YDC convenes after Hatsu 2008

[Kintamayama 41,309]

The YDC had only good things to say about both Yokozunas' performance this basho. "Asashouryuu has vindicated himself.. He totally gambarized! Anyway you looked at it, it was splendid!", said former Chairman Ishibashi. "He did keiko immediately upon returning to Japan. He reflected upon his deeds and apologized. He made an effort, and the results could be seen. With the 13 wins, he upheld the honor of a Yokozuna. At times, though, he wasn't fully up to par heart-wise and physically, but if he does more keiko, hopefully we will see the dawning of the Hakuhou-Asashouryuu period", said Chairman Ebisawa. As for returning to Mongolia- "I've heard he has not requested it yet. We are living in times when one can go overseas whenever and wherever he chooses. As long as he fulfills his obligations as a Yokozuna and uses his common sense, I'm sure each and every member of the YDC will have no problem with that. It's up to the heya's boss, his shisho to make that decision", said Ebisawa-san. As for Hakuhou: "He gave a good fight. He should use this pride-boosting win as a springboard for the future!".

[ilovesumo 12]

Woooh...

PRO Asa.

Might Uchidate-sama quit? Maybe she indeed feels in the way after such comments from Ebisawa-sama...

Phew...

[Bealzbob 0]

If he uses his common sense, I'm sure each and every member of the YDC will have no problem with that

Yeah right.

I also notice the positivity tends to come from anyone other than you-know-who.

[Kintamayama 41,309]

If he uses his common sense, I'm sure each and every member of the YDC will have no problem with that

Yeah right.

I also notice the positivity tends to come from anyone other than you-know-who.

You- know- who asked to be excused from the meeting "so as not to cause trouble for the Kyokai". I don't know if it was there or not, but since there are no quotes, I guess not. Totally unprofessional, totally childish, her contributions to sumo notwithstanding.

But I repeat myself.

[Kintamayama 41,309]

She was there after all. No verbal comment. "If I speak I may be misunderstood, so I will enter my thoughts in my own writing", she said, and left the Kkan in a

hurry. She asked to be allowed to skip the meeting, citing as a reason the constant misquotes in the newspapers, although she did not speak to any reporter, but she arrived anyway. "There were no extreme opinions from her", said Chairman Ebisawa.

[Bealzbob 0]

You- know- who asked to be excused from the meeting "so as not to cause trouble for the Kyokai". I don't know if it was there or not, but since there are no quotes, I guess not. Totally unprofessional, totally childish, her contributions to sumo notwithstanding.

But I repeat myself.

How could you-know-who's presence have 'caused trouble for the Kyokai'? It's almost as if you-know-who couldn't stomach the positive vibes that were about to be effused. I agree, totally unprofessional, and to me it makes a mockery of you-know-who's position and adds credence to the suggestion of mine (and many others) that you-know-who is only able to complain and moan.

Edited January 28, 2008 by Bealzbob

[James H 0]

She was there after all. No verbal comment. "If I speak I may be misunderstood, so I will enter my thoughts in my own writing", she said, and left the Kkan in a

hurry. She asked to be allowed to skip the meeting, citing as a reason the constant misquotes in the newspapers, although she did not speak to any reporter, but she arrived anyway. "There were no extreme opinions from her", said Chairman Ebisawa.

I am not about to start defending Uchidate for being childish, but I can understand why she might get misquoted... and why she might want to avoid it happening again.

(In my experience of huddling around her) when she speaks to reporters, she is a lot less black-and-white than the quotes that are then used. Although at times I am sure she has said some dumb things, times I heard her speak she was a lot more subtle and nuanced in her criticisms or observations. As longtime readers of the Japanese press may have noticed, subtle nuance is not something sumo reporters particularly like to report (which is why we get "ichiban ichiban, jibun no sumo" from every sekitori after every bout). I am not sure why - maybe it is seen as unmanly or something, or they think readers just want to hear the same things day after day.

If you look both Ozumo magazines, for example, you do find analysis and rikishi talk that is more than the average, but Uchidate is getting quoted in the tabloids (who also have a habit of putting an inflammatory question inside the quote if the answer was anything except "Hell, no" : "Do you think Asashoryu should be tarred, feathered and shipped back to Mongolia? Hmm, well" = "UCHIDATE SAYS ASA TO BE TARRED, FEATHERED")

[Kintamayama 41,309]

I am not about to start defending Uchidate for being childish, but I can understand why she might get misquoted... and why she might want to avoid it happening again.

I can see your point, but we are still left with the repeatedly said "For me, he is retired" thingy, which was by no means a misquotation, unless it was, in which case I give up..

[James H 0]

I am not about to start defending Uchidate for being childish, but I can understand why she might get misquoted... and why she might want to avoid it happening again.

I can see your point, but we are still left with the repeatedly said "For me, he is retired" thingy, which was by no means a misquotation, unless it was, in which case I give up..

