Breaking News - Police to Charge Tokitsukaze oyakata

[Kintamayama 47,297]

The way things are panning out, this is what will happen, I think;

The punishment will have to be much worse than Asa's.

Tokitsukaze and all deshi implicated will immediately retire, the heya will fold, and the remaining deshi will be absorbed in one (or some) of the other Ichimon's heya. Tokitsukaze beya is by far the most important (historically as well, Futabayama and all..) in Tokitsukaze Ichimon, so this would be a major earthquake. The Ichimon will maybe become Isenoumi Ichimon, who knows.

[Hananotaka 8]

At one point I was going to play devil's advocate and suggest we hold off judgment on Tokitsukaze and his deshi until we had more information. But before I could even do that, more information has come in, and damn -- this is f***ed up. I certainly don't think Tokitsukaze wished death on his deshi, and in fact I'm sure he feels terrible guilt and remorse for what's happened. But there's no way he can be a shisho now. He crossed the line. There's a reason to be harsh with a recruit. There's even a reason for properly intentioned so-called "hazing". There's never a reason to hit someone you've taken under your care with a beer bottle, unless they're coming after you with one themselves.

We shouldn't blame the father for telling his son to stick it out. Many rikishi, famous and otherwise, have run away from the heya and/or expressed a desire to quit in the early days of their training. There is a widespread belief here in Japan that excessive coddling has raised a generation of psychologically weak mama's boys who crack at the first sign of adversity. Any parent that sends their kid into a sumo stable is essentially like a parent sending their son into the Army. They hope it "makes a man" of him, and will lead to success later in life, whether he makes it a career or not. The father obviously made the wrong call in this case, but it's not his fault this happened.

Reading all this, it makes me terribly sad. I think back to a TV special I saw about Terao and his stable. It featured him going to Mongolia to scout a young lad recommended to him by Asashoryu (young Seirou). One image that really stuck with me was Terao in the living room of Seirou's parents, leaning forward to his translator, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and saying earnestly, "Please tell them that if they decide to let him come to Japan, I will take responsibility for him." And another scene with Terao and a young rikishi with a heart murmur, Terao talking to him and going with him to the hospital, trying to decide if they should continue his career in sumo, or be cautious and safe. It was, after all, the young man's life they were talking about. And finally, of course, the image of Shikoroyama Oyakata donning a mawashi, getting into the ring with Homasho, breaking a rib in the process and shaking it off, continuing to train his young deshi. How different from an oyakata who hits his deshi in the face with a beer bottle and then sits on his comfy zabuton and watches the poor kid take butsukari-geiko for 30 minutes. My God. These men, the shisho, they are the guardians of the boys and young men in their charge. They take their lives in their hands. Didn't he know that?

[Kaioshoryu 68]

At one point I was going to play devil's advocate and suggest we hold off judgment on Tokitsukaze and his deshi until we had more information. But before I could even do that, more information has come in, and damn -- this is f***ed up. I certainly don't think Tokitsukaze wished death on his deshi, and in fact I'm sure he feels terrible guilt and remorse for what's happened. But there's no way he can be a shisho now. He crossed the line. There's a reason to be harsh with a recruit. There's even a reason for properly intentioned so-called "hazing". There's never a reason to hit someone you've taken under your care with a beer bottle, unless they're coming after you with one themselves.

We shouldn't blame the father for telling his son to stick it out. Many rikishi, famous and otherwise, have run away from the heya and/or expressed a desire to quit in the early days of their training. There is a widespread belief here in Japan that excessive coddling has raised a generation of psychologically weak mama's boys who crack at the first sign of adversity. Any parent that sends their kid into a sumo stable is essentially like a parent sending their son into the Army. They hope it "makes a man" of him, and will lead to success later in life, whether he makes it a career or not. The father obviously made the wrong call in this case, but it's not his fault this happened.

