[sumo] 'good guy-bad guy'/ the "council"

[artist at aloha.net]

The "council"  is the Yokozuna Shinji kai, as  it is transliterated from the
Japanese, and is simply a  satellite  group of  outside, non-sumo people,
always wealthy and of high corporate or government status, OR very famous,
as was shingikai kaicho (chairman) in the 70¹s, playwright Funabashi Seichi.
A woman appearing as a member is only a recent event and quite
ground-breaking in this fiercely male world.

It was explained to me in the 70¹s by a major tanimachi ( individual wealthy
sponsor) that this group really had no teeth, as the Kyokai absolutely makes
their own decisions . But because of their collective education and position
in society, this group lends an air of credibility and class to the Kyokai.
They supposedly decide on who will be promoted to Yokozuna , but I was told
that this decision is already made from within. They just put their stamp of
approval on it for the public.

It is only recently that personalities have emerged, and  expressing
individual criticisms. One problem I see; tho these people are appointed for
the purpose of support the JSA, not all these people really understand the
world of sumo. It seems that their power in a particular area gives them
confidence to spout off-target in an unknown area, and are not upholding the
appearance for which the JSA invited them in.

Lynn Matsuoka
The  Sumo Artist and Author
www.traditions.jp

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You can commission a painting of your favorite rikishi!







On 3/8/08 12:37 AM, "Doreen Simmons" <jz8d-smmn at asahi-net.or.jp> wrote:

> 
> On 2008/03/08, at 13:28, Patrick Bal forwarded:
> 
>> 
>> Will 'good guy-bad guy' faceoff revive sumo?
>> 
>> By REIJI YOSHIDA
>> Staff writer
> 
> In other words, not a sports specialist but a regular trying to make a
> new article of already-published stuff, some of it boilerplate.
> 
>> The sacred sport of sumo boasts a history of 1,300 years, but recent
>> scandals and undignified exploits of some of its champions are
>> threatening
>> to reduce its status to heresy.
> 
> The sumo we see today took more-or-less recognisable form in the 19th
> century, and was organised into  its current shape in the early  20th.
> But whenever anybody wants to whinge about the poor shape it's in
> today, they trot out the ancient bits -- usually citing around 2,000
> years if not going right back to the myths. And they never, never
> mention the bad reputation it had in previous ages....    :-)
> 
> 
>> "I think it's best for (Asashoryu) to retire by making the decision by
>> himself," writer Makiko Uchidate, a member of the yokozuna council,
>> wrote in
>> a book published in January.
>> 
>> The council is the authority that assigns wrestlers their rank. It
>> promoted
>> Asashoryu in 2003 on condition that his stable master improved his
>> behavior.
>> But his behavior only worsened, Uchidate said.
> 
> Ouch! "authority that assigns wrestlers their rank"? that could have
> been better put!
> 
> 
> Doreen Simmons (still struggling with software, and wishing it wasn't
> the last week to file tax returns)
>   jz8d-smmn at asahi-net.or.jp
> 
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