Yokozuna no-nos-short history summary

[Kintamayama 45,545]

Harumafuji isn't the first active Yokozuna to get in trouble.

October 1949- 39th Yokozuna Maedayama-= Seen at a baseball game with the san Francisco Seals while kyujo-had his picture taken with the manager.Called to intai, and did.

May 1965- 47th Yokozuna Kashiwado and 48th Yokozuna Taihou- returning from a jungyo in the US, tried to smuggle guns into Japan. Rebuke from the Kyokai, police investigation.

May 1972-52nd Yokozuna Kitanofuji- Flew to Hawaii while kyujo and was seen surfing. Reprimanded by the Kyokai.

1985 - 54th Yokozuna Wajima, inherited Hanaregoma beya after retiring, and used the stock as collateral for a loan. Forced to cease existing in the sumo world, and cease he did.

December 1987- 60th Yokozuna Futahaguro thrown out of sumo for attacking his oyakata and okamisan.

2010-during the January basho- 68th Yokozuna Asashouryuu- got into a drunken brawl in Roppongi, police involved, called upon to retire, and did. There was that soccer scandal as well where he was suspended for playing soccer in Mongolia while skipping a jungyo due to injury,  and then seemed to have lost it for a while.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Kintamayama

[Swami 245]

Just a brief correction, Wajima inherited Hanakago Beya when he retired in March 1981, having married the daughter of his oyakata.  A year later she attempted suicide but was saved in time.  Not long after that he set up his ill-fated chanko restaurants which led to his fall from grace.

 

Swami

[Jyuunomori 226]

Speaking about no-no's...

#CuckooKyushu2017

[autotroph 43]

Calling for a monoii after your own match ;)?

[Tsubame 368]

36 minutes ago, autotroph said:

Calling for a monoii after your own match ;)?

He has the right to do so. I guess as a participant of the fight, he cannot, indeed.

But the real problem was to still insists on a mono-ii as it was clear that there will be no one (and do not bow to the opponent).

Edited November 22, 2017 by Tsubame

[robnplunder 976]

3 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Harumafuji isn't the first active Yokozuna to get in trouble.

October 1949- 39th Yokozuna Maedayama-= Seen at a baseball game with the san Francisco Seals while kyhujo-had his picture taken with the manager.Called to intai, and did.

May 1965- 47th Yokozuna Kashiwado and 48th Yokozuna Taihou- returning from a jungyo in the US, tried to smuggle guns into Japan. Rebuke from the Kyokai, police investigation.

May 1972-52nd Yokozuna Kitanofuji- Flew to Hawaii while kyujo and was seen surfing. Reprimanded by the Kyokai.

1985 - 54th Yokozuna Wajima, inherited Hanaregoma beya after retiring, and used the stock as collateral for a loan. Forced to cease existing in the sumo world, and cease he did.

December 1987- 60th Yokozuna Futahaguro thrown out of sumn for attacking his oyakata and okamisan.

2010-during the January basho- 68th Yokozuna Asashouryuu- got into a drunken brawl in Roppongi, police involved, called upon to retire, and did. There was that soccer scandal as well where he was suspended for playing soccer in Mongolia while skipping a jungyo due to injury, got suspended and seemed to have lost it for a while.

 

Punishments do not seem to be consistently applied but I guess I don't know all the circumstances.   Given Hakuho's behavior in today's match against Yoshikaze (yeah!), a reprimand is all he will likely to get if any.   Harumafuji on the other hand may (and should IMHO) get more than a reprimand.   I think a short suspension (a basho or two) may be appropriate.  But that's just me thinking out loud, and wishing.   Something must be done before things get out of hand by more than just a few rikishi.   

[Kintamayama 45,545]

3 hours ago, Swami said:

Just a brief correction, Wajima inherited Hanakago Beya when he retired in March 1981, having married the daughter of his oyakata.  A year later she attempted suicide but was saved in time.  Not long after that he set up his ill-fated chanko restaurants which led to his fall from grace.

 

Swami

He inherited the heya in 1981 but the haigyou was in 1985, hence the 1985.

[Kintamayama 45,545]

Just now, John Gunning said:

Way I heard it they didn't try. They actually did bring the guns in.

They ended up in the Sumida river apparently though I did also hear something about a gangster getting one.

So how was the smuggling discovered? Someone talked?

[Gurowake 4,109]

Never heard about the gun smuggling before, and there's almost nothing (in English at least) about it on the Internet. 

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/260418025/

Spoiler

TOKYO (UPI) Police yesterday questioned another sumo wrestler, Toyo-kuni, about illegal possession of firearms. Police summoned Toyo-kuni, 27, whose real name is Susumu Otsuka, for questioning because another wrestler, Wakahaguro, who was arrested May 6, said Toyokuni had smuggled a pistol into Japan. Toyokuni told police that during an overseas exhibition tour in Haw aii and the mainland United States in February last year, Wakahaguro had given him a pistol. (Honolulu police said they knew nothing about the smuggling of pistols into Japan. A detective said it would be easy to buy guns here and take them away.) Toyokuni said he hid the pistol in his kimono in going through customs at the Tokyo International Airport and later gave it to his friend, Munetoshi Mana-be, 25. Police today searched Ma-nabe's home and confiscated a pistol. In addition to Wakahaguro, who has retired, four other wrestlers have been questioned in connection with illegal possession of firearms. They are Yoko-zunas (grand champions) Taiho and Kashiwado, Ki-tanofuji of the first division, and Shiraiwayama, of the lower makushita class. Taiho and Kashiwado admitted smuggling in pistols from Hawaii but said they became worried and threw them into the Sumida River. Police subsequently dragged the river but failed to find the weapons. Former grand champion Chiyonoyama, now known as Kokonof, an official of the Japan Sumo Association, also has been questioned by police about illegal possession of

I think that's the appropriate place to cut it off at least - it may have continued on another page but I'm not digging any further into this.

