Illegal Gambling Punishments

So today the riji met to discuss what to do about this whole scandal, but for final words it seems we will have to wait for the July 4th meeting (woo Independence Day!). For those of you who don't know, a large number of rikishi, oyakata, and other sumo affiliated individuals have admitted to illegally gambling. What is striking about this scandal is not so much that the gambling occurred, but more how widespread it was within the sumo world, with 29 admitting to gambling on baseball and 36 others admitting to other forms of gambling. More damning than the actual gambling is the association with mafia (yakuza) that these sorts of illegal activities imply. Ties between sumo and the yakuza go back deep into history, but having this relationship illuminated for the public is extremely bad press for sumo, as yakuza are perceived very negatively (and rightfully so).

This whole fiasco began after a tabloid ran a story about ozeki Kotomitsuki's illegal gambling and his being blackmailed by a member of the mafia to cover up this information, and as such Kotomitsuki is going to be one of the most heavily punished amongst the guilty parties (the fact that he lied about any wrongdoing at first will also factor heavily); his retirement papers were not accepted, as his fate will be decided at the July 4th meeting. The other individual receiving heavy punishment is Otake-oyakata (former Takatoriki), who has already submitted his resignation as well.

For more information on the details regarding the scandal, please check out the forums at sumoforum.net!

Anyways, what I really wanted to talk about was the punishments being administered to those found guilty within the NSK. From what we've seen so far, the guilty parties are being evaluated on a case by case basis for the most part, hence the harsher punishments for Otake and Kotomitsuki based on the severity of their offences. Otake was said to have racked up enormous debts gambling illegaly, and alleges that Kotomitsuki took on the burden of his debt. My initial reaction to this is that Otake is probably just covering for Mitsuki and acting as a scapegoat, but we'll have to see how it all plays out.

Bringing on an independent panel to look at the situation and recommend punishment was the only logical step to take for investigation, as this scandal permeates too deep into the sumo world. Actually, I'm surprised to say that I think that the punishment suggestions reached by the panel were probably the best possible choice. Many have been calling for the basho to be cancelled, but honestly this is not the correct way to go about reprimanding those involved, as it not only punishes those who are guilty but also all those who are innocent. Additionally, the fans are hurt by this, and many would be disappointed, frustrated, and even angry that they must wait until Aki for a new basho. Consider the negative impact this would have on Nagoya's feelings towards sumo, if their only basho a year was cancelled (not to mention that Kotomitsuki is a native of Aichi-ken!).

Fortunately, the panel's recommendations were accepted (as well they should have been, as there were completely reasonable), and the Nagoya basho will go on as planned, with the banzuke coming out a week later than normal. The recommended punishments are widespread suspensions of those involved in illegal baseball gambling, as well as suspensions of the overseeing oyakata. Additionally, Otake-oyakata, Tokitsukaze-oyakata (former Tokitsuumi), and Kotomitsuki face heavier punishment. Right now, the NSK is looking at the likely expulsion of Kotomitsuki and Otake, with Tokitsukaze facing serious demotion. Of course, finalization of all this mess will happen at the July 4th meeting, but as of now it seems the NSK is accepting these recommended punishments.

Check out the story here: http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/28_21.html

