[sumo] Asashoryu's latest 'doings'

[Doreen Simmons]

On 2008/02/27, at 19:47, Sumocypher at aol.com wrote:

>
> In a message dated 2/26/2008 7:54:45 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> itsulon at wavecable.com writes:
>
>
> On  Feb 26, 2008, at 3:16 AM, Sumocypher at aol.com wrote:
>
>> Forgive me for  yet another stupid question - why is his being seen in
>> civvies while  not in Japan, not on an official mission or not
>> during a  tourney  such
>> a terrible thing? Is he supposed to go swimming  with his kimono on? I
>> remember pictures of all the rikishi in Hawaii  without kimonos on
>> at various  times,
>> so what's  the big deal?
>
> I'll give a go at this, knowing I'll oversimplify or just  get it
> wrong, but for the sake of adding another 2 cents;
>
> I  don't think it matters much whether they are in or out of Japan, or
> whether they're 'on duty' or not, but like all things ozumo, many
> times it just depends.
>
>
> Well then how about the emperor or other such "gods" in Japan. I'm sure
> there are others that are supposed to uphold the s-called dignity the 
> Japanese
> always talk about when referring to their heroes. Why are sumo 
> wrestlers the
> only ones held to such an unbendingly strict standard? Asa is not 
> exactly the
> Dalai Lama.


If itsn't too late (for I can generally only reply to this list on;y at 
12-hour -plus intervals) :

Yes, the Emperor and his family, only too clearly, are held to this 
sort of standard.

Doreen Simmons
  jz8d-smmn at asahi-net.or.jp