Edited November 25, 2017 by Gurowake

[ryafuji 815]

Didn’t end well for ex-ozeki Wakahaguro - he was forced to retire and was later convicted and given an 18 month suspended prison sentence.

[Akinomaki 40,822]

On 11/26/2017 at 00:04, Gurowake said:

Never heard about the gun smuggling before, and there's almost nothing (in English at least) about it on the Internet. 

https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/260418025/

  Hide contents

TOKYO (UPI) Police yesterday questioned another sumo wrestler, Toyo-kuni, about illegal possession of firearms. Police summoned Toyo-kuni, 27, whose real name is Susumu Otsuka, for questioning because another wrestler, Wakahaguro, who was arrested May 6, said Toyokuni had smuggled a pistol into Japan. Toyokuni told police that during an overseas exhibition tour in Haw aii and the mainland United States in February last year, Wakahaguro had given him a pistol. (Honolulu police said they knew nothing about the smuggling of pistols into Japan. A detective said it would be easy to buy guns here and take them away.) Toyokuni said he hid the pistol in his kimono in going through customs at the Tokyo International Airport and later gave it to his friend, Munetoshi Mana-be, 25. Police today searched Ma-nabe's home and confiscated a pistol. In addition to Wakahaguro, who has retired, four other wrestlers have been questioned in connection with illegal possession of firearms. They are Yoko-zunas (grand champions) Taiho and Kashiwado, Ki-tanofuji of the first division, and Shiraiwayama, of the lower makushita class. Taiho and Kashiwado admitted smuggling in pistols from Hawaii but said they became worried and threw them into the Sumida River. Police subsequently dragged the river but failed to find the weapons. Former grand champion Chiyonoyama, now known as Kokonof, an official of the Japan Sumo Association, also has been questioned by police about illegal possession of

 

Some details about the gun scandal were posted http://biz-journal.jp/2018/02/post_22353.html

other details from http://www.jiji.com/jc/v4?id=sumo-jikenshi201712210002

Nowadays not just Wakahaguro, also Kashiwado and Taiho and also Kitanofuji etc. would likely have been forced to retire.

On May 6th 1965, 3 days before the Natsu basho, ex-Wakahaguro was arrested for possession and selling of guns to Yamaguchi family related yakuza - he had already left the NSK in March. The police found 3 guns at Tatsunami-beya, which Wakahaguro had acquired at the Honolulu jungyo in 1962. Because in 1964 there also was a jungyo in Los Angeles, Tokitsukaze-rijicho (Futabayama) suspected that other active rikishi might have guns in their possession as well - on day 3 of the Natsu basho (11th), an urgent riji-kai was held and then all heya received the stern notice: "Should anybody illegally have a gun or had brought one back, deliver them voluntarily!"

In the evening of that day, Kokonoe (Chiyonoyama) went to the Metropolitan police and turned over a gun and 5 bullets, saying "I got it from a deshi." On the 13th, the rijicho report to the police named Taiho and Kashiwado, as having brought guns from Hawaii, but already having thrown them into the Sumidagawa river (or also given to yakuza?) - the police searched with magnets etc. but didn't find the guns and the 2 got away with a summary indictment and a fine of 30 000yen. As it came out that the yokozuna had been in possession of guns, it was top of the national news, but later it was only reported in the sports papers, also as some insignificant article. The police delayed the investigation to avoid disturbing the basho, the rikishi all continued to appear on the dohyo, Taiho only on day 15 was kyujo after a bone fracture. The Tenno as planned came to watch on the 13th.

Taiho had brought his in pieces, Kashiwado in his rikishi zabuton. Kitanofuji was asked by a friend what souvenir he should bring him back from Hawaii and he joked "a pistol" - and he really got one (from one of the yakuza friends?). It is also said that he did some trial shooting at a river.

On 1/31/2018 at 20:03, Akinomaki said:

1982 Kitanofuji (Kokonoe-oyakata) got an oyakata rank demotion for being acquainted with yakuza

Kashiwado questioned on the 24th (Taiho with his fracture was later): he bought a pistol and 200 rounds of ammunition at a sports article shop in the suburbs of Honolulu for about 20 000 yen, without a particular reason, just to possess  something unusual. He concealed it in the locker of his room, but then got scared and had a tsukebito throw it into the river. Taiho later told about the same story. Kitanofuji got scared and gave it to Kokonoe, then still at Dewanoumi-beya. Both he and Kokonoe and Toyokuni also got away with a summary indictment - like Harumafuji and Osunaarashi received -  but then no penalty from the NSK or criticism from the YDC - the NSK had apologized and the 5 had shown deep regret - that was enough in the old days.

Edited February 17, 2018 by Akinomaki

[Gurowake 4,109]

2 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

 that was enough in the old days.

Before something like this happened every month.

[Kishinoyama 596]

On 2/17/2018 at 10:15, Gurowake said:

Before something like this happened every month.

How do we know that something like this was not happening every month back in the 'good old days'? If bringing guns into Japan was pretty much swept under the rug then what about something that would have been considered a minor problem? Minor problems would have never been made public.

Edited February 19, 2018 by Kishinoyama
Changed 'How do you know' to 'How do we know'.

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,276]

I don't know the details too well, but Japan only banned guns in 1958, and there must've been quite a lot of them floating around after their army got disbanded. It probably didn't seem such a reach to try to get a gun when they've just been banned a few years early and a bunch of people already had them compared to now.

[Kaninoyama 1,818]

Would love to see footage of Kitanofuji surfing.