Former Tokitsukaze Oyakata, the former master accused of illegal parking, “told this magazine the truth about his resignation from the JSA” and got down on his knees in a photo.

A large man came out of the police station for the inspection. He looked surprised at the many reporters gathered at the police station, and then got into the bus with his face down.

By February 27, the Kanda Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department had arrested Masahiro Sakamoto, 51, a former Tokitsukaze stablemaster, on suspicion of forging a sealed official document. Sakamoto is a former famous rikishi who won two juryo (ten ryo) championships and four technical awards under the name Tokitsukai. He is alleged to have illegally parked his car using a false mark.

The alleged incident occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m. on February 5. He is alleged to have parked on the street in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, by placing a color copy of the “Parking No Parking Exemption Designated Vehicle Mark” on the dashboard of his car. The said emblem is issued by the Prefectural Public Safety Commission for physically disabled persons, and if they present it, they are exempted from parking regulations.

The police had been investigating a series of reports of cars frequently parked on the streets in Tokyo with what appeared to be forged emblems. The suspect Sakamoto admitted the charge, saying, ‘I borrowed it from an acquaintance and made a color copy of it. The Kanda Police Department, which made the arrest, suspects that Sakamoto had repeatedly parked illegally. The Kanda Police Department, which arrested the suspect, believes that he had repeatedly parked illegally.

An honest man who neither drinks nor smokes.

Former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa explains.

He is an honest man who neither drinks nor smokes. However, I don’t think he had a deep thought in committing this crime. The forged markers are for physically handicapped people, and their cars are usually parked near hospitals and rehabilitation facilities.

If a large, strong man, such as a former sumo wrestler, got out of a car with the mark, even non-sumo fans would be suspicious. Even if you are not a sumo fan, you may feel suspicious. If there is no hospital nearby, it would be even more suspicious. If he had borrowed the mark from an antisocial force or lent it to an acquaintance, Sakamoto’s guilt would be even more serious.

Sakamoto resigned from the Japan Sumo Association in February 2009 for violating the association’s guidelines on the new Corona. Although he was prohibited from going out unnecessarily, he was reported in the February 4 issue of Shukan Bunshun (February 4, 2009) for frequenting mahjong parlors and brothels.

This magazine interviewed Sakamoto after his resignation (June 18 issue of the same year). At the time, he had vowed to make a comeback, saying, “I will never cause any more scandals.” …… The following are the main questions and answers with Sakamoto that revealed the truth about his resignation.

I’ve been accumulating them. ……

–What are you doing now (at the time of the interview)?

[Joon] I moved out of my room and am living alone in Tokyo. Every day I reflect intensely on my shallow behavior. …… I go around to my supporters and explain how I resigned from my job, and I work out at home so that my body doesn’t get too tired.

–He is also a member of the “Shukan Bunshun” (weekly magazine), which reported on his visits to a mahjong parlor.

It is true that after Honwari was over, he went to an acquaintance’s office in Akasaka (Minato-ku, Tokyo). It is a licensed mahjong parlor, but there is only one mahjong table. It does not accept the general public. I have played mahjong with my friends, but not during the reported location. We just chit-chatted and had dinner.

–About the brothel, see …….

[Joon] I was ashamed to admit that I went there. At the time, my relationship with my wife was strained and I was under the stress of hospitalization for acute pancreatitis. I had accumulated a lot of things. ……

–After the “Shukan Bunshun” report, you immediately submitted your resignation to the Sumo Association.

I had violated the rules twice before (involvement in a baseball betting game and golfing at the COVID-19 crisis), so I was ready to clean up my act. I was determined to make a clean break. After submitting the report, he gathered the rikishi on the second floor of his stable and reported to them. I think I’m going to resign,” he said. I apologized to them, and the room was quiet.

During the interview, Sakamoto even got down on his knees (first related photo) to apologize to fans and the stable staff. His arrest this time has cast doubt on whether he was serious in his “vehement apology” at the time.