Kotomitsuki accused of gambling- dismissed from Sumo

[Kintamayama 47,284]

But, in Japan, mary jane is just as bad as the nose candy, or the shabu that Nori-p was into recently.

I was talking Europe, just as an example.

[Peterao 3]

I had a more cynical take...what better way to get rid of your blackmailer than leaking the story to the press yourself? It makes you look bad briefly, but to your Kyokai superiors you can always deny the whole story (no different than yaocho accusations), and now there's nothing to extort you with anymore. It's not like the gangsters are going to deliver the smoking gun to the Kyokai directors or anything.

So I guess you don't think much of the Kyokai either.

[Peterao 3]

Sumo has had friends with very short fifth digits for some time now. For example -

Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld

Encyclopedia of Violence: Frequent, Commonplace, Unexpected

Law in Everyday Japan: Sex. Sumo, Suicide, and Statutes

Gaijin Yokozuna: A Biography of Chad Rowan

This latest thing is nothing to do with a few poker games amongst rikishi, and everything to do with trying to salvage the "secret" part of the open secret of heavy mobster presence in the sumo world.

Which the Kyokai has long known about. But to say such a thing is "defamation"

[Kotoviki 16]

The yakuza have and are involved in everything in Japan, if anyone out there (esp living a long time in Japan) thinks differently then wake up and smell the binzuke!

Today in my business university I sat and talked about this with middle aged men and older men. They told me (some of them again...) that construction companies started by yakuza, festivals started with yakuza, factory production... and on and on. They said that there are what people in Japan know as good and bad yakuza. Yakuza still exist but they say it is clear to tell the good from the bad. Not one of them has a fear of dealing with good yakuza. Yakuza are a part of Japan, if the police do not like it then they better figure out how to arrest them all or hire their own hit men to take them out.

These men can not understand the hysteria around the sumo gambling and yakuza connection. not one of them is in favor of cancelling the basho nor the tv coverage. In fact the office staff have the tv on during the basho to sumo. and not one of them wrote or called NHK in favor of sumo because they all said we "knew" they would never cancel sumo on NHK.

Someone somewhere will always have ties to the yakuza in some way.

As for the gambling I say again that not any of those boys or oyakata who gambled every said to themselves "I want to fund the yakuza so I will gamble on baseball"! They gambled to win meaning they'd take money from the yakuza.

I'm sorry to say that I am fed up with the whole scandal and the reactions of some... I'd like to say that everyone whether they are Japanese or foreigners or living in Japan or not living in Japan whether they are members of this forum or general public... if they are completely disgusted with ancient ties to yakuza or the fact that Kise oyakata got tickets for the yakuza (which I'm sure was a huge profit for him which would be why he did it) or if the rikihsi "funded" the yakuza by gambling or if you think the kyokai can't change or won't change or that NHK the tv of the people are doing the right thing by cancelling sumo then....

my next suggestion is that they move on to a different cleaner sport that isn't tainted for the moment...

This is just my 2 yen worth....

my eyes are open, I know what is going on in Japan and I know I may have met some yakuza members myself. No, they didn't walk up to me and say "hi, I'm yakuza lets be friends" but you know these things. Especially I'm teaching in some industries for 22 years. Everyone relax, the problem here is bad things, compromising things surface when the media bring them up.

I just love sumo, I want to see sumo, I want the boys I know to be able to compete without being hounded by the press. I want my friends who aren't at the basho and want to watch it to see it on TV.

and now I'll wait for someone to attack me... I'm ready!

edit for spelling :-)

edit for clarifications above...

Edited July 9, 2010 by Kotoviki

[ilovesumo 12]

and now I'll wait for someone to attack me... I'm ready!

:-)

[Kintamayama 47,284]

Gangsta rap

The "former wrestler" is Katayama, who used to write the odds on the inside of his legs and consequently had the best shiko in the business, I am told. It was dubbed "O-shikko" by some.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Kintamayama

[Kotoviki 16]

and now I'll wait for someone to attack me... I'm ready!

