Rijicho clarifies

[Kintamayama]

Kitanoumi Rijicho has clarified his stand regarding the possible tsunatori of Ozekis Chiyotaikai and KaioU. "13 wins are a good starting point. But, next Basho, the wins shoud be overwhelming , strong wins. The power should be seen clearly. A zensho would be a step in the right direction", he said.

[Yubiquitoyama]

Kitanoumi Rijicho has clarified his stand regarding the possible tsunatori of Ozekis Chiyotaikai and KaioU. "13 wins are a good starting point. But, next Basho, the wins shoud be overwhelming , strong wins. The power should be seen clearly. A zensho would be a step in the right direction", he said.

Yeah, now everything is completely clear (Applauding...) :-P

[Tumppi]

Should have known. He has a bad habit in raising up hopes and then crushing you like a bug.. (Applauding...)

[Asashosakari]

Damnit, Kitanoumi is quick. (Applauding...) And I thought we'd hear something like that in late April...silly me.

[Mark Buckton]

Can't even give a a shonichi or Senshuraku speech without reading every single word and not looking up once!

[Naganoyama]

Can't even give a a shonichi or Senshuraku speech without reading every single word and not looking up once!

Surprising since they are virtually identical every time. I have difficulty not knowing them off by heart. How come he doesn't?

[Yubiquitoyama]

Can't even give a a shonichi or Senshuraku speech without reading every single word and not looking up once!

Surprising since they are virtually identical every time. I have difficulty not knowing them off by heart. How come he doesn't?

How do you know he doesn't?

I don't particularly think Kitanoumi is the brightest guy out there, but there are many more possible explanations to why someone would want to read directly out of a script regardless of whether they know what's in it. One would be that he's rather nervous when he does this, in which case reading from a paper can be one way to calm down and shut out the worst nervousness (which I know from experience is one way to deal with being uncomfortable around crowds of people).

[Kaikitsune Makoto]

Rijicho seems a bit out of place. Windmill. We need new Rijicho. Akinoshima for Rijicho! Now there is a guy with vision, sense and is young enough to understand modern sumo + keiko perhaps?

How do Japanese people see Kitanoumi as Rijicho?

[Yubiquitoyama]

Rijicho seems a bit out of place. Windmill. We need new Rijicho. Akinoshima for Rijicho! Now there is a guy with vision, sense and is young enough to understand modern sumo + keiko perhaps?

There does seem to be one problem when it comes to rijicho: Tradition has made so that the rijicho must be someone who did great as a rikishi, whether or not that makes him great as rijicho. I don't think Kitanoumi has shown any skill in being rijicho, but given the tradition, there are no really good alternatives either. Kitanoumi as a Yokozuna from the 70s seems to have been the only possible choice. Next in line is Chiyonofuji, and I definitely have my doubts about him as well...

[Naganoyama]

How do you know he doesn't?

I don't particularly think Kitanoumi is the brightest guy out there, but there are many more possible explanations to why someone would want to read directly out of a script regardless of whether they know what's in it. One would be that he's rather nervous when he does this, in which case reading from a paper can be one way to calm down and shut out the worst nervousness (which I know from experience is one way to deal with being uncomfortable around crowds of people).

Fair point. Actually I don't really care whether he knows the speech by heart. I am much more concerned by it being the same every time.

A few changes each basho would be much more interesting. (And I know Sumo is an ancient sport with traditions. I just don't think this particular one is worthwhile. B-) )

[Kashunowaka]

Rijicho seems a bit out of place. Windmill. We need new Rijicho. Akinoshima for Rijicho! Now there is a guy with vision, sense and is young enough to understand modern sumo + keiko perhaps?

There does seem to be one problem when it comes to rijicho: Tradition has made so that the rijicho must be someone who did great as a rikishi, whether or not that makes him great as rijicho. I don't think Kitanoumi has shown any skill in being rijicho, but given the tradition, there are no really good alternatives either. Kitanoumi as a Yokozuna from the 70s seems to have been the only possible choice. Next in line is Chiyonofuji, and I definitely have my doubts about him as well...

