Hakuho Applying for Japanese Citizenship

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/201904170000333.html

https://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20190417/sum19041712320002-n1.html

And it's happening. He has filed paperwork to the Mongolian government to renounce his citizenship so that he can apply for Japanese citizenship.

So we will be seeing Hakuho Oyakata and Hakuho stable in the near future.

[Rainoyama 1,157]

Wow that happened incredibly fast. He is supposed to be represent Mogolia at the Olympics. I wonder what happened did he just gave up on that ? That timing is surprising me a lot. Maybe he realized he is more in a rush that what he thought with age and injuries catching up with him ?

Edited April 17, 2019 by Rainoyama

[Joaoiyama 318]

Hakuho will make the future of sumo brighter. Expand the horizon.

[Kintamayama 47,314]

9 minutes ago, Rainoyama said:

Wow that happened incredibly fast. He is supposed to be represent Mogolia at the Olympics. 

In what capacity? I thought all he wanted was to represent sumo at the Olympics. I didn't know he wanted to represent Mongolia.

[Rainoyama 1,157]

8 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

In what capacity? I thought all he wanted was to represent sumo at the Olympics. I didn't know he wanted to represent Mongolia.

He is ambassador of team Mongolia for Tokyo 2020.

Edited April 17, 2019 by Rainoyama

[WAKATAKE 2,759]

2 minutes ago, Rainoyama said:

He is ambassador of team Mongolia for Tokyo 2020.

If he is planning on performing the dohyo-iri at Tokyo 2020 as a member of a sports body that is Japanese, I don't think he'll be an ambassador of Mongolia in that sense.

[Rainoyama 1,157]

Just now, WAKATAKE said:

If he is planning on performing the dohyo-iri at Tokyo 2020 as a member of a sports body that is Japanese, I don't think he'll be an ambassador of Mongolia in that sense.

His twitter clearly states that he is (or at least supposed to be) ambassador of team Mongolia though.

[Rainoyama 1,157]

Here's the picture from his twitter and  I found this article. Apparently he was appointed ambassador on July 2015.

http://ubpost.mongolnews.mn/?p=15578

Edited April 17, 2019 by Rainoyama

[Akinomaki 41,844]

Just as Mongolian rikishi are PR ambassadors for Japanese regions, Hakuho won't have to be still Mongolian to be PR ambassador - he'll still be one of the greatest sons of Mongolia. Much more important is that he should be (at least becoming) Japanese when he might perform a dohyo-iri at the Tokyo Olympics - Akebono was when he did his.

For the start of procedure to apply for Japanese nationality, apparently Hakuho needs to prove that he applied to give up his former citizenship. But he doesn't need a document the certifies that he really has relinquished it - that he can do only after receiving the Japanese one anyway, where he accepts the duty to actually do it.

It was discussed before -  often people from countries that allow double nationality don't fulfill that promise and keep both nationalities. If Mongolia has no fine for not giving up the Mongolian nationality after obtaining another, Hakuho has plenty of time.

And at the time of the Olympics, he might still be in between getting Japanese and being officially Mongolian.

[Kintamayama 47,314]

"I can’t confirm or deny this. We’ll have to wait and see.." said Hakuhou when asked about his citizenship thingy today.

[ryafuji 825]

Article in English

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2019/04/17/sumo/yokozuna-hakuho-takes-step-toward-japanese-citizenship/#.XLcmiOSWymQ

(Wonder who the "sumo source" is?)

[ryafuji 825]

8 hours ago, WAKATAKE said:

So we will be seeing Hakuho Oyakata and Hakuho stable in the near future.

He may prefer to simply take over Miyagino as his shisho isn't that far off retirement age. (I guess he could re-name it Hakuho stable.)

[RabidJohn 2,071]

Chris Gould's on the case, as usual:

 

[Kishinoyama 625]

12 hours ago, ryafuji said:

He may prefer to simply take over Miyagino as his shisho isn't that far off retirement age. 