Oh, no, you are right about that. that was and is silly.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

As longtime readers of the Japanese press may have noticed, subtle nuance is not something sumo reporters particularly like to report (which is why we get "ichiban ichiban, jibun no sumo" from every sekitori after every bout). I am not sure why - maybe it is seen as unmanly or something, or they think readers just want to hear the same things day after day.

Many thanks for the inside scoop. I understand that the rikishi are expected to, and usually do, give the short & sweet responses. I'm not so sure that applies to the officers of the NSK, heya coaches and staff, and others associated with Ozumo, like the YDC. Could you clarify please?

[Bealzbob 0]

She was there after all. No verbal comment. "If I speak I may be misunderstood, so I will enter my thoughts in my own writing", she said, and left the Kkan in a

hurry. She asked to be allowed to skip the meeting, citing as a reason the constant misquotes in the newspapers, although she did not speak to any reporter, but she arrived anyway. "There were no extreme opinions from her", said Chairman Ebisawa.

I am not about to start defending Uchidate for being childish, but I can understand why she might get misquoted... and why she might want to avoid it happening again.

(In my experience of huddling around her) when she speaks to reporters, she is a lot less black-and-white than the quotes that are then used. Although at times I am sure she has said some dumb things, times I heard her speak she was a lot more subtle and nuanced in her criticisms or observations. As longtime readers of the Japanese press may have noticed, subtle nuance is not something sumo reporters particularly like to report (which is why we get "ichiban ichiban, jibun no sumo" from every sekitori after every bout). I am not sure why - maybe it is seen as unmanly or something, or they think readers just want to hear the same things day after day.

If you look both Ozumo magazines, for example, you do find analysis and rikishi talk that is more than the average, but Uchidate is getting quoted in the tabloids (who also have a habit of putting an inflammatory question inside the quote if the answer was anything except "Hell, no" : "Do you think Asashoryu should be tarred, feathered and shipped back to Mongolia? Hmm, well" = "UCHIDATE SAYS ASA TO BE TARRED, FEATHERED")

Thanks for the clarification. To be honest I think most nations' tabloid journalists are the same. What I WOULD say therefore is that she needs to come out and be unequivocally SUPPORTIVE after a basho where it would be easy to do so. That, for me, could have been hatsu, but for whatever reason it wasn't.

[James H 0]

I understand that the rikishi are expected to, and usually do, give the short & sweet responses. I'm not so sure that applies to the officers of the NSK, heya coaches and staff, and others associated with Ozumo, like the YDC. Could you clarify please?

I'm not sure if it does. I am sure there are other people on here who have spoken to non-rikishi sumo world people and find them interesting, voluble and happy to talk the ear off a donkey about any topic under the sun. I know that a lot of kisha club reporters are friends with oyakata and others and of course they talk in depth about things, off the record.

But stick a microphone or a notebook in front of them, and you get a different response.

One example I can give: Takasago is (until the day after tomorrow) the head of public relations. However, his relationship with the press club is so bad that he really doesn't talk to many people there (except a few old friends, I think). He and Kitanoumi maintain a certain distance from beat reporters and when asked give stock responses. Now Shikoroyama oyakata (former Terao) is stationed IN the press club for most of the tournament. He is personable, approachable and quite happy to chat about most sumo-related topics (I haven't tried him on yaocho, before you ask). Hakkaku oyakata is another who I know who is like that, while many of the judges are quite happy to speak their mind. (Kitanofuji and Mainoumi aren't NSK, but they are both pretty straight when they do the NHK commentary, I would say)

I think a lot of people in the sumo world - especially former sekitori - have been in the business of speaking in bland, completely safe generalizations for so long that they would never attempt to do anything different (to be honest, most English football players and managers are no better). I don't know if it is according to edict, but no one ever got penalized for following a well-worn script. Look what happened to Takanohana (oyakata) when he started stirring things up about making the boxes bigger and sumo more accessible.

Hope that answers the question - like i said, there are lots of people on this forum who have more experience of dealing with stablemasters and will have other experiences.

[Sasanishiki 57]

I think a lot of people in the sumo world - especially former sekitori - have been in the business of speaking in bland, completely safe generalizations for so long that they would never attempt to do anything different (to be honest, most English football players and managers are no better).

Try rugby players of any nationality - they are mostly masters of standard phrases!

[Harry 67]

I'm actually pretty sick of the standard PR taught answers of most sports stars these days. No point in watching them speak.

BTW, I watched サンデースポーツ on NHK/TVJapan this past Sunday when 白鵬 was on. He was very well spoken and it was nice to hear him speak when he wasn't out of breath and sweating profusely right after a match! They also replayed the match umpteen times and had several poster sized blow-ups of pictures taken during the match... but he was quite modest at all times.　　I bet the interview is online somewhere but I haven't had any luck finding it. I really should have recorded it myself...

