Shunichi Tokura’s Controversial Statement on Mongolian Yokozuna

The word dignity has become a mere word

Hoshoryu, who was promoted to the 74th Yokozuna at 25, still faces doubts regarding the decision.

On January 28, all nine members of the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee participated, and the decision was made “unanimously” to promote him. However, his performance at the January tournament raised concerns, as he lacked consistency with a 12-3 record. Though he managed to win the tournament by defeating lower-ranked wrestlers like Oho (24) and Kinpoyama (27), he didn’t show overwhelming strength.

“His combined total of 33 wins over the last three tournaments met the minimum requirement for Yokozuna promotion, and he also met the standard of ‘two consecutive championships as Ozeki or equivalent results.’ However, there were opinions within the association that it might be better to wait another tournament. But with Terunofuji retiring in January, leaving a gap in the Yokozuna ranks, there was a real concern that this would result in a vacant position for the first time in 32 years.

Also, with the Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 set to begin in April, the Grand Sumo Expo is scheduled for August 3, and the Yokozuna’s ring entrance is one of the highlights. There were clear efforts to avoid a vacancy in the Yokozuna position,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

In a sense, it could be seen as a compassionate decision. After the committee meeting, composer Shunichi Tokura (76), a committee member, remarked,

“Not all Mongolian Yokozuna have had the dignity of a Yokozuna, right? Their fighting spirit is good, but they need to be aware that this is the national sport. They should receive guidance from the Tatsunami stable.”

This comment sparked criticism on social media, with users commenting, “It may be true that some Mongolian Yokozuna lacked dignity, but this isn’t the time to say that during Hoshoryu’s promotion,” “What about the dignity of the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee?” and “The word ‘dignity’ has become meaningless.” Some even pointed out, “Isn’t this hate speech?”

Hoshoryu asked about dignity amidst yokozuna promotion controversy

On January 29, the Japan Sumo Association held a ranking meeting and an emergency board meeting at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, where they unanimously decided to promote Terunofuji to yokozuna. After the announcement, Terunofuji responded to questions from reporters, including one regarding his thoughts on dignity following Shunichi Tokura’s comments the previous day. Smiling shyly, Terunofuji replied:

“Honestly, I don’t really understand what the word ‘dignity’ means. What does it actually mean?”

To gain insight into Tokura’s comments, a request for an interview was made to ask about the true intent behind his statement and to ask, “What does ‘dignity’ mean for a yokozuna?” and “Which yokozuna does Tokura think embodies this dignity?” Tokura provided the following response:

“There are Mongolian-born yokozuna who are also magnificent and honorable. Recently, Terunofuji endured injuries and continued his responsibilities as yokozuna, despite his deteriorating body, until his retirement. However, as you all know, there were also yokozuna in the past who caused problems. The new yokozuna, Hoshoryu, is a very honest and good young man when he speaks.

At the celebration banquet (held on January 31 after the yokozuna promotion ceremony at Meiji Shrine), I told him that the yokozuna who has reached the peak of Japan’s national sport should deeply understand Japanese culture. I also told his stable master to provide guidance. No matter how many victories he accumulates, they are just numbers. I said, ‘Hoshoryu, please become a yokozuna who remains in our hearts.’” – Shunichi Tokura

In other words, Tokura sees Terunofuji as an example of the dignity of a yokozuna and has similar expectations for Hoshoryu. It seems he used strong words as a form of encouragement to motivate him.

To further understand the situation, former sumo association external committee member and cartoonist Mitsuru Yaku (65) was asked for his opinion on the entire controversy.

Dignity = properly

“Although Terunofuji’s support was mentioned, (Tokura’s words) were a bit off the mark. The statement that all Mongolian yokozuna lacked dignity is not entirely correct. However, it is true that there were yokozuna from Mongolia who lacked dignity. Therefore, I don’t think Tokura’s statement was hateful or anything of the sort. Regarding the promotion of Hoshoryu, there are no doubts. Even in my own interpretation, it makes sense to me.

I’m an optimist, so I thought Hoshoryu had already become strong enough and maybe we could wait another tournament to see how things unfold. However, many members of the yokozuna deliberation committee tend to be cautious. I think their cautious approach was likely based on the idea of, ‘If it doesn’t work out next time, it would be problematic. We should promote him while we can.”

When it comes to the dignity Hoshoryu is expected to have, I said the following:

“Although his uncle, Asashoryu, frequently makes headlines, creating an impression that Hoshoryu might follow in those footsteps, it’s completely different. I don’t see Hoshoryu as someone who would cause trouble. Hoshoryu himself openly admitted that he didn’t understand the meaning of the word, which I think was his honest answer. He hasn’t fully mastered the Japanese language, and frankly, even among Japanese people, there are very few young people with dignity at that age.

The point is, I believe what Tokura wanted to convey was, ‘Behave properly.’ Dignity = proper behavior. And by proper, I mean his actions and mannerisms both in and outside the ring. He is honest and a good person. I believe Hoshoryu will become a yokozuna who will behave properly.”

In recent years, even when promoted to yokozuna, many have been forced to sit out tournaments due to injuries, resulting in a short-lived career. I hope that Hoshoryu will leave impressive results and become a yokozuna with the dignity befitting a grand champion, making the deliberation committee members proud.