Reading all this, it makes me terribly sad. I think back to a TV special I saw about Terao and his stable. It featured him going to Mongolia to scout a young lad recommended to him by Asashoryu (young Seirou). One image that really stuck with me was Terao in the living room of Seirou's parents, leaning forward to his translator, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and saying earnestly, "Please tell them that if they decide to let him come to Japan, I will take responsibility for him." And another scene with Terao and a young rikishi with a heart murmur, Terao talking to him and going with him to the hospital, trying to decide if they should continue his career in sumo, or be cautious and safe. It was, after all, the young man's life they were talking about. And finally, of course, the image of Shikoroyama Oyakata donning a mawashi, getting into the ring with Homasho, breaking a rib in the process and shaking it off, continuing to train his young deshi. How different from an oyakata who hits his deshi in the face with a beer bottle and then sits on his comfy zabuton and watches the poor kid take butsukari-geiko for 30 minutes. My God. These men, the shisho, they are the guardians of the boys and young men in their charge. They take their lives in their hands. Didn't he know that?

Incredible post, I was going to try and write something about this whole mess with my broken english, but this post says everything I wanted to say and more. Thank you Hananotaka. I just have to add that this whole affair is so incredibly sad, I keep thinking about the parents who got their son home in a coffin. They must have had such high hopes and then it all ends in this.... So sad.

[Coo-cook 0]

also, where is ms.Uchidate who was ready to slap in the face of woman for dohyo climbing ?

Maybe she is doing the smart thing and has decided not to comment publicly on an ongoing criminal investigation?

Incidentally: This is a serious matter, and I do hope everybody here will manage to refrain from using it to ride their personal hobby horses, no matter if it's "Asashoryu wuz robbed", "Makiko Uchidate is a stupid bint", "the NSK needs to be reformed from the ground up", or anything else.

Asashosakari,

Please, don't act like a priest. Who are you to tell people which horse they should mount (or hope not to mount) ?

It's a damn serious matter as you said ....and forumers should discuss and express their opinion with or without Asa ,Uchidate, NSK ...whoever.

Edited September 27, 2007 by Coo-cook

[Asashosakari 20,272]

I'll have to disagree with Hananotaka on this. The whole thing seems like a perfect storm of stupidity, with the poor kid as the unfortunate victim...you've got parents who apparently thought nothing about sending their child back to a place he'd already run away from three times, plus an oyakata who didn't know when to cut his losses and/or was so concerned with his professional pride that he felt compelled to "teach a lesson" to somebody who was clearly unwilling or unable to go along with it. I can't say I'm too sympathetic that the father may have done it "to make a man out of his son" or "because he felt it was the right thing to do" or whatever. At some point you'll have to admit to yourself that it's not been working out, and I dare say once your son turns up on your doorsteps for the third time, that point has been reached, and then some.

Edit: I'll add that you'll hardly find a bigger proponent of personal responsibility and critic of today's molly-coddling of (not just, but mostly) teenagers than me; but individual shock therapy isn't the way to rectify that, either. That there's anecdotal evidence about kids being turned the right way by sending them into sumo (Chiyotaikai comes to mind), or by sending them off to military school (to draw a US comparison) is fine, but it certainly doesn't mean it can be applied to just anybody.

Edited September 27, 2007 by Asashosakari

[Raishu 220]

Tokitsukaze and all deshi implicated will immediately retire, the heya will fold, and the remaining deshi will be absorbed in one (or some) of the other Ichimon's heya.

Of course, all we can do is to speculate, but isn't it more "profitable" to keep that prestigous heya alive by introducing a new Tokitsukaze Oyakata before pressing the "fold button"(despite the damage for the whole Ichimon)?

For example, former Zaoniskiki (current Nishikijima (on loan)) or former Aogiyama (current Edagawa) could take over the heya by adopting the Tokitsukaze name as long as they are searching for a new stable master. Is there an active sekitori related to Tokitsukaze?? (Showing respect...) (Sign of approval...)

Another possibilty could be Tokitsuumi (if he isn't involved) becoming the new Tokitsukaze Oyakata. (First prize...)

What can our kabu experts say about that? (In jonokuchi...)

Man, this damn confusing...

[Asashosakari 20,272]

Asashosakari,

Please, don't act like a priest. Who are you to tell people which horse they should mount (or hope not to mount) ?

Well, if you'd like to mount one of your hobby horses (actually, you just did, by using this subject to have yet another go at me...did I shoot your cat or something? It's what, the fourth time in three months?), you're certainly free to do so, but you'll probably look like a callous ass in the process. It was just a well-meant call for keeping the thread from degenerating into another stupid flame-fest; but you're right, far be it from me to interfere with people's desire to act like idiots in public.

And I think I'll add you to my ignore list now, because this has gotten extremely tiresome of late.

