Featured rijicho - Musashigawa!

[Kintamayama 44,263]

Dejima:

[Tony 16]

Moti - Kokonoe said he wasn't ready - not enough experience.

Thank you Mark for the news!

Edited September 10, 2008 by Tony

[Jonosuke 28]

Now that Musashigawa will be likely spending in his Rijicho office most mornings, this will be the time for Fujishima to show his mettle. He can get Miyabi, Deji and Kaki back into shape both mentally and physically.

Is he in charge of training? I was over there as few months back and it seemed to me that Onaruto (former Buyuzan) was in charge of the training. That said, it was only one day and sekitori seemed to be doing their own thing.

Actually I did not mean his physical presence or direct coaching of their rikishi.

While Musashigawa controls the heya obviously, now their day to day operations will be handled by Fujishima. Normally the oyakata most senior or highest ranked will be most responsible of the operations when the shisho is away for any reason. That will mean Musashimaru but his future status remains unclear and the other two, former Wakanoyama and Buyuzan are junior of former Musoyama.

I always felt Musoyama had aspirations of his own to lead a heya one day - and finishing as ozeki unlike Dejima or Miyabiyama, he will have a good chance to succeed Musashigawa if not open his own heya.

However it willl get tougher to open a new heya now. The climate in the Kyokai is that one of the primary reasons they had so much problems with rikishi is because in a small heya, some rikishi progress so quickly without learning Ozumo customs from senior rikishi, especially in case of college and foreign born rikishi.

I can see the Kyokai trimming their heya number down in the near future - there is no chance a Heya like Araiso can continue. I can see the number going down to below 40 from the current 50 something.

[Kintamayama 44,263]

Musashigawa went to work today using the official rijicho car for the first time. It's a black Toyota Century. Plate number? 55, the former rijicho's Yokozuna number. He will be receiving a new car in about a month with the number 57. It's a custom made car, so it takes a while.

Car:

Edited September 11, 2008 by Kintamayama

[Jonosuke 28]

Takamisakari on the new Rijicho:

He is a tough man so I feel I need to keep myself focused. When he was a Jungyo Director, I got scolded by him several times."

(On Marijuana)

If I have money to buy something like that, I'd rather want to eat delicious food and drink to invest on my body. If I ever get the positive result. I am prepared to cut my belly."

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Musashigawa went to work today using the official rijicho car for the first time. It's a black Toyota Century. Plate number? 55, the former rijicho's Yokozuna number. He will be receiving a new car in about a month with the number 57. It's a custom made car, so it takes a while.

Seems rather wasteful. Is it really necessary to build a new car just to have new plate with the number 57?! He/they could just apply for a new vanity plate. In Japan, most cars are custom built, as you order from the dealer and wait for your car to be assembled. Most lots are not stocked with a variety of new cars that you choose from. You try a demo model, then decide what option to include, and wait for your order to be built.

[Kintamayama 44,263]

Musashigawa went to work today using the official rijicho car for the first time. It's a black Toyota Century. Plate number? 55, the former rijicho's Yokozuna number. He will be receiving a new car in about a month with the number 57. It's a custom made car, so it takes a while.

Seems rather wasteful. Is it really necessary to build a new car just to have new plate with the number 57?! He/they could just apply for a new vanity plate. In Japan, most cars are custom built, as you order from the dealer and wait for your car to be assembled. Most lots are not stocked with a variety of new cars that you choose from. You try a demo model, then decide what option to include, and wait for your order to be built.

Probably an old car with a lot of mileage. I wonder if Kitanoumi had this one since he became rijicho 6 years ago.

[Shomishuu 0]

Funny, whenever the sh*t hits the fan, they always bring up the friggin tachiai. Check out how the old farts did it when the were on the dohyo. They just ran at each other. Result? MUCH better sumo, and way less noggin-to-noggin smackdowns.

(Welcome...) (Clapping wildly...) (An idea...)