(Hugging...)

thanks! :-)

[Hidariashiyama 0]

SO who is out of this basho? Is there a list somewhere?

Is it everyone who is listed as 0-0-15 and 0-0-7 in sumodb?

[shumitto 419]

SO who is out of this basho? Is there a list somewhere?

Is it everyone who is listed as 0-0-15 and 0-0-7 in sumodb?

Yes

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Class A war criminals, gambling deals with local governments, and yakuza friend and mediator:

http://books.google.com/books?id=rNNhhuURb...uza&f=false

[Fay 1,677]

The yakuza have and are involved in everything in Japan, if anyone out there (esp living a long time in Japan) thinks differently then wake up and smell the binzuke!

.

.

.

.

.

If something is done from the beginning of the earth and "everybody" (and in fact it isn't everybody) does it, there still is no reason that it should be done until the end of the universe.

How can you distinguish a "good" from a "bad" yakuza? If he is a murder, he is a bad one, if he just steals or blind stitches, he is a "good" one?

You can be disgusted by all the recent scandals of the sport and still be a fan and support those in the kyokai who are open for reforms and do their best to maintain the spirit of sumo and also do their best as a sportsman. Just going on with business as usual will help nobody. Cancelling the broadcasting will not help in my opinion but maybe it's an impulse for some people to think about things that have to be done. If this is really the case I can do without watching a basho.

[Kotoviki 16]

The yakuza have and are involved in everything in Japan, if anyone out there (esp living a long time in Japan) thinks differently then wake up and smell the binzuke!

.

.

.

.

.

If something is done from the beginning of the earth and "everybody" (and in fact it isn't everybody) does it, there still is no reason that it should be done until the end of the universe.

How can you distinguish a "good" from a "bad" yakuza? If he is a murder, he is a bad one, if he just steals or blind stitches, he is a "good" one?

You can be disgusted by all the recent scandals of the sport and still be a fan and support those in the kyokai who are open for reforms and do their best to maintain the spirit of sumo and also do their best as a sportsman. Just going on with business as usual will help nobody. Cancelling the broadcasting will not help in my opinion but maybe it's an impulse for some people to think about things that have to be done. If this is really the case I can do without watching a basho.

first off I wasn't complaining about you Martina...

second, I live here for 22 plus years, things are not going to change over night...

not even over 10 more years... not in 20....

third, all the "good" yakuza are not stealing or doing bad things... as I said I have friends who are yakuza who are respected business men. I do not ask those men tonight "what makes good or bad yakuza?" I trust what they've said, no need to take it further since I know some myself.

Trust me there is a lot I don't like about this country but there is enough that I do like to have become a permanent residency holder. Enough to say that I will never move back to the USA unless I have to.

If the yakuza are so bad then the police need to lock them up.... the problem is they are intertwined in everything, everyone knows it. In any case, some changes come to sumo for sure but to say that it will be completely different is probably unrealistic.

on a related topic... it is not as if we know those doing the punishing are even 100% clean, they could be doing the gambling as well or doing other things.

There was an incident in my teen years where a Texas senator or representative was hounded out by the media for extramarital affair with his mistress. Unacceptable, he had to resign from the others who told him it was necessary for him to do so. Were those that were "judging" him so different? Seemed a friend of mine in political circle said that some of those other senators and representatives said "tough break, everyone is doing it, he was just unfortunate to get caught, how lucky I am..." (everyone does not have to mean every single person in government but you get what I mean..)

[Jonosuke 28]

as I said I have friends who are yakuza who are respected business men.

Respected by who?

If they are respected businessmen, why are they even staying as yakuza members? Why not go legit?

If you ever mention to your rikishi or oyakata friend, you have good yakuza friends, you will be automatically blacklisted from them from now on as the Kyokai indicated they would do all they can to cut any ties with anyone having organized crime group connections.

