The “Sumo Association is the Second Johnny’s”: Hakuho’s Brother’s Criticism of the Kakukai Shaken by the Miyagino-Yakudan Riots

The BBC, the British national broadcaster, has asked me to interview Hakuho in connection with his demotion. It seems that the BBC sees the closed-door nature of the Sumo Association as a second Johnny’s.”

The BBC seems to regard the closed Sumo Association as a second Johnny’s,” said Davar Batbayar, 51, a Mongolian politician and former kobozuna, Asahiwashiyama, who is also the president of the Mongolian Sumo Association, in an interview with this magazine. Asahiwashiyama made an emergency visit to Japan before the Grand Sumo Tournament’s Chishu-rak. He questioned the Sumo Association’s decision to demote him by two ranks, calling it “too harsh” in light of the responsibility of Miyagino, 39, the stablemaster of former yokozuna Hakuho, for a violent incident involving former makuuchi Hokushoho.

He said, “It is big news in Mongolia that his stable might be closed. However, the tone of the media is mostly questioning the content of the punishment, and I have received many critical comments from many people, such as, ‘Are they being punished too severely because they are from Mongolia? There have been masters in the past who have been punished for violence against their disciples, but some have ended up with only a fine. What is the difference? The Mongolian public is growing distrustful of the Sumo Association’s punishment.

About a week before the Osaka tournament began, Kyokushozan met Miyagino’s stablemaster in Ginza. At that time, the JSA was still investigating the incident of violence involving Hokushoho.

At first Hakuho said, ‘It will be all right’ because of the precedent (of disciplinary action for misconduct). Later, there was a big commotion and the Sumo Association gave him a severe punishment. I was also concerned, so I called Hakuho again. But even though it was such a big deal, he never complained. Like a man, he said, “I will do my best. He was bluffing to me, saying, ‘I have to do my best from scratch,’ but his voice was very thin and he was clearly depressed. He may have been a great yokozuna and a fine rikishi, but as a stablemaster, he had just taken office. He is still inexperienced. I think it is too harsh to say that he is disqualified as an oyakata.

Miyagino Oyakata was six years old when they first met. They worked together at a summer camp for Mongolian Sumo wrestlers. Miyagino Oyakata was able to become a rikishi in a foreign country like Japan because “Hakuho was thin and small at that time, and no stable wanted him. So I talked to the previous master, Miyagino Oyakata, and he managed to get him in.

I am not defending him because he is Hakuho’s older brother. Hima Tomishi, like Hakuho, called him to Japan and was very close to him, but he told the media many times that Hima Tomishi was to blame when the assault on Kinoiwa took place. In Hakuho’s case, it was his disciple’s problem and the punishment was clearly heavier than the previous scandals involving the stablemasters. I voiced my opinion because I saw that Hakuho would eventually become a threat to the Sumo Association and that there were moves to “eliminate” him, just as there were moves to “eliminate” Takanohana. The Sumo Association continues to favor only those who are close to the President of the Board of Directors.

Indeed, it appears that those in the association who are close to Chancellor Hakkaku have been punished leniently. The number two official in the association, Mutsu Oyakata, had his remuneration reduced even when a rikishi in his stable was involved in a cover-up of violence. Kasugano Oyakata, the number three rikishi in the association, who was involved in a cover-up of violence and in the midst of allegations of eight hundred yakuza, received only a minor punishment.