Edited September 27, 2007 by Asashosakari

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

This is looking very bad. The whole trying to cremate the body thing, and get it going before the parents had a chance to ask any questions...there were a few more details in the Chunichi Newspaper article than in the Mainichi News. The body apparently had already been sent the crematorium, and they were just waiting for next of kin to give the go-ahead. When the parents were notified, the body was ready to be taken care of quickly. Only the parents quick realization that something was very wrong saved the evidence. This could very easily have been swept away faster than anyone could catch on. The parents may have erred in not letting their son remain after his third escape, but at least they had the wherewithal to ask for an autopsy. Those are still relatively rare in Japan when compared with the US.

[Jakusotsu 6,401]

Reading all this, it makes me terribly sad. I think back to a TV special I saw about Terao and his stable. It featured him going to Mongolia to scout a young lad recommended to him by Asashoryu (young Seirou). One image that really stuck with me was Terao in the living room of Seirou's parents, leaning forward to his translator, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and saying earnestly, "Please tell them that if they decide to let him come to Japan, I will take responsibility for him." And another scene with Terao and a young rikishi with a heart murmur, Terao talking to him and going with him to the hospital, trying to decide if they should continue his career in sumo, or be cautious and safe. It was, after all, the young man's life they were talking about. And finally, of course, the image of Shikoroyama Oyakata donning a mawashi, getting into the ring with Homasho, breaking a rib in the process and shaking it off, continuing to train his young deshi. How different from an oyakata who hits his deshi in the face with a beer bottle and then sits on his comfy zabuton and watches the poor kid take butsukari-geiko for 30 minutes. My God. These men, the shisho, they are the guardians of the boys and young men in their charge. They take their lives in their hands. Didn't he know that?

Really so much different?

[Jonosuke 28]

His father said the body came only wrapped in a towel from a funeral home. The face was smashed so badly that he could hardly recognize his son. There was a deep and wide cut on his head he thought he died of a head wound.

The skin was all purple from bruises and burn marks, his son's younger daughter went hysterical when she saw the body. The family felt they could not show the body to anyone else and they sent the body for an autopsy at the University of Niigata Medical School.

If he was cremated without the autopsy, the police may have had more problems with their investigation but they have a sworn statement from a rikishi who admitted he hit Tokitaizan whenever he refused to get up during a Butsugari geiko session. He also told them about an incident the day before when a number of rikishi at the heya surrounded Tokitaizan and punched and hit him repeatedly. This was after Tokitsukaze oyakata hit Tokitaizan with a beer bottle and told the heya's rikishi to "take a good care" of him.

Tokitaizan's father admitted his son was not exactly a model kid and one of the reasons they sent him to join Ozumo was to straighten him out. Sources within the heya intimate Kototaizan smoked a cigarette in washroom and has taken thing from the heya (though the validity of this is not clear) and the oyakata was upset of him running away repeatedly. Obviously this is no excuse for what they have done.

Tokitaizan's father said his son did not tell him he was being beaten up, just he was scared of his elders at the the heya and that was the reason he sent him back.

There is no question Tokitsukaze oyakata needs to resign but even now he should be suspended by the Rijicho. Some rikishi as well as the oyakata may indeed be charged by the police but the heya and Ichimon should remain with another oyakata taking over. The present regime of Kitanoumi and Takasago should go as well but regardless I don't see how they could be re-elected in January. Both should at least get their pay reduction (in case of Takasago he has already so he won't anymore but his future as a Kyokai heavyweight is diminished).

[Coo-cook 0]

Asashosakari,

Please, don't act like a priest. Who are you to tell people which horse they should mount (or hope not to mount) ?

Well, if you'd like to mount one of your hobby horses (actually, you just did, by using this subject to have yet another go at me...did I shoot your cat or something? It's what, the fourth time in three months?), you're certainly free to do so, but you'll probably look like a callous ass in the process. It was just a well-meant call for keeping the thread from degenerating into another stupid flame-fest; but you're right, far be it from me to interfere with people's desire to act like idiots in public.

And I think I'll add you to my ignore list now, because this has gotten extremely tiresome of late.

You are the one stupid idiot who acts like an all knowing ass who wants teach everybody what to say or not. And it's not first time.Stop it.Will you?

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Well said, Joe.

Coo-cock, treading a fine line, buddy.

[Jonosuke 28]

From today's press conference with Masato Saito, father of Takashi Satio.

