and they will need to plan for crowd control. Perhaps they will simply close the building and provide a streaming with NHK providing a digest of Maku bouts.
  6. Jonosuke

    Basho and quake.....

    And Sadogatake Beya visiting, devastated Kesen-numa, Miyagi on April 16. Kotooshu Doing Chanko
  7. Jonosuke

    Basho and quake.....

    Hakuho and Co at Ginza Matsuzakaya Store in Tokyo Taken around 5 PM April 13.
  8. Jonosuke

    The 2011 May Ability Judgement Event

    While Shimamura graduated from Ryogoku High School and one time Education Minister, if there is anyone that the Kyokao should have never picked for their committee, it is this ultra nationalist. Some considered him to be totally devoid of common sense (I guess many in the Kyokai are already in this group but I digress). Shimamura was a driving force behind a committee to have all Diet members to visit the Yasukuni Shrine to pay the respect and to show their resolve not to swayed by anger shown by those neighboring nations as well as making a controversial statement regarding so called "comfort women" during World War II that they were recruited by Chinese and Koreans and not by Japanese military. He can talk all he wants but for most mainstream media, his credibility is non-existent, least of all NHK. This geezer is nothing more than a fool in the hill.
  9. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    The committee had to go for at least two sources. because, 1. One of the primary sources kept changing his story, they could not go with his testimony alone and more importantly, 2. They lacked any evidence of substance against most of rikishi other than the names spewed around by one particularly rikishi. All rikishi had no representation on their behalf and as they were not told ahead of time what exactly they have been accused of, there was no way to put forth their argument. Most were simply told rather than asked as if the whole thing was already proven. The committee would never had given such treatment if these guys were yokzouna or ozeki, but as they simply considered them to be high enough in the public's eyes but as far as they were concerned, mostly small flies even if they were not guilty, part of collateral damage, a small price to pay to move on.
  10. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    Just out of curiosity, how would you have handled this? Let's say you're the rijicho, damning mobile mails are found, no question about yaocho-black on white-what would you have done differently? Question goes out to all members, actually-how would you have handled this? The damning call logs did not conclusively show black and white for all the rikishi. That decision was arrived at by the committee meetings, deciding the fate of these rikishi, only with the slimmest of evidence if at all by merely relying on one man's word. Remember Kanechika talked about Asashoryu commutingYaocho but the Kyokai denied it ever taking place. Most of the evidence comes from one rikisih's testimony, not all 21 rikishi's name showed in the call logs, pointing out yaocho taking place. Kasuganishiki talking about bouts between two other rikishi to Enatsukasa is just about as good as Kanechika tellhing his lover that Asashoryu and Hakuho committing a yaocho. It didn't stand up then and it does not now either. But it's great new thread to open for more discussion so not to confuse issues raised in this thread.
  11. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    The reason is that the two year suspension is equivalent to retirement advisory as far as the Kyokai is concerned. If you get it, you are supposed to meekly hand in your resignation paper. As I have maintained throughout Enatsukasa had nothing other than the call logs. He was never the arranger and did not actively or proactively "fix" any bout. He was nothing more than a messenger. He heard one guy, specifically, Kasuganishiki saying one thing but he was never certain that the actual yaocho took place other the fact what he has been told later. Just because he may have heard one guy may lose ahead of the bout, that really is not a conclusive evidence of the bout fixing and the bout result may have been simply from another factor, not based on fixing as the participants may have not gone through with it. Some at the hearings have time and time complained that Kasuganishiki changed his story or recanted his story so many times at the end, they had no idea whether he was telling the truth or not and that is the precise reason they needed to have another participant like Chiyohakuho (not Enatsukasa who was never involved in the actual bouts) to find their culprit. And as for Chiyohakuho we have known about this guy for so long and how he has been known as a "bad apple" even the days before the substance abuse suspicion that the fact that the committee had to resort to relying on this guy would speak volume, indicating that they really had no solid evidence against most of the guys and their only recourse was to lean on their shisho to convince the named guys to quietly leave or go for Plan B, to threaten them with no separation money, outright dismissal from the Kyokai. These highly learned and educated hired guys must have been at ease with Orwell or Kafka.
  12. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    This is really indicative how flimsy of evidence they are basing the whole thing. Enatsukasa has nothing on these tow bouts, not call log record to back up and as far as the two bouts are concerned it is Takenawa's word against Sokokurai and Chiyohakuho's word against Hoshikaze. There are no other circumstantial evidence other than the bout results. Weekly Shukan Gendai claimed yaocho on more solid evidence but they still lost their case against the Kyokai at court.
  13. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    My gut feeling is that the two and the Kyokai will settle this out of court. Neither side wants to have this dragged on for sure but the real question is that if this gets to court, the Kyokai lawyers can keep the issue strictly confined to the call log investigation. As no police or prosecutors office had any role in determining their guilt before the committee handed down the decision, it is rather doubtful that what they can present will be enough for any clear cut proof of committing yaocho. And of course the Kyokai really does not want to have the case to start delving in any historical or other possible yaocho bouts committed outside of the current mobile phone case. The Kyokai lawyers must be aware that depending on how the case will go, those other cases they won against the publishers may get resurrected and they certainly do not want that to happen any time soon. There will be all kinds of pressures against the two rikishi and their shisho to go quietly with or without further inducement.