This is a public forum, anyone can read and access your posts, that is including those who may be connected with Ozumo or members of special committees. When the Kyokai is trying to do everything they can to disassociate themselves from organized crime links, not only the yakuza group members themselves but also so called Do-moto, go-between and anyone having relationships with them, it will be advisable to do some self restraining if you want to keep your friendship with Kyokai members intact.

[Fay 1,677]

The yakuza have and are involved in everything in Japan, if anyone out there (esp living a long time in Japan) thinks differently then wake up and smell the binzuke!

.

.

.

.

.

If something is done from the beginning of the earth and "everybody" (and in fact it isn't everybody) does it, there still is no reason that it should be done until the end of the universe.

How can you distinguish a "good" from a "bad" yakuza? If he is a murder, he is a bad one, if he just steals or blind stitches, he is a "good" one?

You can be disgusted by all the recent scandals of the sport and still be a fan and support those in the kyokai who are open for reforms and do their best to maintain the spirit of sumo and also do their best as a sportsman. Just going on with business as usual will help nobody. Cancelling the broadcasting will not help in my opinion but maybe it's an impulse for some people to think about things that have to be done. If this is really the case I can do without watching a basho.

first off I wasn't complaining about you Martina...

second, I live here for 22 plus years, things are not going to change over night...

not even over 10 more years... not in 20....

third, all the "good" yakuza are not stealing or doing bad things... as I said I have friends who are yakuza who are respected business men. I do not ask those men tonight "what makes good or bad yakuza?" I trust what they've said, no need to take it further since I know some myself.

1. Don't worry, I didn't think you were talking about me, and if ... I wouldn't have a problem with it.

2. sure nothing will change over night but you have to make at least a start to change

3. Yakuza and "good" or brave businessman is a contradictio in adiecto in my opinion. They may do nothing illegal, even help people but they support their criminal organization. It's the same myth in Italy where some people say the mafia cares for the poor ...

[Kotoviki 16]

Respected by who?

If they are respected businessmen, why are they even staying as yakuza members? Why not go legit?

Thank you, I do understand what you are saying & the posts and what I said was not exactly how I would say it again... I clarified below...

I also understand your question above...

the problem is for most people you have ties that you don't choose. I teach for a many kinds of businesses..

. I am not saying they all wear signs saying who they are and what they do.... I am saying that people just "know" but they don't talk about it.... I am fairly certain I taught a number of them over the years. But "no" I do not know for certain who was who and I am sure most don't. Maybe good friends was not what I should have said, but on friendly terms as they are/were students and sometimes we also had class parties, etc. Ok that makes more sense. Ok maybe Kise oyakata knew who was who and that is true. It was probably very clear. I believe he did it for money. I am sure they gave him a nice bonus for securing those tickets. I mean his heya was beautiful, new.... the money came from somewhere...

I say respected because I have never heard anyone in Japan complain about anyone they thought may or may not be -someone in the past & this is what my co-workers explained to me last night, and maybe they are not deeply involved, maybe descendants of.. in any case, enough said from me on this topic. I am tired of reading about it, hearing about it and I just want to forget it.... if I thought Kotomitsuki or Toyonoshima were handing money over in payment to the yakuza for some specific reason and not just doing gambling where they hoped to win anyway then I would probably be angry and maybe have a different view... as far as gambling I just think it is stupid, I do not know anyone who wins consistently at any type of gambling. Think it is throwing out your money, but on the other hand my family & some friends think that spending almost 100,000 yen per basho on sumo tickets is throwing my money away. So I do not complain if someone gambles, that is their vice and their money, mine is sumo tickets... I have more disgust for the LEGAL pachinko parlors where you can legally throw your money away all day while your kids die in the car from heat exhaustion.. Pachinko parlors are run by yakuza, mostly of the North Korean type!! Money from a pachinko parlor goes to North Korea.. why do Japanese play pachinko? I learned about this my first week in this country. Why doesn't the government or the police shut down pachinko? They really can't have it both ways... baseball gambling is illegal because it is run by gangsters, pachinko is legal because it is run by gangsters & the government collects taxes on it. Make baseball gambling legal and tax it.