[philafuji 1]

I'm actually pretty sick of the standard PR taught answers of most sports stars these days. No point in watching them speak.

BTW, I watched サンデースポーツ on NHK/TVJapan this past Sunday when 白鵬 was on. He was very well spoken and it was nice to hear him speak when he wasn't out of breath and sweating profusely right after a match! They also replayed the match umpteen times and had several poster sized blow-ups of pictures taken during the match... but he was quite modest at all times.　　I bet the interview is online somewhere but I haven't had any luck finding it. I really should have recorded it myself...

Harry,

Any chance you can mention the rikishi you are writing about here? I don't understand those symbols. I would appreciate it if you would name him.

Thanks

philafuji

[aderechelsea 107]

Hakuho

[Harry 67]

Hakuho

That's right. Sorry, I should stick to romaji. Hakuho was speaking on the "Sunday Sports" programme on NHK/TVJapan after the final day of the tournament.

Harry

[Doitsuyama 1,156]

That's right. Sorry, I should stick to romaji. Hakuho was speaking on the "Sunday Sports" programme on NHK/TVJapan after the final day of the tournament.

Nitpick: It's romanji, or, as Moti would say roumanji (or rōmanji or of course ロウマン字). I have seen that way too often and would like to correct this before it becomes correct by way of so many people doing it wrong (like calling rikishi sumo in English).

[Anjoboshi 2]

Nitpick: It's romanji, or, as Moti would say roumanji (or rōmanji or of course ロウマン字). I have seen that way too often and would like to correct this before it becomes correct by way of so many people doing it wrong (like calling rikishi sumo in English).

Are you sure about the 'n' in 'rōmanji'?

Most of the sources I have seen until now do vehemently distinguish between the 'rōmanji' and 'rōmaji', latter one being the "correct" version. If I remember it right even in my japanese language course at the university it was said that it is 'rōmaji' without the 'n'. Do you have any sources?

Sorry for going offtopic, but I'm interested to find out which version is the correct one. :D

[Harry 67]

That's right. Sorry, I should stick to romaji. Hakuho was speaking on the "Sunday Sports" programme on NHK/TVJapan after the final day of the tournament.

Nitpick: It's romanji, or, as Moti would say roumanji (or rōmanji or of course ロウマン字). I have seen that way too often and would like to correct this before it becomes correct by way of so many people doing it wrong (like calling rikishi sumo in English).

Sorry to nitpick right back but in fact it is ローマ字. There is no　ン in there.

For the record I hate ローマ字! There are so many forms (roumaji, roomaji, rōmaji) and they all really mess you up and don't help you pronounce things, plus they make it really hard to search for things in a dictionary especially due the common practice of rendaku (連濁) where they change or drop the diacritical marks. If you want to learn Japanese, do it right and learn kana the first time is my advice.

But for here I'll try to use simplified romaji (romaji is the simplified version of roumaji) as no one spells Hakuho as Hakuhou or Asashoryu as Asashouryuu here or on the English version of the official sumo sites.

Edited January 31, 2008 by Harry

[Sasanishiki 57]

I'll nitpick too and say for the 20 years that I've been involved with Japanese language I've never seen romaji with an 'n' in it. I'd also say that technically it shouldn't be written roumaji because that is the hiragana script lengthening of the 'o' sound and not the way that katakana does it (which is by a character resembling a horizontal line). I prefer if macrons are used about vowels but roomaji also would work.

[Asojima 2,839]

...... no one spells Hakuho as Hakuhou or Asashoryu as Asashouryuu here or on the English version of the official sumo sites.

Hmmmmm ... it's been 20 minutes already and no word from Moti. He must have a heavy date tonite. (On the banzuke...)

[Harry 67]

I'll nitpick too and say for the 20 years that I've been involved with Japanese language I've never seen romaji with an 'n' in it. I'd also say that technically it shouldn't be written roumaji because that is the hiragana script lengthening of the 'o' sound and not the way that katakana does it (which is by a character resembling a horizontal line). I prefer if macrons are used about vowels but roomaji also would work.

Like I said, romaji is bad!　　Please, everyone install Japanese fonts so I can write in kana (On the banzuke...)

[philafuji 1]

Aderechelsea and Harry.

Thank you both for the help.

[Doitsuyama 1,156]

That's right. Sorry, I should stick to romaji. Hakuho was speaking on the "Sunday Sports" programme on NHK/TVJapan after the final day of the tournament.

Nitpick: It's romanji, or, as Moti would say roumanji (or rōmanji or of course ロウマン字). I have seen that way too often and would like to correct this before it becomes correct by way of so many people doing it wrong (like calling rikishi sumo in English).

Sorry to nitpick right back but in fact it is ローマ字. There is no　ン in there.

For the record I hate ローマ字! There are so many forms (roumaji, roomaji, rōmaji)

You are right, I have confused that. Another thing we can agree is that romaji is plain bad, but can't be avoided in forums with mainly non-Japanese participation.