Sumo climbing back
(From The Japan Times May 13 issue)

八百長根絶で角界再生へ

The match-fixing scandal that came to light this year has cost the Japan Sumo Association a lot in several ways. Seven wrestlers in the makuuchi division and 10 in the juryo division have been driven out of the sumo world. The JSA was forced to give up on holding the Spring and Summer Grand Sumo Tournaments scheduled for March and May. It is said to have lost more than ¥1 billion in revenues.

In place of the summer tournament, JSA started the Technical Examination Tournament on May 8 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. Tickets are free. There are no live TV broadcasts. No prize money from sponsors is provided for individual matches.

With the start of the current event, the JSA adopted measures designed to prevent bout rigging. Wrestlers in the juryo and higher divisions, and their attendants are prohibited from taking mobile phones into the Kokugikan. Stable masters are stationed in the wrestlers' locker room to watch for anything suggestive of match fixing.

If members of the supervision committee or the judging department detect a lack of fighting spirit in a particular match, they will meet to determine if it was rigged. The fact that these steps have to be taken is sad, but they represent the JSA's determination to seriously tackle the problem of bout rigging. This is progress compared with the JSA's past insistence that bout rigging did not exist. But it is clear that these steps are secondary.

The most important thing is that each wrestler psychologically come out of the closed sumo world and live up to what is expected of him. Wrestlers should be encouraged to have contact with ordinary people and communities through volunteer and other activities. This will help them nurture common sense and noble ambitions. The role of stable masters will be crucial in the proper orientation of wrestlers.

八百長問題の発覚で日本相撲協会は大きな打撃を受けた。幕内力士7人と十両力士10人が角界から追放され、協会は春夏場所を取りやめ、10億円の収入を失ったとされている。夏場所の代わりに、協会は両国国技館で無料公開の技能審査場所を開いた。テレビ中継や懸賞金もない。

協会は八百長再発防止のため、十両以上の力士や付け人に館内への携帯電話持込を禁止、親方は支度部屋で力士の動向を監視する。

疑わしい取組については監察委員会や審判部が集まって会議を開く。しかしこれらは二次的な対策でしかない。一番重要なのは、力士らが角界に閉じこもらず、社会の期待に応えるよう行動することだ。ボランティアなどの活動をとおして社会で一般市民と触れ合い、常識や大志を育む。力士の育成に対する親方の責任は重大だ。