[sumo] More on young rikishi murder (my words, not theirs)

[Scott M. Kahn]

This is no surprise to those of us who suspected from the beginning
that hazing was the cause of Mr. Saito's death.

Now that the facts are coming in, eg. "His right ear was torn off",
I think there is ample evidence that hints at a cover-up attempt,
at the least at the stable level.  It would be sad if this tragedy
isn't investigated in full, Mr. Saito's family is due such respect.

To me, the argument that reform should not be instated because of
financial concerns rings hollow.  Being that sumo is such an
important part of Japanese society, I think it is time for the
government to step up and bestow adequate funding to the Kyokai in
exchange for such reforms.  Closed social societies resist calls
for transparency, but considering the recent trials and
tribulations of the Kyokai, the time is now right.  There might be
some reluctance to this appropriation of funds by the Japanese
public, but we are talking about an important part of Japanese
heritage.  Would $20,000,000 a year from the government relieve
such financial pressures and allow the Kyokai to institute
necessary reforms that would prevent hazing deaths and other
threats to a stable's financial solvency?

Sukubibudibu

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The body of the young recruit, Takashi Saito, was riddled with
> cigarette burns,
> bruises from baseball-bat blows and the scar from a beer bottle
> smashed against
> his forehead. His right ear was torn off. Initially, his trainer,
> or  “
> stablemaster”, denied hitting Mr Saito, who had several times
> tried to run away  from
> the stable. The police ascribed the death to “natural causes”
> and the
> powerful Japan Sumo Association (JSA) accepted it.
> Only when the stablemaster, Junichi Yamamoto, pressed the family
> to cremate
> the body quickly did the father demand an autopsy. It turned out
> Mr Yamamoto
> had  wielded the bottle and ordered the three wrestlers to
> inflict more
> punishment.  The death has shocked Japan. Even Yasuo Fukuda, the
> prime minister, said
> he took  the incident very seriously and that it was important
> how the JSA
> deals with it.
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