[Jonosuke 28]

Probably an old car with a lot of mileage. I wonder if Kitanoumi had this one since he became rijicho 6 years ago.

He doesn't have another car. He needs one to go to a sauna.

[Shomishuu 0]

It appears that everyone including Moti's uncle and cat has an opinion.

Me too!

Excellent thoughts, James, especially this excerpt:

If sumo didn't pretend to some higher purpose, none of this would happen. Setting yourself up as a semi-ascetic, morally unimpeachable, quasi-religious cultural asset is always going to cause trouble when the reality is a lot more prosaic.

Since you live in Japan and I don't, I wouldn't argue the point endlessly, but I do wonder whether sumo set itself up this way, or whether the Japanese culture in general evolved to make it so. After all, many of the quasi-religious aspects of sumo were embedded hundreds of years before sumo transformed itself into the spectacle we see today.

Be that as it may, you have raised - in my own mind at least - a much larger question. Let's say there is further evolution in sumo that erodes the morally impeachable religious element to the point where the yokozuna is no longer a symbol of quasi-divinity (maybe they change the rules and allow him to be demoted - or something...); and to the point where the oyakata is no longer considered culpable for a deshi's behavior or conduct; and to the point where the Shinto and Buddhist trappings are no longer visible; and to the point where rikishi of any rank can attend a baseball game dressed in shorts and a tank top with their hair looking any old way they want it, or for that matter they can compete in hon-basho in buzz cuts or crew cuts.

In other words, sumo begins to look and act just like any other sport.

In this world, I wonder if it will continue to thrive, or survive. I wonder who the fans would be, and what they would expect. I wonder if I myself would care anymore. I somehow think that I wouldn't.

I'm not saying that sumo can't - or shouldn't - be changed. I am saying that some of sumo's bane (in some eyes) is also some of it's reason for being in the first place, and that if it starts to look like something else besides the sumo everyone has always known, that it will be in as much trouble as it is in today. I believe that as improvements are made, that some of its mystique must remain in place. Very tricky.

As always, an excellent article.

Edited September 12, 2008 by Shomishuu

[James H 0]

You are right of course - there are always contradictions in slamming sumo for taking itself too seriously, because the ritual and the sumodo are what makes it special. Maybe linked to this is Iwagakki's rant on another thread about how the Russian wrestlers are undermining their position by saying they love sumo at the same time as they complain their treatment was too harsh. If you join something that defines itself by strict concepts of honour and behaviour, any deviance from those should result in resignation... kind of like what people like Mark say about Asashoryu.

I think my problem with the NSK is not that it puts sumodo and hinkaku and stoicism at the heart of what sumo means - it should - but that sumo allows itself to be politicized and becomes a vehicle for ugly ideologies that have nothing to do with shin gi tai, or rei.

Some of the mainstream responses to this recent scandal get very close to the nationalistic nonsense spouted by Abe when he was prime minister. All sport is symbolic of something - that's why we care about it. And the ugliness around sumo is no worse than the ugliness around a national football team (the jingoism of English football fans comes to mind)

But when sumo gets mixed up with nihonjinron idealogy (the whole ware ware Nihonjin bollocks) sumodo goes out the window and it is all just chauvinism wrapped up in pretty "Japanese" packaging.

At the end of the column, I think I got to where I wanted to - that the NSK needs to ensure sumodo is practiced properly and the shisho look after their deshi as they should. So in a way, it is quite a conservative conclusion... sumo should be better at being sumo, and get rid of the distractions that stop it doing that.

[Jakusotsu 5,743]

That's why the complete lack of strong guidance ultimately spelled doom for the Young Phoenix. The NSK has to fully take the blame here, and I hope Musashigawa's promises aren't as hollow as Kitanoumi's stare.

[Asashosakari 18,669]

Since you live in Japan and I don't, I wouldn't argue the point endlessly, but I do wonder whether sumo set itself up this way, or whether the Japanese culture in general evolved to make it so.