So are these punishments fair? On either end of the spectrum we have those wishing to cancel the basho and/or expell all gambling rikishi, while others feel it is no big deal and just a minor slap on the wrist is enough. Well, I already explained why cancelling the Nagoya basho would be unfair, but it would also additionally be financially disastrous for the NSK. Furthermore, widespread expulsions would be unwise, as banishing that many rikishi would severely weaken the overall quality of sumo for many future basho. Losing strong young guys like Goeido, Toyonoshima, and Toyohibiki would only harm sumo; it's bad enough that Kotomitsuki will almost certainly be gone from sumo for good, as his technical prowess and strong tachi-ai always made him one of my favorites. Basically, we would see half of juryo fighting in makuuchi, with makushita filling out half of juryo. With Hakuho already dominating the makuuchi division with such ease, weakening the overall competition int he division would not draw any new interest in the sport and might even drive many fans away out of sheer boredom. Still, one should not assume from this that I feel these rikishi should get off with little/no punishment. Despite the fact that I honestly don't care at all about rikishi and oyakata's personal lives, conduct, or less than savory habits (I was a big fan of the ex-Asashoryu after all), I still feel that all those involved need to be harshly reprimanded. This is for two main reasons: first, the public demands that strong action be taken. Sumo's popularity is already in a state of suffering, and to have scandal after scandal does not help. Since the media has built this scandal up into a huge firestorm, to take no action against the guilty parties would certainly alienate many away from sumo. Essentially, the scope and coverage of this incident demands strong repercussions. Secondly, I feel that those involved must be punished out of consistency. After all, four rikishi were completely expelled after being caught with or testing positive for marijuana (Wakanoho, Roho, Hakurozan, and Wakakirin), and former yokozuna Asashoryu and Futahaguro were both forced into retirement after years of behavioral issues. If those involved in illegal gambling are allowed to continue on as normal, it would be quite contradictory to how issues such as these were handled in the past. Unlike how Wakanoho was unfortunately lumped in with the brothers Roho and Hakurozan during the marijuana scandal, those currently under investigation are being handled individually, which means that appropriate punishments can be handed down on a case by case basis.

Having banishment or demotion as punishments for the worst offenders, while still significantly punishing the lesser offenders with suspensions for Nagoya is a seemingly reasonable outcome. If one really wishes to see harsher punishments inflicted upon these men, they should consider the shame and loss of support that will follow their suspension as punishment enough. Despite being illegal, gambling is quite widespread in Japan, and combining this with the often sheltered world that rikishi live in, I cannot help but sympathize some with them in this situation. I tend to feel that the oyakata who allowed this widespread gambling to go on for so long are far more responsible. Either way, in my view, a fair punishment has been reached, so we can at least expect an interesting (if not exciting..) Nagoya basho next month. However, we must consider as well that these punishments are in no way getting at the core of the problems. So let's hope that this ultimately leads to more structural reforms within the Kyokai rather than ignoring all the still existing corruption and relying on a handful of scapegoats to proceed into the future.

Anyways, more to come later (probably after the July 4 meeting), and I will hopefully make a post about the banzuke when it finally gets released.

Introduction

Welcome fellow fans to my attempt at sharing the happenings of sumo with a wider audience. I have never written anything substantial on the internet before, let alone a "blog," so you'll all just have to bear with me!

This first post was intended to be a quick test of my layout, but I figured it would be nice to give a little introduction as well. Obviously, a lot is going on in the sumo world that merits a great deal of discussion, so hopefully my following posts will have a bit more substance (but they'll have to wait until at least after lunch).

As an academic, writing has always been a passion of mine, so I figured "why not start sharing my ramblings with others?" Of course, there are already a number of good online groups and sources that a fan of sumo can tap into, including sumoforum.net, sumotalk.com, and Sumo Fan Magazine, but I figured one more fan voicing his opinion on the sport wouldn't hurt.

In true Japanese fasion, I suppose a bit of a self-introduction is prudent regarding my experience and interest in sumo. "Why should I care what this guy has to say about sumo anyways?!" Yes, this thought came to mind when deciding to create some sort of blog, and the truth is, I am just like any other sumo fan -- or any other sports fan for that matter. In fact, prior to my coming to Japan 2 years ago, I considered myself more of a baseball fan.

After seeing a late night broadcast of sumo on ESPN 2 (or 3 or 4 or some other ridiculous number) during junior high school, my interest in this seemingly strange sport was sparked. Yet, without ample means to nurture this interest, it was passing at most. However, sumo quickly took a vice-like hold over my interest after more videos and information about the sport became available via the internet, and soon after arriving in Japan, I decided to pursue my master's thesis on the topic of foreigners in sumo. While I won't bore you all with the details of this, rest assured that for the next two years I lived and breathed everything that is sumo as best I could, even participating in a college sumo club during a 6 month exchange.

As for my near future posts, I am hoping to at least briefly address the current baseball gambling scandal (likely after the July 4 rijikai meeting) as well as a long post about revising the kadoban system.