2,000 tickets were cancelled…Former Yokozuna Hakuho’s “Miyagino-Yakata” faces a “harsh reality

June, the month when the main tournament and regional tournaments are not held, was the season for “haircut ceremonies” in which retired sumo wrestlers cut off their topknots.

Starting with former Makuuchi Ishiura’s “Ishiura Retirement Mageki Assumption Grand Sumo” on June 1, followed by former Makuuchi Akiseyama (now Izutsu Oyakata) on June 2, former Makuuchi Chiyonokuni (now Sanoyama Oyakata) on June 8, and Teruyoshi (former Makuuchi) on June 23. Akeseyama, Chiyonokuni, and Terukiyo used the Kokugikan ring as the main venue for the haircutting ceremony.

Motoishiura made his debut in the first tournament of ’13 as an uchideshi of Miyagino Oyakata (former yokozuna Hakuho). He became familiar with sumo as a child because his father was the coach of the sumo club at Tottori Johoku High School, a prestigious sumo school.’ In 2004, he made his first tournament appearance, but due to a cervical spine injury, he announced his retirement in June ’23. Since then, he had been preparing for his retirement as the stablemaster of the Miyagino stable, while coaching younger wrestlers.

The incident occurred at the end of February, when he was in the final stages of his preparations.

Kita-Aoboho, his younger brother and a makuuchi rikishi at the time, was found to have committed a violent incident. Kitaseiho was advised to retire, and his master, Miyagino Oyakata, was demoted two ranks and had his salary reduced. But that was not all. In April, the Isegahama stable (led by former yokozuna Asahifuji) took charge of the Miyagino stable.

The movements of the Miyagino-ya wrestlers who had arrived in Osaka for the spring tournament became the focus of much attention, and several of them, including Hohokaho, the makushita, decided to retire from the stable while they were unable to get medical treatment for their injuries. After the tournament, the decision was made to close the Miyagino stable, and the two stablemasters and their rikishi were transferred to the Isegahama stable.

Naturally, this mess had an impact on the former Ishiura’s retirement tournament.

The 2,000 tickets for the retirement tournament that had already been reserved were cancelled. The former Ishiura was scrambling during the summer tournaments because he could not appeal on his website due to the closure of his old stable,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

The hair-cutting ceremony for ex-Ishiura was called the “Ishiura Retirement Mamagaki Assumption Unveiling Grand Sumo Tournament. This means that the audience will be treated to a grand sumo show featuring bouts between juryo and higher-ranked sekitori, as well as events such as hatsugiri and sumo jinku (a traditional Japanese poem), and other entertainment similar to a regional tour.

Recently, the former Akisezan and others have been using the “haircut” method of inviting supporters and fans to the Kokugikan, and it is extremely difficult, even for former ozeki-class rikishi, to get several thousand people to attend a haircut ceremony. In Ishiura’s case, however, he had the backing of Tottori Johoku High School and a big billboard saying that he was Hakuho’s uchi-deshi, so he decided to hold the event, where money in the hundreds of millions would be spent.

At the beginning of the incident, Miyagino Oyakata and the members of the former Miyagino stable were treated as “bad guys,” but they began to attract the sympathy and support of fans who said, “The punishment by the association is too heavy” and “I feel sorry for them,” and tickets that had been canceled were sold to general fans.

On the day of the event, fans entered the venue one after another from the time the doors opened at 10:00 a.m., and the second floor seats were also filled with spectators. Kawazoe (former juryo) and others from the former Miyagino stable performed the first bout, Ishiura’s first and second sons stepped into the ring for “Ishiura’s last bout,” and the sumo jinku was sung by Hope Hakusoho (juryo). The audience cheered to the sight of these wrestlers, who are not usually seen in the ring.

In addition to senior and junior members of the Tottori Johoku High School and Nihon University Sumo Clubs, nearly 60 women, including mothers and eldest daughters, also took the scissors from under the ring. After Ishiura’s father, Miyagino Oyakata, the stop scissors were put in by his current master, Isegahama Oyakata.

Miyagino Oyakata is the one who picked me up from being a social misfit. If I had not been approached by him, I don’t think I would have entered the world of sumo, and it is scary to imagine that (laughs). Miyagino Oyakata said, “Thank you,” and I said, “Thank you, too. Due to a neck injury, I wasn’t able to wrestle as well as I would have liked in the end, but I am filled with gratitude to the stablemaster and all those who supported me,” said Motoishiura.

There was also a pleasant surprise when his stablemate Flameho (formerly of Makuuchi), who was absent from the tournament, performed the bow-twirling ceremony.

I am happy to be able to help Maki Oyakata, whom I respect and admire, perform the hair-breaking ceremony,” he said. I have no experience in bow-twirling, and my performance today was not so good, but I am glad that everyone who came to the event was pleased.

Flameho looked back with a bright smile.

On June 15, Hohokaho, who had served as an attendant for Miyagino Oyakata during his tenure as yokozuna Hakuho, ended his 17-year career in the ring. At a hair-cutting ceremony held at a hotel in Tokyo, 130 supporters cut his hair, and when his former master, Miyagino Oyakata, put the final shears in, Hohokaho looked deeply moved, saying, “I am happy to have my (former) master cut off my topknot.

Maki, who will continue to work with Miyagino as the stablemaster of the Isegahama stable, said, “When I was active, I had dreams of being promoted to san’yaku or winning a technical award, but I couldn’t achieve them. I would like to make the most of this experience and teach young rikishi in a way that is close to them,” he said with a clear expression on his face.

We can only hope that this scandal will have a positive effect on their lives over time.