According to Masato Saito, 50, father of Kototaizan, he first received a phone call from Tokitsukaze oyakata around 2 PM on June 26.

The oyakata said, "I am sorry to report that your son died. The cause of death is acute heart failure. Anyway we will take care of him here."

The family started having a doubt about the heya taking care of him so they called the heya back and was told for the first time they were planning to cremate his body right away. The family told the heya that they would come over to pick up the body immediately but his body was eventually brought to their house by a funeral home. With the body, they found his cell phone broken in half.

After seeing so many cuts and burns on the body, the family asked more explanation from the oyakata but all he told them was they were results of regular training sessions.

After a weekly magazine reported that beating and hazing caused the death at Tokitsukaze beya, the oyakata came to see the family in August to tell them that he personally hit their son with a beer bottle. "Up to the moment I thought the oyakata stopped the heya's other rikishi from applying violence towards my son. When I heard the oyakata hit my son, I was left speechless," Masato said. About his conversation with Tokitsukaze oyakata, Masato says he no longer remembers it too well. "Most things I really don't want to remember, so my memory is not that clear anymore ".

"If I told my son to run away that night, nothing like this happened. I told him to do his best. It was me, I got too selfish. My son pleaded me to come pick him up as he would promise to be a good boy."

"And then all I told him was, at least try the best he could at the Nagoya," Masato said wiping his tears with a hankerchief. "Only if he told me he was getting beaten up..."

Edited September 27, 2007 by Jonosuke

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Just a bit more info on Joe's report...

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/419334

[Ikh Mongol Dagvadorj 0]

Asashosakari,

Please, don't act like a priest. Who are you to tell people which horse they should mount (or hope not to mount) ?

Well, if you'd like to mount one of your hobby horses (actually, you just did, by using this subject to have yet another go at me...did I shoot your cat or something? It's what, the fourth time in three months?), you're certainly free to do so, but you'll probably look like a callous ass in the process. It was just a well-meant call for keeping the thread from degenerating into another stupid flame-fest; but you're right, far be it from me to interfere with people's desire to act like idiots in public.

And I think I'll add you to my ignore list now, because this has gotten extremely tiresome of late.

You are the one stupid idiot who acts like an all knowing ass who wants teach everybody what to say or not. And it's not first time.Stop it.Will you?

+1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How disgusting that that Tokitsukaze trying hide it by cremating. Who knows how many this kind of brutality cases are hidden.

It is interesting to observe how this case will be handled in near future. This is criminal case (not mentioning the death, even hitting someone's face with beer bottle/beating by metal bat is crime) far worse than Asashoryu soccer game case which was more like a soap opera. In other hand I felt respect to those mongolian kids who joined. respect those our home boys who gone through all various physical abuses and mental psychological abuses of other rikishis who were cursing "kyuso mongoru", and succeeded in sumo ring

Edited September 27, 2007 by Ikh Mongol Dagvadorj

[sekitori 492]

The punishment will have to be much worse than Asa's.

Asashoryu was guilty of not living up to his responsibilities and he was punished by the NSK for it. Even though it affected the public, it was an internal matter and was handled as such.

This incident is far different. Of course, the Kyokai must take extremely severe action. They apparently have enough proof to do it now. But whatever measures they take, they will be minor compared to what the judicial system could do. This appears to be a case of murder or at least manslaughter--if such a charge exists in Japan. If the people involved are found to be guilty of such crimes, they could possibly face long prison sentences. Being banned from sumo would be a minor penalty compared to that.

As much as the public image of sumo was harmed by the Asashoryu situation, chances are excellent that it will improve as time goes on. I believe this situation will create far stronger negative public opinion and it may take a very long time for it to to go away.

The Asashoryu situation is sad. This situation is a tragedy. (Showing respect...)

[Coo-cook 0]

Well said, Joe.

Coo-cock, treading a fine line, buddy.

Otokonoyama,

Would you mind sending same reprimand to Asashosakari ? Actually, I was using same language and words he like to use often.Namely "stupid", "ass" and "idiot" are the words he often uses to people, who doesn't agree with him.

[Coo-cook 0]

Asashosakari,

Please, don't act like a priest. Who are you to tell people which horse they should mount (or hope not to mount) ?