Depends on the time frame you're thinking of, I would say. AFAIK sumo was considered hopelessly outdated around the Meiji restoration and I doubt many people in Japanese society were clamoring for it to remain true to its roots. That it did so anyway probably falls into that class of "historical accidents" that reverberate for decades and centuries, but could easily have gone another way at the time. (But then, sumo might well have become a subject only debated by historians today.) I'm not sure if a comparable situation has taken place again since...I seem to recall something about the American post-WWII military occupation taking a good long look at sumo and its place in a future reformed Japan, but I really don't trust my memory on this right now.

Apropos to James' point about sumo avoiding getting tangled up in larger societal issues, I just realized I've never really read anything about sumo's place within the (hyper-)nationalism in the first half of the 20th century. I wonder if that's because it didn't get tangled up, or because it was so tangled up that it's impossible to separate from society overall. Or because I've simply managed to remain completely ignorant on the subject until now...

[Shomishuu 0]

I seem to recall something about the American post-WWII military occupation taking a good long look at sumo and its place in a future reformed Japan, but I really don't trust my memory on this right now.

That would have been after the decision had been made to allow the Emperor to stay. Like you, I am fuzzy about this and don't have time to look right now, but it would have been very incongruous to keep the Emperor and then give sumo the boot. It wouldn't have re-started the war, but would have been very heavy-handed.

[Mark Buckton 1]

If you join something that defines itself by strict concepts of honour and behaviour, any deviance from those should result in resignation... kind of like what people like Mark say about Asashoryu.

Something I believe in there. Having done 2 very special jobs in my life for a total of eight years. Both military, one at the oldest military flying unit in the world. In the first, we later learned that 1-2% of applicants are accepted and of that number, basic training weeded out another 30-35%, I know that if I had screwed up following that training - once - I would have been moved to another job against my will. Some guys did screw up and were removed.

Now, in Japan, I believe in that same sense of honour in the job you do, and prefer, when writing, to stick to what I belive as opposed to what I think people want to read as regards sumo - in a bid to make myself popular.

I consider myself lucky to both write what I like (Steve Biko said this) and to be given the freedom to do so.

Edited September 13, 2008 by Mark Buckton

[Mark Buckton 1]

Some of the mainstream responses to this recent scandal get very close to the nationalistic nonsense spouted by Abe when he was prime minister. All sport is symbolic of something - that's why we care about it. And the ugliness around sumo is no worse than the ugliness around a national football team (the jingoism of English football fans comes to mind)

But when sumo gets mixed up with nihonjinron idealogy (the whole ware ware Nihonjin bollocks) sumodo goes out the window and it is all just chauvinism wrapped up in pretty "Japanese" packaging

.

:-) James, aren't the mainstream responses you mention and the Nohonjinron bollocks the backbone of the Yomiuri?

[James H 0]

:-) James, aren't the mainstream responses you mention and the Nohonjinron bollocks the backbone of the Yomiuri?

As I wrote here once, perhaps on the same topic: You might think that... I couldn't possibly comment.

[Kintamayama 44,263]

;-) James, aren't the mainstream responses you mention and the Nohonjinron bollocks the backbone of the Yomiuri?

As I wrote here once, perhaps on the same topic: You might think that... I couldn't possibly comment.

And I answered- My favorite Brit drama ever..

[Kintamayama 44,263]

Musashigawa Rijicho assembled all of the Oyakata who belong to the judging division after the dohyo matsuri today. "If you see anyone not doing a 'real' tachi-ai, with both hands on the ground, stop him, whoever he may be!!", he said unto them. Since Aki of 1984, it is obligatory to do the touchy-ai with both hands down, but lately Yokozuna Asashouryuu and Sekiwake Ama are conspicuous in their not putting down their hands, and there were many fans complaining to the Kyokai about this. "Lately, we're seeing a lot of sloppy tachi-eyes, some of them without putting the hands down at all. If the hands are not down, it's a do-over", he ordered. He will be informing the two tate-gyoji about this as well. A memo regarding this will be posted in both shitakubeya. The new kid in town also promised that bad dohyo- mannered rikishi will be summoned for a scolding, showing his intention of tightening up the slack given these last few years.

