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SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo |
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Chris Gould
Chris sinks his teeth into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger
fans - currently so noticeable by their absence. The first of a
three-part series.
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Sumo World Championships |
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Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton reports from Sakai near Osaka, site of the latest Sumo World Championships.
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Rikishi of Old |
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Joe Kuroda
Joe Kuroda finishes off his look at former yokozuna Minanogawa.
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Sumo 101 / Eric Evaluates |
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Eric Blair
Eric expains sumo fan terminology - with the inevitable twist - for
those just getting into the sport and still subject to the know it alls.
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Age stands still for no man |
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Joe Kuroda
Former ozeki Kiyokuni will retire in November under the compulsory '65
and you are out' rule. JK takes a look at this quiet earth mover.
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Feel the Sumo |
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Eduardo de Paz
Read and feel the renowned Leonishiki's passion for all things sumo at his first live event.
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SFM Interview |
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Mark Buckton
Mark interviews Colin Carroll - again - Irish star of Sakai.
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Photo Bonanza |
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See the Aki Basho bonanza as well as the largest collection of pics you
are likely to see on the Sumo World Championships earlier in October.
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Aki Basho Summary |
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Lon Howard
Lon wraps the September Aki Basho and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure.
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Lower Division Rikishi |
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Mikko Mattila
The lower divisions, their members and results get the once over thanks to Mikko's eye of things 'beneath the curtain'.
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Kimarite Focus |
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Mikko Mattila
Mikko's latest clarification of several of the sport's plethora of kimarite.
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Amateur Angles |
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Howard Gilbert
Howard Gilbert - manager of New Zealand's amateur sumo team takes a look at the approaching Russians.
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Kokugi Konnections |
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Todd Lambert
Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online.
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Fan Debate |
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Facilitator - Lon Howard
Jesse Lake and Rich Pardoe hammer out their differences on a current furor - promotion criteria.
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SFM Cartoons |
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Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and enjoy Benny Loh's
offerings and put a caption to Stephen Thompson's picture to win
yourselves a banzuke.
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Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends |
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SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke!
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Readers' Letters |
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See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens.
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Sumo Quiz |
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The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.
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followed
wayward husbands at the behest of their wives. He did not last long in
this profession because he was just too large and was easily noticed
when trailing his target. Then, through
a former supporter, he found other work: first, as a financial advisor
and later, as an insurance salesman. The former yokozuna’s habit of
moving from one job to another was taking a toll on his family life,
and his wife finally left him, taking with her their only son. Despite
such a traumatic incident, Tomojiro never appeared to be fazed and he
went on with his life as if nothing happened. “Well, you know, I gave
whatever little I had to her. I have no idea where she went. I have my
own small apartment. Now I can live without having a worry in my life.
It’s great,” Tomojiro told an acquaintance.
In 1958, Tomojiro was asked to appear in a Hollywood film directed by
John Houston and starring John Wayne. The film was “The Barbarian
and the Geisha” and was based on the true story of American diplomat
Townsend Harris and his time in Japan in the 1850s and ‘60s.
Tomojiro was given a bit part as the head of a yakuza gang and had
several scenes with John Wayne, who really impressed him. “He was
taller and heavier than me at that time and strong as a bull. He could
drink two bottles of whiskey without feeling a thing,” Tomojiro told a
friend. In fact, Tomojiro hoped to become an established actor
and fully expected that he would be called up again for more “leading”
roles. However, the movie itself bombed in the U.S. and in the
Japanese film industry, someone like Tomojiro was a dime a dozen. Soon
his name and memory faded away from the public eye completely.
A newspaper article appeared during the January 1965 basho
reporting that yokozuna Minanogawa was residing in a home for the aged,
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without
any income and unable to afford even a pack of cigarettes. He had
injured his back a couple of years before and had been hospitalized
while working as a commissioned salesman.
Since he could no longer work, and without any other means of income,
he was transferred to a facility called “Sunmail Showa” located in
Western Tokyo. When a reporter visited him there, Tomojiro was
sharing a small semi-private room. He was 62 and his only
possessions were a set of toiletries and a tea cup. Ever cheerful,
Tomojiro did not seem dismayed by his predicament. His only complaints
were about the too-small bed and the lack of clothing large enough for
his frame.
The Kyokai executives finally felt they had to do something to
alleviate the former yokozuna’s woes, so they asked for donations from
the rikishi and officials. This news was conveyed to Tomojiro and his
expectations grew as he surmised that the sekitori of those days were
earning far more than he did during his own sumo career. Tomojiro
began to plan for a quick windfall. He even visited a real estate
agent, thinking he could rent a sizable apartment and, perhaps,
reconcile with his estranged wife and son. In those days a
typical office worker was earning 40,000 to 50,000 yen per month, but
Tomojiro believed he could get at least 1.3 million yen from the
Kyokai’s collection.
When Tomojiro met with Kyokai chairman Tokitsukaze, former yokozuna
Futabayama, he was given two envelopes – one from the rikishi and the
other from the chairman himself. He could not wait to leave the meeting
to see how much the envelopes contained, so he quickly excused himself.
In the rikishi’s envelope, he found only a fraction of what he expected
- 325,000 yen. In the chairman’s envelope, there was 100,000 yen,
probably a donation from the chairman’s own pocket.
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Tomojiro
felt totally rejected, realizing that his dream of reuniting with his
family was now just that - a dream. He knew he could not even afford to
rent a small apartment for any significant amount of time. For
him, the donations meant nothing at all.
When he returned to the seniors’ home, Tomojiro told his roommate how
little he received from the Kyokai and how he no longer cared about the
money. His roommate, however, proposed that Tomojiro parlay his
money by betting on motor boat racing. After all, the roommate used to
gamble like that before. Tomojiro, though, knew that if the man had
been successful at wagering, he would not be in the same predicament as
Tomojiro, but, nevertheless thought, “Well, I never expected to receive
any money anyway. It DID just drop out of the sky, so why not go
for it?”
Here again Tomojiro acted without giving any thought to the
consequences, as, properly invested, the money could have permitted him
to live in comfort for months, if not years. And so, Tomojiro and
his roommate went to the boat races. His first bet was on a “safe” race
and Tomojiro quickly doubled his money. His roommate then told
him to go for another safe bet on a later race which could have netted
him the amount he initially expected from the Kyokai. But Tomojiro
became greedy, even thinking of running for another election and buying
a new house. He decided to try for winnings of as much as 8 million
yen, i.e., all or nothing.
Well, Tomojiro and his roommate ended up losing everything. Cheerful as
always, though, he figured he had nothing to begin with and so he never
cursed his fate or his roommate.
Next
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