Well, if you'd like to mount one of your hobby horses (actually, you just did, by using this subject to have yet another go at me...did I shoot your cat or something? It's what, the fourth time in three months?), you're certainly free to do so, but you'll probably look like a callous ass in the process. It was just a well-meant call for keeping the thread from degenerating into another stupid flame-fest; but you're right, far be it from me to interfere with people's desire to act like idiots in public.

And I think I'll add you to my ignore list now, because this has gotten extremely tiresome of late.

You are the one stupid idiot who acts like an all knowing ass who wants teach everybody what to say or not. And it's not first time.Stop it.Will you?

+1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How disgusting that that Tokitsukaze trying hide it by cremating. Who knows how many this kind of brutality cases are hidden.

It is interesting to observe how this case will be handled in near future. This is criminal case (not mentioning the death, even hitting someone's face with beer bottle/beating by metal bat is crime) far worse than Asashoryu soccer game case which was more like a soap opera. In other hand I felt respect to those mongolian kids who joined. respect those our home boys who gone through all various physical abuses and mental psychological abuses of other rikishis who were cursing "kyuso mongoru", and succeeded in sumo ring

I don't think all heyas are like that. I haven't heard any run away cases except those of first 6 Mongolians in Oshima (among Mongolian recruits I mean).

There should be a very clear line between abuse and hard physical training... unfortunately,you hear sometimes such "overboard" abuse cases from military camps around the world,too.

And, Terao's showing with shovel was just for show ...nothing else.

By the way, what's meaning of "kyoso mongoru" ?

Edited September 27, 2007 by Coo-cook

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

There are a few runaways now and then...

http://www.banzuke.com/96-2/msg00192.html

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Not too much new in the English language publications today...

A Japan times editorial: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070928a1.html

A Daily Yomiuri article: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070928TDY02006.htm

The thing that got me from the DY article was that the cell phone was broken in two, but the memory card from that phone was in pieces. That seems to suggest the memory card was removed and broken intentionally (after the phone was snapped in two), to be sure any possible evidence would not be useable.

[Guest Arunaa]

Yeah

[Hananotaka 8]

Really so much different?

Sure. As I said, there's a place in sumo for harsh treatment. But it has to be accompanied by that understanding that the young men's parents have given their child to you to take care of, and that you are responsible for their lives. Tokitsukaze apparently lost view of that, and while I'm sure he feels beyond terrible for the death of Saito, this is the result of his negligence. Terao, at least, has never killed one of his charges, so I'm guessing he understands the line between "harsh treatment" and "dereliction of responsibility".

[Kintamayama 47,297]

Kitanoumi was summoned to the Ministry of Education, Culture, sports, science and technology to meet with the minister and his deputy and do some explaining about this affair. He did the "apology for causing bother and deep reflection" routine there. He was apparently asked very difficult and poignant questions, to which he didn't seem to have serious answers. After that, he held a press conference with the media where he came under serious attack. It's very long, but if someone wants to translate - http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20070928-00000923-san-spo

The gist - he avoided answering the recurring question of why the Kyokai hasn't opened an internal investigation, or if he intends to do so. He was asked what he intends to with Tokitsukaze- no answer. He was asked if the Kyokai will be changing its hazing policy- no answer, just talk of how every heya has its own system and that he will have to think and reflect deeply etc and do his best that this won't happen again.

Edited September 28, 2007 by Kintamayama

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/419378

Seems the education ministry has decided to mete out punishments, since the JSA has proven inept at policing itself...

[Hananotaka 8]

Kitanoumi's Q&A. Done on the fly and with no QC, so a Japanese native or other Japanese speaker might want to double check it...

Q: What did you and the Minister talk about?

A: I said to him, "I humbly apologize for this trouble. I am deeply reflecting (on this matter)."

Q: What will the Kyokai do now, after having this conference?

A: We received a number of directions. I was told, "Please do your best, and make sound reforms."

Q: The Minister requested a meeting, but why did you yourself come?

A: I heard the request and thought that I should make the visit.

Q: What directions did you receive from the Minister and Deputy Minister?

A: Well, we are talking about rikishi, after all. The Minister said, "Shouldn't the severity of keiko and other things really be made clear?" I expressed my personal feelings that, "Things vary depending on banzuke, and we have to consider that, as well."

Q: Yesterday, the father of the late Saito-san said, "I don't want to watch sumo anymore."