  14. Even after a passionate pleading by Kyokai Chairman Hanaregoma oyakata, NHK told the Kyokai they would not consider a "basho" the Kyokai is scheduling in May to be a true unadulterated hon-basho and therefore they are not obliged to cover it live either on NHK Sogo TV or NHK Dai-ichi Radio. NHK did not waver during the negotiation and maintained that they had no obligation to cover a basho that is less than a hon-basho and the Kyokai in the end agreed with the decision. This means not only there will be no live TV or radio broadcast of the "basho" but also there will be no digest program. Other commercial broadcasters may air some highlights during their sportscast and the Kyokai may still provide the streaming on their website. The Kyokai also announced that they would give a preferential seating arrangement to tour company customers over regular customers as they would want to secure the best Masu seats to the whole basho subscribers rather than single day customers. It means if you want the best seating, then you may want to go through a tour company like JTB, Kintetsu, HIS or JR. Edit: Tour companies may charge a fee for their service but remember it is free admission.
  15. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    But the point is what if they have not done it. The committee came up with the verdict by proceeding with a rather unscientific rule of :"two out of three" whereby if the same name came up from the two of three admitted rikishi, the named rikishi was deemed to be guilty. They had to entirely rely on the testimony of the three who were in the end promised for a lighter sentence by dribbling on the name of other rikishi. Other than that the committee had no solid evidence as they could not positively identify the offense from call logs or any other evidence (if they had any). Obviously the call logs were between two people and unless the two were saying something like "I slap you and you fall" and proven subsequently by an actual bout between the two, they could not prove the two have committed a yaocho for certain. If the two callers were simply speaking about a third rikishi then unless that rikishi had admitted committing yaocho, then it is nothing more than a talk betweenthe two callers. It's rather slim vidence to snub out the lifetime work of individual. It's clear from the beginning that the committee's tactics to leak out the name of "suspected" rikishi to the press and made them appear guilty long before they formally announced their list as their announcement only reinforced the guilt of the rikishi. The committee members and Kyokai executives knew so well that unless they came up with such sacrificial lambs to give the public and bureaucrats an appearance of aggressively cleaning up yaocho from Ozumo, they had no chance at all with Ministry of EduSci to agree to hold a hon-basho and by having this thing drags on only meant an eventual demise of Ozumo and their livelihood.
  16. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    Kasuganishiki's kabu is only on loan. I'm sure they could've figured out some way to get Tochinonada to revoke his right to use it. Yeah actually I was thinking it may not have his while I wrote it (didn't even bother to check for such a wretched soul, far worse than ex-Wakanoho who kept recanting his testimony, at the end no one could figure what he was talking about). I still think Kuzu-nishiki would have pretty much accomplished what he did after all these yaocho even if he had not, basically I consider it was totally fruitless exercise. He may have gained a few basho here and there but he was only an accidental Sanyaku material. He didn't want to leave known as the only "bad apple" obviously but he is still a small fly at the end of the day. Although I was never a part of your Ozeki Backscratching Club but if the Kyokai is serious enough and they mean business why haven't they go after someone like Kotooshu and ex-Chiyotaikai where we heard so many rumors about in the past?
  17. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    Good question. I would guess he would remain in the heya in the capacity of a "civilian"- many heyas have this, and after two years resume his duties as an Oyakata. Something in the pay would change obviously as well. I guess they all knew he would leave so it's actually a non-whatever-that word is that I can't remember now. Once one acquired a Toshoyori Myoseki, he will always have it unless it is stripped away like ex-Kanechika so with a suspension which is one lesser degree below a demotion, he will sill have the oyakata-ship without pay. During the two year he will not participate in any Kyokai related activities and assume their function but we all know the the two year suspension is equivalent to "retirement advisory". By retiring, he is still eligible for retirement pay and pension and also will be able to transfer the Myoseki to another rikishi. Besides if he stays, he should have known his life will be a pure hell after blurting out to reporters shortly after his name was bandied around, he would never become one scapegoat and intended to take several dozen others with him.
  18. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    Some here may have been misled in thinking that the committee had some solid evidence but it should have been clear to everyone that these guys have nothing except those call logs that started the whole thing and "admission" they got by using pressurized tactics from some rikishi. Now the Board is further threatening to the oyakata and rikishi that if all these guys won't go away quietly there would be no hon-basho. The whole thing is a total mess and farce that would not resolve anything and not get them move forward. The committee members themselves admit there are "grey" rikishi so no one has been treated fairly and equally. The Kyokai can force them all to leave by threatening them one way or another by withholding retirement money or applying them outright expulsion if they don't go quietly but the stink will linger on and on and it will not help their image one iota.
  19. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    Oh they definitely will need to prove beyond whatever rasonable doubt. The Kyokai took the publishers of weekly magazines to court whenever the magazines published articles claiming their rikishi committed yaocho. The Kyokai demanded the editors to produce solid evidence proving there was yaocho committed. They really cannot have it both ways. Simply someone accusing them for committing yaocho was not good enough and the Kyokai won the case every time out but onus in now on them to do the same.
  20. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    Just as most suspected, there was no hard evidence beyond those admitted. Basically a few guys saying the other 20 are involved. Just one hearsay after another that does not stand up in any court of law. Intentionally or non intentionally broken mobile devises or refusal to hand over such a devise is no proof of they committed yaocho as there may have been a variety of reasons some wanted to keep their call logs private besides the Kyokai has no right to do this as they have no police power. There is no proof and this has not resolved anything. However if the Kyokai is successful in following through with this, Ministry of EduSci will let them hold a basho but oh, at what price?
  21. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    Spoken like a dai yokozuna. Anyway the committee itself has no power to enact anything, only the Kyokai board could do that. But if it is an outright expulsion out of the Kyokai, they also need to go through the Kyokai stakeholders. I have as much of confidence in this committee as I have for TEPCO. Perhaps those foreign born rikishi wanting to escape Japan will have given the perfect opportunity here. If they do exit, I wonder how quickly the quota will stay vacant.
  22. Jonosuke