If the police questioned me all I could say was the truth. I do not know for certain who is who and what they do. I just know what a lot of Japanese know, which is all vague as nobody really knows....

I would also like to add that I could not tell you which men sitting in the tamari seats in Nagoya last year were Yakuza and which were just businessmen. They all looked the same to me! They could all be suspicious... I tried to look at old pictures and still I had no idea.

I am also sorry if I offended anyone!

Edited July 9, 2010 by Kotoviki

[Kintamayama 47,284]

Kotomitsuki tells all in an article in a weekly today. His story: At first he denied involvement in the gambling, but after it was announced that whoever comes forward with the truth will not be punished, he decided to come forward. But just to make sure, he met with then rijicho Musashigawa. "Don't worry- in the end, a majority vote is needed for dismisal, but I'll help you and arrange something..", he allegedly promised. Kotomitsuki understood this as a promise to not dismiss him. Only after this, did he write the confessional document. In reality, the rijikai decided to dismiss him because of his initial lie. "It's all because I voted for Takanohana in the elections back in February. The rest is excuses. They had it in for me and Ootake Oyakata from the outset after we both 'broke away' and voted out of line. I felt I was doomed the minute I confessed," he said. He is taking legal measures to reinstate himself (temporary measures at the Tokyo District Court) and has been training in Aichi, mage intact. He also has refused to collect his severance pay money, although he had been asked to come around and collect it.

[Tom 0]

Kotomitsuki tells all in an article in a weekly today. His story: At first he denied involvement in the gambling, but after it was announced that whoever comes forward with the truth will not be punished, he decided to come forward. But just to make sure, he met with then rijicho Musashigawa. "Don't worry- in the end, a majority vote is needed for dismisal, but I'll help you and arrange something..", he allegedly promised. Kotomitsuki understood this as a promise to not dismiss him. Only after this, did he write the confessional document. In reality, the rijikai decided to dismiss him because of his initial lie. "It's all because I voted for Takanohana in the elections back in February. The rest is excuses. They had it in for me and Ootake Oyakata from the outset after we both 'broke away' and voted out of line. I felt I was doomed the minute I confessed," he said. He is taking legal measures to reinstate himself (temporary measures at the Tokyo District Court) and has been training in Aichi, mage intact. He also has refused to collect his severance pay money, although he had been asked to come around and collect it.

I hope somehow Kotomitsuki will make a return to the ring, though I believe it won't happen...

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

'Save Kotomitsuki' advocacy group submits petition to JSA

An advocacy group for former ozeki Kotomitsuki, who was fired and received a lifetime ban from sumo for betting on pro baseball, submitted a petition on Tuesday to the Japan Sumo Association requesting his reinstatement to the national sport.

The fan-created group, dubbed

[Washuyama 662]

I don't see it doing any good. In any case, I would have liked to have added my name to the petition.

[Kintamayama 47,284]

Ex-Kotomitsuki was seen in public for the first time since his dismissal at a pro-wrestling event yesterday. He denied he is planning to make the move to wrestling and is said to be training and keeping in shape in anticipation for a possible return to Sumo.

Ex-Kotomitsuki, my ex-girlfriend, and Ex-Ootake ringside at the event:

Edited December 10, 2010 by Kintamayama

[yorikiried by fate 2,038]

Your ex-girlfriend is bald?!

[Jakusotsu 6,398]

Mickey: *giggles* "Don't look - he left his fly open!"

Rickey: "Oops, that reminds me..."

Kinta's Ex: "Ah, sweet memories..."

[Washuyama 662]

Ex-Kotomitsuki, my ex-girlfriend, ...

Kotomitsiki is your ex-girlfriend? (Shaking head...)

[Kintamayama 47,284]

Mickey: *giggles* "Don't look - he left his fly open!"

Rickey: "Oops, that reminds me..."

Kinta's Ex: "Ah, sweet memories..."

(Shaking head...) 10 out of 10, sir. (Dribbling...)

[Kintamayama 47,284]

Your ex-girlfriend is bald?!

Yes, she was balled.