A: I think that's a completely natural feeling for the parents to have.

Q: What kind of report did the Kyokai give the parents?

A: I said, "I humbly apologize for this trouble, and am deeply reflecting on what happened."

Q: What kind of report could you make without having done an internal investigation?

A: As their child has died, I expressed my apologies.

Q: You haven't reported to them regarding the facts of the case?

A: As there is an ongoing (police) investigation, I don't believe I can say anything.

Q: Do you intend to have an independent internal investigation?

A: The police have been investigating various matters, and I am cooperating with them.

Q: What areas are your reflecting on, and how will you make use of this incident?

A: I think we need to think about this and deeply reflect over matters so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again.

Q: Can you reflect over matters without conducting an investigation?

A: It is an obvious fact that someone died, so I think we must deeply reflect on that.

Q: The boy's physical health is being questioned. Couldn't you improve the way conditioning is done in the heyas?

A: Well, it's a fact that he died. However there are a number of things we have to start, and various things to explore.

Q: Will you re-evaluate "special treatment" (kawaigari)?

A: It's a question of what kind of circumstances for the "special treatment". As I said before, training varies depending on where one is in the banzuke, so there's a gap between those who have done sumo before and those who haven't. There are differences between heyas, but I think we all must consider things on the same level.

Q: Is it an issue with Totkitukaze beya, or with the sumo world as a whole?

A: You see, every heya's guidance during keiko is different. I don't know how Tokitsukaze was conducting their keiko. I don't think there was much difference, but I do think things must not go too far.

Q: What did the Minister say regarding Tokitsukaze-beya?

A: I was told, "From now on, that kind of thing must never happen again."

Q: The Minister and Deputy Minister said, "The global reverberations are large, and it has the attention of the nation." Is there anything you want to say to the people of Japan?

A: I am taking this loss of someone's life very seriously, and believe it is my job to make so it never happens again.

Q: Is there anything else you think could lead to problems similar to this bullying/hazing?

A: I also have my own heya, and you know it's group living. I think on that front there can be many different problems.

Q: Are you saying there's no similar case?

A: I know about my own heya, but I don't know how other heya's are coping (with such problems).

Q: Isn't it fair to say that the condition of instruction in heyas is being questioned? That there should be some instruction on the Kyokai-level?

A: I believe each heya has it's own method of guidance during keiko.

Q: As the parent organization of all these heya, what are plans from here out?

A: We must bring some people in and examine how keiko is done. That's what I think.

Q: When you say bring people in, are you including third parties?

A: I do think we should consider including third parties, but first we have to consider things internally.

Q: What report have you specifically received from Tokitsukaze oyakata?

A: I think that with an ongoing investigation, he can not say much.

Q: So you say the investigation and keiko are separate matters. I suppose only a rijicho and sumo veteran can understand that distinction. But are you saying there won't be an internal investigation?

A: I think we need to get grasp of the circumstances.

Q: The Minister believes it's necessary to investigate if there's a precedent for this kind of thing in the past.

A: I think we need to provide a framework of the what kind of situation it's been for the past few years.

Q: Again, will you have an internal investigation?

A: We need to look at what kind of circumstances it's been over the past 10 years. For example, some young men have died in their hospital beds. We need to get a grasp of the situation and report on it.

Q: Do you believe "special treatment" is keiko, and not bullying/hazing?

A: I believe it's wrong to go too far. I think it's normal to be a bit harsh starting at jonokuchi, if the rikishi himself is aiming higher, and can handle it.

Q: And if he refuses?

A: If he refuses, it's not a situation where you can really do keiko.

Q: Do you think hitting someone with a beer bottle could just be "tough love"?

A: I don't think so. The fact is, there is none of that at my heya.

Q: Regarding an investigation by a third party, will you create an outside organization like the YDC?

A: I think we'll have to think about a lot of details, regarding both the state of keiko and group living beyond keiko.

Q: As Rijicho, how will you deal with Tokitsukaze oyakata?

A: As there is an investigation ongoing, I can't say.

Q: Do you want to make some kind of judgment after the results of the investigation are in?

A: I think we must considered things depending on the circumstances.

Q: Do you think it will be difficult for heyas to continue as they have?

A: Well, times change after all. Severity depends on how each person feels themselves. I think we have to consider that and many other things. However, I think it's true that the people giving guidance feel like, "I want him to become stronger."