    Sexy Sumo

    A Subaru Canada TV ad. 2011 Subaru Forester
  23. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    From the very beginning, the question is not what the committee can do as they have no power e as they are no more than an advisory board. They can leak or scream all they want but other than those admitted they have not shown any substantive evidence to back up their claim. Without that the Kyokai cannot release all suspected rikishi outright and without doing so, the Ministry of EduSci won't be satisfied with the Kyokai efforts as it's been all talk and no actiion until now. Hanaregoma went out and told everyone that without a clean slate they will have no hon-basho as he knows so well the bureaucrats at the ministry won't go along with them having the basho. So far they have done a pitiful little and the committee has shown they were ill equipped to take any drastic actions and is looking pretty inept to all concerned. Basically to do what they need to do, they will need to have police like powers.. The Kyokai had a committee to investigate "unmotivated sumo" for years but they have never given any caution or suspension to any rikishi as far as I know so I don't see any oyakata coming up to offer any help to the committee or the Kyokai top echelons.
  24. Jonosuke

    Yaocho by mobile scandal-

    Why are so many leaks coming out of the Kommittee? They sure don't need any Wikileaks here. Aside from those admitted, what are the concrete evidence against those rikishi being named so far? Unless the Kommittee can produce call logs pointing to those rikishi, I suspect all are hearsay evidence that would not stand up in any court of the law. The rikishi singled out by the Kommittee have every right to speak up and fight for their right. As far as I can tell they have not been able to confront against whoever accusing them or whatever evidence presented against them.
  25. Jonosuke

    Hello Nagoya

    Actually I am in favor of holding a basho in May at the Kokugikan, only basic "bouts" only basho, doing all they can to save the electricity like not turning on the bright lights after Juryo bouts, turning down all the lights in the corridors and elsewhere (they can even close off the second floor). The Kyokai can collect the admission fees if they so choose but they should donate all the proceeds to help the victims of quake and tsunami. Since NHK no longer covers the basho on the BS side, they can simply show perhaps Maku or Juryo only bouts on the Sogo, perhaps starting after 5 PM News. There are folks evacuated in Tokyo area and the Kyokai should distribute the free tickets at these centers and even provide them for transportation from and back to the Kokugikan. The Kyokai receives a preferential tax treatment from the government and has enough funds reserved for rainy days, so here's the perfect opportunity to earn the goodwill of Japanese people.