Kotonosato

I wouldn't worry to much about Baruto's approach to life in Japan. It is nothing like Asashoryu's. Baruto seems to be keeping his sense of humor and is still quite a shy, even self-effacing, kid. Asashoryu's reaction to life in Japan has been all about arrogance and aggression. In the end, I'm sure they'll return to their home countries but it will be his knee, and not his attitude, that gets Baruto in trouble in the meantime.

Why would he/she have dual citizenship when both parents are foreigners? I thought Japan still held to the "law of blood" doctrine, not the "law of the land".

A touch of nostalgia for Washuyama and me. Thanks much. :-O That is definitely one of the greatest bouts I've ever seen! :-P

Don't forget kakizoe's pouting lips... (Sign of approval...) Dejima's creamy white skin...(except around his ankles, of course). ;-)

Wrong. Takasago is just another oyakata. You're confusing him with Kitanoumi, the chairman. Someone else can explain the structure much better than I can.

I'm getting really tired of these broad generalizations about Mongolians, Ikh. Hakuho talked about "heart", not Asashoryu, not all Mongolians. Why don't you just stick to the issue and stop braodening it needlessly. Asashoryu's in trouble, not all Mongolians. These kind of remarks are so broad that they are meaningless. If you want to start an off-topic thread, go ahead. Here, let's stick to Asashoryu.

Not if he has truly dissociated... Anyway, at this point I don't think even returning to Mongolia will give him any relief. I can't imainge the Japanese media are just going to let him go back on his own. They're going to watch his every move for the next four months no matter where he is. If he even looks at another soccer game, he'll be front page news again.

Great shikona though!

What about all the extra shoves Asashoryu loves to do after he's already won the bout? I guess there's nothing better than to be left with one's honour and a 'pink-belly'. Kotonosato, Have you seen similar behaviors from other Mongolian wrestlers? Yes ? Sometimes, I wonder whether we are talking about the Mongolians in general or about Asa. Hi Coo-cook, You're quite right. In no way did I intend to generalize to all Mongolians, or even to all Mongolian rikishi. Ikh had brought up Mongolian history, but I was making a point about Asashoryu's behaviour only. You can see by my avatar who my favourite rikishi is. In fact, I'd have to say that I enjoy the sumo of all the Mongolian rikishi (including Asashoryu!). As for the Mongolian people, I'm not sure I've ever met any in person besides the rikishi and the people sitting around me at the Kokugikan. I'm sure, though, that they believe in fair play, justice, and honour like most of us do. I'm not happy with Asashoryu's behaviour. My apologies if it sounded as if I was generalizing to all Mongolians.

Not the point as shown ad nauseum in threads above. Irrelevant. Asashoryu only had to stand beside the doyho on jungyo Japan has world class medical facilities. Mongolia doesn't even come close. Asashoryu went to Mongolia not for medical attention. Soaking in a hot spring is hardly medicine and even if it were Japan again has better ones. No. due to skipping out on his responsibilities to have the craic in Mongolia Asa could not attend the sumo tour Alleged "soccer star" Hidetoshi Nakata is not a doctor and is only trying to cover his own arse in relation to the affair. Whether he knows less about sumo or medicine is the only debatable point. Good try at reponding to that post, Nishi. But after 500 posts, I don't think JoeBlack's ever gonna get it.

That's one thing I don't have to worry about.. No, I guess not. Although 100 years ago you might have been mistaken for one of the female rikishi with the riske shikona. They had names like Tamanokoshi (Holder of the Balls) and, my favorite, Kaigazato (Where the Clam Lives).

A related question: What happens if a new rikishi takes my shikona at some point in the future? I won't have to change it, will I?

I'd love to hear about the cat lady.

What about all the extra shoves Asashoryu loves to do after he's already won the bout? I guess there's nothing better than to be left with one's honour and a 'pink-belly'.

Well, they would certainly have a head start if they took an interest in your culture later on in life. I'm sure your parents would love to speak to thier grandkids in Finnish, too. I'm a native English speaker. My wife is Japanese. And we live in Japan. We don't have children yet, but the plan is to speak only English at home. Of course, that will only be enforced between my wife and I, the child can use whatever language it likes (don't want to give him/her a complex about speaking). If he/she takes an interest in my culture, he will be basically bilingual already. By the way, who is Keke Rosberg?

Interesting. So you don't believe in true bilingualism? What if you lived in Japan and raised kids there, conscientiously maintaining Finnish at home and enhancing it with Finnish reading and writing. Of course at school, with their friends, in daily life, etc., they would be using Japanese like all the natives. Wouldn't they have two languages?

I forgot about that one. Anyway, don't worry about it. Apparently only Chirac can have that effect. And just so you don't get the wrong impression: I'm your ami, not your amie. 山の男だよ。

"You're addicted to love"? Or maybe "The lights are on, but you're not home"? Maybe both apply in this case.

Au contraire mon aime! No matter who speaks it... "...but in your case, I'll make an exception." -- Groucho Marx (I am going off-topic...)

Those are very funny. I would have loved to have seen them just before I came to Japan. I would have bombarded my Japanese friends with questions: Is that true? Do you really do that? Does anyone know if the sumo version is online somewhere?

Yeah. The the tonal languages don't sound very nice to me. I found myself getting very excited during a Chirac speech a few months ago. And he wasn't even talking about sumo. I guess French is sexy no matter who speaks it.

This is proof that steroids are not good for your brain either.

Looking at all the people on the train on the way into work, and all of the people in the office around me now, I dispute this particular "fact". Every major factory in my area is completely shut down for obon. There was no rush hour traffic today at all. Everyone around here has gone to their jikka.

Then he'd be Fishy-noshima.

Outside of this forum's members, I don't think sumo will ever really gain ground worldwide. It is very difficult to make obesity appealing. And that's true within and outside of Japan. Imagine that you're a 15 year old Japanese athlete. You're the star player on your school's baseball team, you're always at the top of your class in PE, and you are the best judoist at your weekend club. You now have a choice of lifestyle to make. "Hmmm... Let me see, I can continue to play baseball throughout highschool where cute cheerleaders will continue to like me. I can do full time judo so that I will gain the respect of my grandfather. Or I can move to Tokyo away from my friends and family and scrub fat guys' asses." Tough decision.