Another Sumo Scandal

[Bunbukuchagama]

Kise parent is demoted from a committee member to an elderly Japan Sumo Association announced a violent case of a sumo wrestler below Makushita in the room, sumo wrestler A stole cash and was furious and beat sumo wrestler B in the face The violent wrestler voluntarily retired (Daily Sports) --Yahoo! News

According to Yahoo, one Kise beya low-ranker beat up another for stealing his money on November 7th. 

Kise-oyakata suffered a demotion.

[Kintamayama]

The Kyokai held an extraordinary board meeting on the 25th and decided to impose disciplinary action against rikishi ranked below makushita at  Kise beya. The Kyokai received an anonymous tip on November 10th, and Katsunoura, head of the compliance department, requested an investigation from Kise Oyakata. Kise subsequently reported the alleged violence. In response, the compliance committee conducted an investigation and submitted its disciplinary recommendation to Chairman Hakkaku. Kise Oyakata, former makuuchi Higonoumi, who was demoted from iin to toshiyori, left the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo without a word, saying, "I'm sure you have something you want to ask me, but I'm sorry." According to an investigation, on November 7th, at Kise beya's Kyushu tournament lodgings,  rikishi A punched rikishi B in the face with all his might at least five or six times. After confirming that rikishi B had stolen cash from rikishi A's wallet, he became enraged. While rikishi B did not receive medical treatment, he suffered bruises around both eyes and was forced to withdraw from the Kyushu tournament. The Kyokai stated, "Although we acknowledge that rikishi B was also at fault for stealing cash, this is no reason to condone such heinous violence. Furthermore, rikishi B has confessed to having been subjected to violence by rikishi A in the past, and although rikishi A denies it, other rikishi have given eyewitness testimony, so we have no choice but to conclude that it was a habitual offense." Neither rikishi has ever been a sekitori. Rikishi A was deemed appropriate to be given a disciplinary punishment of a two-tournament suspension, but he has decided to take responsibility and retire. Kise Oyakata submitted a retirement notice to the Kyokai. At the board meeting that day, it was decided that the "voluntary retirement will be accepted." "While we have accepted his voluntary retirement, we have confirmed that if disciplinary action had been taken, it would have been equivalent to a two-tournament suspension." Kise Oyakata was demoted for violating his supervisory and reporting duties, as well as for having a history of disciplinary action. The Kyokai will work to prevent recurrence, stating, "Going forward, we will once again remind all Kyokai members the importance of eradicating violence, and will instruct Oyakata and elders to thoroughly instruct and supervise their deshi, and to report any incidents of violence."

Edited December 25, 2025 by Kintamayama

[Akinomaki]

Kise has a record of having been closed down - looks too lenient to not close the heya down this time

[Benihana]

"The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?"...Germans will understand...

 

 

[dingo]

I don't condone violence, but if you steal money from a fellow rikishi that has a history of violence, what do you expect will happen? 

But all in all, same procedure indeed... 

Edit: interestingly it wasn't mentioned what was the official punishment for stealing money? 

Edited December 26, 2025 by dingo

[Jyuunomori]

10 hours ago, Benihana said:

"The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?"...Germans will understand...

 

 

''The same procedure as every year, James.'' ...We Finnish do understand...

[RabidJohn]

2 hours ago, dingo said:

Edit: interestingly it wasn't mentioned what was the official punishment for stealing money? 

Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing. What happened to the battered thief?

[Kintamayama]

15 hours ago, Benihana said:

"The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?"...Germans will understand...

 

 

 

[WAKATAKE]

The beya has released an apology statement on social media

https://www.instagram.com/p/DSwtaldCemA/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

[Heather82Cs]

So, did anyone figure who was who? 

[Bunbukuchagama]

6 minutes ago, Heather82Cs said:

So, did anyone figure who was who? 

Hint: look for the timing of kyujo for low-rankers of the heya.

[Asapedroryu]

1 hour ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

Hint: look for the timing of kyujo for low-rankers of the heya.

And how about just answering the question?

It takes you less time to write the 2 names you already know, instead of writing what you did.

Instead let's make people lose their time trying to find information on threads from 2 months ago...

[Koorifuu]

1 hour ago, Asapedroryu said:

And how about just answering the question?

It takes you less time to write the 2 names you already know, instead of writing what you did.

Instead let's make people lose their time trying to find information on threads from 2 months ago...

Not the person you quoted, but I'll do the dirty speculative / investigative work here.

Kise lower rankers who didn't participate: Takano, Higohikari

Kise lower rankers who went kyujo halfway through: Sengaku (who seemed injured), Higonoryu (who didn't).

So, Higonoryu doesn't particularly seem like someone who'd be able to bully 99.9% of the other rikishi - he's 40 and hasn't been above jonidan in 10 years, most others would just whoop him if he even tried messing with them. That would leave someone who is likely to be utterly unable to defend himself: good old Higohikari, who in hindsight does also give off the vibes of someone who can't manage his money.

Take this with a massive grain of salt. This is worth as much as the next person's speculation.

[Akinomaki]

The retirement wasn't in time for the banzuke annoucement, so the culprit will be kyujo this basho:

5 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

not officially confirmed by the Kyokai's kyujo page just yet, the following list has been derived from the Fanclub schedule previews (free account required)

Sd58w Sengaku (Kise) - Kyushu Basho Day 5

Jk8w Takano (Kise) - start of Kyushu Basho

[Koorifuu]

Right, so my miscalculation on Rikishi A was due to the dates; I thought they meant he was suspended mid basho.

Rikishi B is probably (even more so) as I wrote, though.