No visitors to practice sessions, no food donations… Strict restrictions” imposed on the Miyagino-ya supporters’ association after the transfer of rikishi

Six months have passed since former makuuchi rikishi Kitaseiho (22) assaulted former yokozuna Hakuho, 39, and Miyagino Oyakata was demoted two ranks and given a pay cut by the Japan Sumo Association, and all rikishi in the Miyagino stable were transferred to the Isegahama stable. However, Miyagino Oyakata and his rikishi are not the only ones in a difficult situation. A member of the Miyagino stable’s supporters’ association confides, “The rikishi’s Isegahama stable is in a difficult situation.

Around April, after the rikishi had been transferred to the Isegahama stable, Miyagino Oyakata sent a postcard to the supporters’ association. The postcard asked the supporters not to send gifts to the Isegahama stable, observe practice sessions, or attend parties of any kind. In fact, at the Osaka tournament, the first tournament after the assault, Miyagino’s supporters’ association was not allowed to send gifts to rikishi, and this has continued since the transfer in April.”

Former rikishi from the Miyagino stable also had a gloomy look on their faces.

When I was in the Miyagino stable, I received congratulatory gifts from several supporters’ associations when I won a tournament, but after I moved to the Isegahama stable, the number of gifts from supporters’ associations has drastically decreased. For rikishi, congratulatory gifts and pocket money from supporters’ associations are one of their main sources of income. After moving to the Isegahama stable, they have been suffering financially. Some rikishi have quit the Isegahama stable because of this.

Why was the Miyagino stable’s supporters’ association forbidden to provide support? Another member of the supporters’ association lamented, “We have not been told the reason either.

Possibility of Revival of the Miyagino Room

It is a well-known fact that Akio Toyoda, 68, chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, is among the supporters of Miyagino. Since other eminent business leaders are also on the list, the Miyagino stable was famous for its extravagant gifts. However, it is said that the jealousy from other sumo stables was so great because of this. There is even a rumor circulating in sumo circles that jealousy may have caused the Sumo Association to suspend the activities of the supporters’ association. However, even with the suspension, not as many people left the Miyagino-ya supporters’ association as expected. I have heard that most of them will continue to support the Miyagino stable.

Was it the Sumo Association that ordered the Miyagino stable supporters’ association to suspend its activities? Friday sent a letter of inquiry to the association to confirm the facts, but received no response by the deadline.

Since the closure of the Miyagino stable in April of this year, the “future of the Miyagino stable” has been a frequent topic of conversation in the sumo world, and the people involved have been spending their days without a clear future.

The number of rikishi has increased dramatically as a result of the transfer, and the burden on Isegahama Oyakata has increased significantly. In order to ease the burden, there is talk of the Miyagino-ya being restored in January of next year. Next July, Isegahama Oyakata will reach retirement age. Prior to that, there were rumors that the Miyagino stable would be revived in May of next year. However, none of this can be believed unless the Sumo Association makes an official announcement. I feel that the suspension of the supporters’ association is a barrier to the restart of the Miyagino stable,” said a supporter of the association.

The support of the supporters’ association has also ceased after the ousting of the grand yokozuna, Oyokata. How much longer should the transferred Miyagino-ya wrestlers continue to wrestle in a state of disappointment?