Hakuho’s Manager Reportedly Disappeared with 1 Billion Yen in Debt!

He said, “I feel like it’s over, and I feel lonely, like a part of my body is gone.”

After the haircutting ceremony at Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumida-ku, Tokyo) on January 28, Miyagino, 37, the stable-master of former yokozuna Hakuho, said emotionally to the press.

It was a fitting finale for Hakuho, who won a record 45 championships, amassed 1,187 victories, and was a yokozuna for 14 years. About 280 people had scissors cut into their topknots. The crowd included former prime ministers Junichiro Koizumi, Yoshiro Mori, and Yukio Hatoyama, musician YO S H IKI, Giants manager Tatsunori Hara, Toyota Motor Corp. president Akio Toyoda, and many others.

There were some spectacular events. At the opening ceremony, Kabuki actor Danjuro Ichikawa performed “Sanbaso” on the ring to pray for a good harvest. Singer GACKT sang “Kimigayo.” Many relatives will also attend, including his mother, Tamir, who will be visiting Japan from Mongolia. Mrs. Sayoko-san couldn’t hold back her tears, saying, ‘I’m sadder than sad.

Individual dinners for the 5 million yen course

Hakuho’s topknot has been removed, and his hair has become shorter and clearer. What is surprising is that the fee for the haircut ceremony was unusually high, starting at 1 million yen.

The price of the “Diamond VIP NFT,” which was sold by lottery at the end of last year and was limited to three pairs of two people each, was a whopping 5 million yen. In addition to getting scissors into the topknot, they would also have access to the VIP-only lounge and a private dinner with Hakuho at a later date. The “Platinum VIP NFT,” which is limited to seven couples of two persons per group, is another step down in rank and costs 1,000,000 yen.

Although there is no fixed amount, the usual fee for the haircutting ceremony is about 100,000 yen, and the party afterward is usually 30,000 yen. Asashoryu, also from Mongolia, paid 100,000 yen and 30,000 yen. I have heard that Hakuho’s participation fee for the party was about 100,000 yen. Compared to other rikishi’s (oyakata’s) haircut ceremonies, you can see how expensive they are.

The income from weddings and promotion parties basically belongs to the stable. On the other hand, the proceeds from the haircut ceremony go to the retired rikishi himself. Since about 900 people attended Hakuho’s party, it is assumed that even after deducting the cost of the venue and personnel, there was still a considerable amount of income.

Why did Hakuho decide to hold such an expensive hair-splitting event?

Mr. K served as Hakuho’s assistant during his active career and became his manager after he retired. He ran an entertainment agency and also managed the Hakuho Cup, a sumo tournament for elementary and junior high school students.

According to the September 29, 2022 issue of Shukan Shincho, which reported the incident, Mr. K suddenly disappeared in July of last year. It seems that he had run up debts due to gambling and the failure of a new business venture he was trying to start. According to the magazine, he not only borrowed money from many people, but also absconded with Hakuho’s and the Miyagino stable’s funds, which are said to be 100 or 200 million yen. Hakuho’s expensive haircut ceremony may have been related to Mr. K, who disappeared with a large amount of money.

The reporter for FRIDAY Digital tried to contact Mr. K on his cell phone, but we got nothing because he was either in a place where there was no signal or the phone was turned off. I hope Mr. K’s disappearance will not have a negative impact on Hakuho’s oyakata life.