Does anyone else think Hokutouriki is going to have a nightmare basho?

Edited September 13, 2008 by Kintamayama

[Jakusotsu 5,743]

Does anyone else think Hokutouriki is going to have a nightmare basho?

That was my very first thought actually. B-)

Time to fix my Oracle entry....oh, wait... (I am not worthy...)

[Asashosakari 18,669]

Does anyone else think Hokutouriki is going to have a nightmare basho?

That was my very first thought actually. (I am not worthy...)

Good thing Roho and Hakurozan are a-goners...with a strictly enforced tachi-ai for their opponents, the brothers would probably have henkaed a dozen times each this basho.

[Jonosuke 28]

I am not actually in favor of enforcing a strict two hands tachiai. I know Ozumo magazine has a page with 15 dayl Makuuchi rikishi tachiai records showing how many did two hands tachiai, one hand or no hand tachiai but I consider it's a waste of time.

The policy will cause more fidgeting by both rikishi at the final shikiri. I always felt if two rikishi are doing two hands shikiri, the one who put both hands down first will have an advantage as he can see his opponent putting the second hand quicker and can jump out sooner. So what happens is more time taken to do the last shikiri and we have more matta (of course this will also incur some wrath from dohyo judges).

They say the fans are upset not seeing two hands down shikiri but I think they/we get more upset seeing repeated matta. I believe their thinking is a badly executed shikiri leads to a whole lot of bad bouts but that's not necessary so. What make bouts not worth seeing is a tachiai henka, no visible effort to stay in at the dohyo edge and intentional extra push after the opponent is out and down. Even having a bad tachiai, I've seen enough competitive and exciting bouts.

[Asashosakari 18,669]

FWIW, I'm mostly in favour of enforcing something...doesn't matter to me if it's two-hands down, one-hand down, both hands behind the head, or whatever. It's just patently unfair that some rikishi (names have already been mentioned) get away with gaining a big advantage at the tachiai because their opponents feel compelled to follow the (nominal) rules while they don't.

I pretty much agree that strict enforcement will lead to sky-rocketing amounts of matta, but it's a question of baby steps...hopefully they'll come to realize that they're simply enforcing the wrong thing, not that enforcement is bad altogether.

[Kintaro 7]

I too am in favor of "enforcing something", and two-hands down tachiai seems like a logical rule to enforce.

It was tried before. You may remember Takatoriki made a big show of defiantly putting down one fist, and then the other fist when he was getting fined for sloppy tachiai. Here, years later, the puffin-chested one will indeed have trouble. Hokutoriki looks like a wasp as he comes up from his tachiai, with his hands swinging near the dohyo, but never quite grazing it.

Another point, Konishiki couldn't physically perform a proper tachiai near the end of his sumo career. More accurately, if he did touch with both hands, he wouldn't have been able to get back up to fight. Hmm... could reinforcement of the rules back then prevented him from balooning-up as much as he did?

It's all about change management. It will be interesting to watch. This should be a great basho.

[Jonosuke 28]

It's reported that Chairman Musashigawa issued a reprimand to a Tokoyama with Otake Beya after the heya's Tokonao was found to do the mage for Roho and Hakurozan for their informal press conference at a park nearby their condominium. The Kyokai says its against their rule to do the hair of dismissed rikishi.

Otake oyakata visited the new chairman to offer an apology and the chairman issued the reprimand adding it was a careless act.

Tokonao is only a fifth level Tokoyama, the lowest level so even if they want to demote him, he cannot go lower unless they dismiss him from the Kyokai. I believe they need all who are willing to be trained as a Tokoyama these days.

Edited September 14, 2008 by Jonosuke