... and then Takanohana. B-)

[Yoavoshimaru]

I don't think you can tell from one's performance as a rikishi OR oyakata how he would do as Rijicho. Some are better than others, only time will tell. I would ventue that Kitanoumi-Rijicho is probably getting more media exposure than many of his predecessors, if only due to the modernization/globalization of our infrastructure, with the internet etc, so some of his decisions are magnified and he may in fact be no worse than previous chairmen.

[Yubiquitoyama]

I don't think you can tell from one's performance as a rikishi OR oyakata how he would do as Rijicho. Some are better than others, only time will tell. I would ventue that Kitanoumi-Rijicho is probably getting more media exposure than many of his predecessors, if only due to the modernization/globalization of our infrastructure, with the internet etc, so some of his decisions are magnified and he may in fact be no worse than previous chairmen.

I somewhat disagree. For one thing I think being a good oyakata might well be an indicator on who would suit as rijicho. Not completely, but at least some, since it shows the person in question can relate to the rikishi. Several earlier rijicho have been rather good oyakata, while Kitanoumi has shown no such skill whatsoever.

Also, even if he is in fact no worse than earlier rijicho, it doesn't make him a good rijicho. Just not exceptionally bad in comparison. I'm certain many other oyakatas would suit much better for the job, but they won't get the chance since they weren't good enough as rikishi.

[Yoavoshimaru]

Who elects the Rijicho and how?

[Asashosakari]

I don't think Kitanoumi has shown any skill in being rijicho, but given the tradition, there are no really good alternatives either. Kitanoumi as a Yokozuna from the 70s seems to have been the only possible choice. Next in line is Chiyonofuji, and I definitely have my doubts about him as well...

Fortunately (some would say :-P), Kokonoe Oyakata is only two years younger than Kitanoumi, so they might well skip him completely if Kitanoumi serves out until (near) retirement age.

On the other hand, that probably means Kitanoumi until 2018...

[Guest Akatabi]

Musashimaru for Rijicho! (Bleh!)

[Zenjimoto]

"A zensho would be a step in the right direction"... pffff

Cracks me up how quickly the "illusive" zensho has become a trivial mere step in the right direction. I mean, just a few months ago, we here, and probably most of the sumo world were wondering if we'd EVER see a zensho again, and now, it's become a "gee, yes would be nice" thing? (Scratching chin...)

[Chiyozakura]

I dont think Chiyonofuji is next in line for Rijicho...he is not even a Riji and does not seem to have much help from other Oyakata. His former Kokonoe stablemates are in Hakkaku Beya now and Takasago Ichimon is the smallest Ichimon with Takasago apparently their leading Oyakata.

I don't really understand why Kitanoumi is interpreted as a bad Rijicho...looking at the kensho numbers sumo seems to come out of its slump. The commentaries we get to hear from Kitanoumi do not seem that strange to me. He is trying to motivate the Ozeki to improve and show some Yokozuna worthy sumo which is everything but easy these days with Asashoryu that dominating.

On the other hand I don't think that we are in a position to judge Kitanoumi. It kind of reminds me of that "woman of the Yokozuna deliberation Council bashing" some days ago. Many voices were raised of racism but nobody could really tell since when Asashoryu was using his left hand...and then all of a sudden we hear voices of Japanese, who have a closer relation to the traditions of sumo than we have, that the left hand actually is sort of a problem not only for Ms Uchidate...

Coming back to the Rijicho question I beleive that Kitanoumi will serve for a long time. If he was to be replaced I don't think that it has to be a former dai-Yokozuna. For Rijicho Tokitsukaze has never won a Yusho and fromer Rijicho Musashigawa had never reached Sanyaku as an active rikishi. Maybe the current Musashigawa was a good alternative...

