Aonishiki at FCCJ - Aiming for yokozuna

[Akinomaki 41,847]

Aonishiki today was guest at the Foreign correspondents club Japan and told them that he aims for yokozuna: "I didn’t think I would rise to sanyaku that quickly"

"I love sumo and if possible also want to instruct. In the future, if I can, I want to become oyakata"

o o o o

o oo o o

oo o o

Edited October 10 by Akinomaki

[Jakusotsu 6,401]

So he might also aspire to the fastest acquisition of Japanese citizenship.

[Akinomaki 41,847]

This is something: also Kyodo posted the full press conference 

I don't remember anyone from ozumo getting that much attention before

[RabidJohn 2,072]

Wow! I've been thoroughly impressed by Aonishiki's sumo skill, but his language acquisition ability is equally phenomenal to my mind. The revelation that he had no Japanese when he arrived in country is extraordinary, coming from a young man speaking fluent Japanese confidently in front of a roomful of journalists.

We know the language barrier is what defeats so many foreign hopefuls coming into ozumo, and Aonishiki cited it as his biggest problem since arriving, perfectly describing the feeling of isolation when everyone is laughing at something you don't understand. So there is no doubting the kid's mental fortitude. It was a classic sink or swim scenario and he's a swimmer.

---

The nameplate with 'Mr. Aonishiki' looked odd. Is that a proper Anglicisation of Aonishiki-seki?

And 'Reuters correspondent, Rocky Swift' sounds like a fictional character.

[Akinomaki 41,847]

56 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

The nameplate with 'Mr. Aonishiki' looked odd. Is that a proper Anglicisation of Aonishiki-seki?

No, only below sekitori it is -san instead of -zeki. They did it different before, for Osunarashi and Harumafuji just the shikona.

On 19/02/2013 at 11:53, Akinomaki said:

They were established and know with their shikona, maybe Aonishiki is so new, the people who wrote the name plate didn't know him and treated him like other guests.

The last was Tochinoshin (disregarding ex-Kotokantetsu, who was no longer a rikishi then) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfNtxtTTyCU

He had the full shikona on the plate - Tochinoshin Tsuyoshi

On 18/06/2018 at 12:12, Kintamayama said:

Tochinoshin held a press conference at the Foreign Press Club.

[warusawa 23]

Aonishiki speaking better Japanese than the journalist dude who's been in the country 35 years longer is not a great look for the journalist dude. Speaks to Aonishiki's talent for languages, but but also to the power of immersion method of language learning, and his total embrace of Japanese culture. Ozumo brass should love Aonishiki - a great world ambassador for the sport, and more respectful to ozumo traditions and spirit than some Japanese rikishi. His declining to answer questions about the war is interesting. For example, the most famous Ukrainian fighter Oleksandr Usyk condemns Russia at every turn. Personal choice I guess. 

[Yamanashi 4,085]

6 hours ago, warusawa said:

His declining to answer questions about the war is interesting. For example, the most famous Ukrainian fighter Oleksandr Usyk condemns Russia at every turn. Personal choice I guess. 

If his shusshin is Vinnitsya Oblast, he comes form southwest Ukraine near Moldova.  Shishi, on the other hand, is from Melitopol', a Russian-speaking area within the Russian-captured region.  It's possible that Aonishiki has less pressure to clam up about the war, so his restraint would make me admire him more.

[Akinomaki 41,847]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

If his shusshin is Vinnitsya Oblast, he comes form southwest Ukraine near Moldova.  Shishi, on the other hand, is from Melitopol', a Russian-speaking area within the Russian-captured region.  It's possible that Aonishiki has less pressure to clam up about the war, so his restraint would make me admire him more.

He does everything fitting the hinkaku of a high rank rikishi - refusing to talk about other things than related to sumo is just what is needed to become a future Y/O and oyakata. Looks like he's already feeling more Japanese than Ukrainian. He feels at home there, now that he has this amazing command of the language - he said there was no culture shock for him, just at first the language barrier. He reached this level of proficiency in 3.5 years, arriving in April 2022 - of course he started at age 18, when this still is a manageable task.

[I am the Yokozuna 222]

The interview presents Aonishiki in a highly favorable light, and if his goal was to gain some goodwill, he has likely achieved it.