Tomorrow is Hina Matsuri in Japan, also known as Girls’ Day. At our household, that means the decorations come out and we will get a great, traditional dinner. Since we are one week away from Shonichi, I am especially eager for this tournament to start. In honor of the inaugural Dream Girls tournament which just ended, I’ll post some pictures late tomorrow.
Tamagaki Named Miyagino-Beya’s Acting Master
The Isegahama Ichimon appointed Tamagaki-oyakata as caretaker with a mandate to do what it takes to prevent scandal. As a recap, Hokuseiho was exposed as a chronic bully in Miyagino-beya and resigned in disgrace. The Japan Sumo Association’s investigation revealed worrying details about Hakuho’s lack of action or attention…or really any effort to address the abuse with Hokuseiho and try to end it or discipline Hokuseiho. As a result, the Kyokai determined that, at least temporarily, the heya needs more direct oversight. That oversight will come from Tamagaki-oyakata, ex-Tomonohana.
Tamagaki quickly met with his charges, including Miyagino and Magaki-oyakata, and layed down the law. His message was clear: the heya is skating on thin ice. There will be no going out. No hanging out with supporters, or even a senshuraku party. He also communicated these rules to the media and indicated that his career, as well as the existence of the heya and the careers of its members, were on the line. He was also clear that he feels the remaining heya members are “good kids” and stands by them as the heya moves through this difficult period. But there will be no slack given.
Commentary/Venting
I do hope the heya buckles down and endures this difficult period because the collective punishment of the apparent victims of Hokuseiho’s reign of terror…when the perpetrator has been removed…seems a bit unfair and could lead to a bit of disillusionment or worse. That is why I hope he characterizes this not as punishment but as an opportunity to focus and eliminate the distractions which so often come with scandals like this. Tachiai’s own readership numbers get the perverse bump from scandal, and as Herouth noted on Twitter, this is when the sport attracts attention of the foreign media.
If foreign media want to add sumo coverage to their sports pages, I am all for it. Hell, I actively encourage it. I’ve written to all of them over here…so far to no avail. All I want is a banzuke and yusho-arasoi in the sports page, as a start. Maybe some actual account of the action down the road…
If they just want to pile on when there is scandal, well, I think that is a biased world view. “We’re here for the dirty, not the beauty, and certainly not the day-to-day grind.” Anyway, I find such fickle attention leaves me with an empty feeling. The blog has been around for 10 years and people want to hear about superglued wallets instead of the incredible action we watch unfold day-after-day? Well, move along then, fickle TMZ-viewer. My hope is that this is the end of it and Tamagaki’s report after the tournament says as much. A snooze-fest report is my goal here.
Maybe one day the beautiful aspects of this sport will be worth their attention. I know some of you like American football and you may understand the feeling when the greatness of the big game this year was overshadowed by all the attention paid to who was watching in the stands. That was a great game, no? I just really wish that PAT had been good.
Shin-deshi Exam
The day-to-day routine does continue in the sumo world. A week before action starts in Osaka, the wrestlers have moved camp and a new crop of recruits showed up in their white boxers to join the “heya life”. And yes, this recruiting class does include a new recruit at Miyagino-beya, underscoring the need to right that ship! The youngster, Ono Ayumu (?), has a youth rugby background and his father is Japanese, mother is from Mongolia. Miyagino-beya will also feature the debut of Matsui Kanato in Makushita, from the sekitori factory at Tottori Johoku, run by Magaki-oyakata’s dad.
Unfortunately, this recruiting class of 27 is even smaller than last year’s class of 34, and the smallest since the shin-deshi kensa started in 1973. With youth sumo tournaments halted during the pandemic, this does not come as a huge surprise but highlights the importance of stepping up outreach efforts, like the Hakuho Cup and Jungyo.
Former Yokozuna Kakuryu also welcomes three young wrestlers to his growing Otowayama-beya. Speculation swirls that his stable will grow, yet again, after the tournament. Michinoku-beya will close and its wrestlers, including Ozeki Kirishima, will find new homes. Since Otowayama sprung from Michinoku, there is a natural tie there. This is a developing story and we will bring more once news is confirmed. Again, my hope is that this will be the big story following Osaka…not that other one.