[Asashosakari]

I don't really understand why Kitanoumi is interpreted as a bad Rijicho...looking at the kensho numbers sumo seems to come out of its slump. The commentaries we get to hear from Kitanoumi do not seem that strange to me. He is trying to motivate the Ozeki to improve and show some Yokozuna worthy sumo which is everything but easy these days with Asashoryu that dominating.

Of course nobody here can really know if Kitanoumi's seemingly contradicting comments are part of a grand strategy to motivate the Ozeki or if he just doesn't think enough before opening his mouth (and thus needs to clarify his own words the next day). I do know which interpretation I'm leaning toward, given his track record, and given the fact that even if it is strategic, it's obviously not working. One can just as well claim that Chiyotaikai and Kaio must be sick and tired of having their chains yanked like that (13 wins, no, 14 wins, no, wait, zensho please!) and would prefer one clear comment from him instead.

And the resurgence of Ozumo could well be despite Kitanoumi, not because of him. I'm mostly neutral on Asashoryu's out-of-the-dohyo antics, but his part in that resurgence (and the part played by foreigners overall) are much more evident.

Edited April 1, 2004 by Asashosakari

[Iwagakki]

I read somewhere that the literal translation of Kitanoumi-Rijicho from Japanese to English is

noun. " (A thing or person that is) confused, indecisive, unable to admit mistakes, accept change, or improvement." verb. "To be bellicose, interfering and difficult.

hahahahahahah

[Mark Buckton]

I read somewhere that the literal translation of Kitanoumi-Rijicho from Japanese to English is

noun. " (A thing or person that is) confused, indecisive, unable to admit mistakes, accept change, or improvement." verb. "To be bellicose, interfering and difficult.

hahahahahahah

:-P :-) You've just described almost all domestic bureaucrats. :-D

Plus probably your intended target too.

[Jesinofuji]

Personally, I think Rikisho is makeing these indecisive comments because he does not have the final decision as to whether the Ozeki get promoted or not. If he said something decisive, it could easily be voted down by the YDC. Anything he says at to the requirements for Yokozuna promotion is moot. The YDC may take his reccomendations as suggestions, but are by no means required to follow them. For this reason I find no fault in him for being so indecisive in his recommendations.

Then again, I don't know what power Rijicho has over the YDC. I would be happy if anyone who knows the internals of NSK could enlighten me.

I am not ready to accept that he is a bad Rijicho yet. Though I am still not convinced that the changes abolition of the Kosho system are for the best for Sumo, I think for the most part, he has been a decent Rijicho.

[Doitsuyama]

Personally, I think Rikisho is makeing these indecisive comments because he does not have the final decision as to whether the Ozeki get promoted or not. If he said something decisive, it could easily be voted down by the YDC.

It is so easy for the YDC, right? I wonder why this never has happened?

[Jesinofuji]

Personally, I think Rikisho is makeing these indecisive comments because he does not have the final decision as to whether the Ozeki get promoted or not.  If he said something decisive, it could easily be voted down by the YDC.

It is so easy for the YDC, right? I wonder why this never has happened?

Last year Kaio had a 12-3 Yusho. Rijisho said that it wasn't enough for a Tsunatori, and that he would need a Zensho for promotion. However, the talk of the town was that most YDC members intended to promote Kaio if he got a 14-1 Yusho.

Since Kitanoumi Rijicho took over, only two Yokozuna came about: Musashimaru with back to back 13-2 yusho, and Asashoryu with back to back 14-1 yusho. These are hardly the kind of results that would likely cause disagreement. There has yet to be any time when Rijicho and the YDC would have a great reason to disagree, and thus, YDC has never been moved to vote down Kitanoumi Rijicho.

[Doitsuyama]

I didn't mean only Kitanoumi time as rijichō. I understand there NEVER has been a YDC voting against Kyōkai's recommendation.

Edited April 2, 2004 by Doitsuyama