This is what I was thinking he would do if he decided to stay in sumo after he retired. 

[Eikokurai 3,437]

I look forward to seeing the ex-GOAT shooing lost tourists away from the hanamichi in his first basho as an Oyakata.

[Akinomaki 41,844]

The most prominent foreigners who turned Japanese to become oyakata (some only for a while)

Takamiyama, Konishiki, Akebono

o o o

those who own a heya now: Musashimaru, Kotooshu, Kyokutenho

ooo

 

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Spoiler alert. Mongolians have their own identity.

 

[Kaninoyama 1,882]

14 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

I look forward to seeing the ex-GOAT shooing lost tourists away from the hanamichi in his first basho as an Oyakata.

Seriously, shouldn't ex-Yokozana be spared from having to perform these menial tasks?

[Eikokurai 3,437]

3 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Seriously, shouldn't ex-Yokozana be spared from having to perform these menial tasks?

Kisenosato wasn’t. 

[Benihana 1,972]

Speaking of mongolia, you should watch the second to last Grand Tour episode from 2 weeks ago. 3 blithering idiots alone in the mongolian steppe only with a kit car they have to build on their own, vegetarian rations and absolutely no booze. E P I C. Oh and the landscape...mindblowing.

[Churaumi 753]

On 18/04/2019 at 06:08, Eikokurai said:

I look forward to seeing the ex-GOAT shooing lost tourists away from the hanamichi in his first basho as an Oyakata.

“No I won’t sign your ticket, sit down in your seats which are right over there and have a nice day and enjoy the sumo.”

[Akinomaki 41,844]

News and wide shows had plenty pf reports about Hakuho - today 2 long ones:

Hiruobi with Demon and sumo journalist Osumi - Demon thinks the chance of Hakuho getting an ichidai toshiyori myoseki is just 50% (Osumi thinks it's 90%): the NSK might want to abolish this option (to avoid having to give it to a foreign born for the first time) - Osumi thinks that would be an international scandal.

Viking has regular interviews with Kyokushuzan: he thinks that it might be difficult for Hakuho to have the president grant him to give up his Mongolian nationality - and the people in Mongolia are divided in half about it.

Guest Higashikokubaru wants Takakeisho to do the Olympic dohyo-iri - a Japanese born - at Viking they think 1 year should be enough for him to get to yokozuna. http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2019/04/19/kiji/20190419s00041000185000c.html

Edited April 19, 2019 by Akinomaki

[Gurowake 4,154]

58 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

Hiruobi with Demon and sumo journalist Osumi - Demon thinks the chance of Hakuho getting an ichidai toshiyori myoseki is just 50% (Osumi thinks it's 90%)

What would be the point of not giving one to him?  I don't think the bigwigs at the NSK can stop Hakuho from becoming a member the regular way.  All they would be doing would be denying a kabu to someone else - someone most likely Japanese.  To say that he doesn't deserve one would be a true farce.

[Akinomaki 41,844]

10 hours ago, Gurowake said:

What would be the point of not giving one to him?  I don't think the bigwigs at the NSK can stop Hakuho from becoming a member the regular way.  All they would be doing would be denying a kabu to someone else - someone most likely Japanese.  To say that he doesn't deserve one would be a true farce.

The point is to get rid of the ichidai toshiyori system: 4 eligible in the past, 1 declined the honor (Chiyonofuji), 1 left early - Demon seems to think it's not popular within the NSK - and that they don't want to have that last bastion also taken by the foreigners

Edited April 20, 2019 by Akinomaki

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

6 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

The point is to get rid of the ichidai toshiyori system: 4 eligible in the past, 1 denied the honor (Chiyonofuji), 1 left early - Demon seems to think it's not popular within the NSK - and that they don't want to have that last bastion also taken by the foreigners

It was my understanding that Chiyonofuji declined the offered ichidai toshiyori, and instead took over the Kokonoe kabu from his stablemaster.