[sumo] A Tokitsuskaze article with a little insight

[Doreen Simmons]

My own take on the article is that it is right on the ball in pointing 
to the bullying that is rampant in much of Japanese society. Just last 
week there was a big article in one of the Japanese papers on school 
bullying, and, as I recall,  the academic who had made a study of it 
observed that bullies in schools were well-organized and effective, and 
the teachers were generally unaware of it till there was a suicide. 
When I was new in Japan and teaching English, one of my nightschool 
students was a youngish Junior High teacher, and her stories of her own 
treatment at the hands of the senior teachers made my hair curl. And 
all discipline problems with problem students were hushed up -- to 
avoid disgracing the school. I agree entirely with Josh on this point.


That said, the rest of the article seemed to be a repetition of the 
rest of the stuff that has been out in the open for months. Well, not 
exactly a repetition, since that opening remark about baseball bats 
(plural) gives a different, malicious,  slant to everything that 
follows. The standard instrument used for beating is the shin'ai, a 
wooden (normally bamboo) stick about one-inch diameter and three or 
four feet long, which can sting and certainly leaves a red weal for an 
hour or so.

Incidentally, in the universe I inhabit, I recall the following steps 
being taken: as soon as the cause of death cam into question, 
Tokitsukaze was dropped from the judges' shifts and no longer appeared 
in public at the basho. ((I can't guarantee the exact order of the next 
things, but they certainly happened.) When investigations  pointed 
firmly to him, the Kyokai removed his Tokitsukaze name (which carried a 
share in the Kyokai) and expelled him, giving his position to someone 
else. They also sent around a questionnaire to every heya, and 
appointed a special committee to visit the heya and look into the 
treatment of juniors. Short of forming a linch mob, I really can't see 
what else the Kyokai could have done. As we have said in the matter of 
driving and accidents, Kyokai rules are one thing, and the law is 
another.  The Kyokai directors took this man's job and his living away 
and fired him. Short of stringing him up, what else could they have 
done?

Now, I've taken  up far too much time on this message and I still have 
to try to get my tax report in before starting 'real' work. Hope the 
people on the 'Consultation' counter don't feel picked on when they see 
me waiting in line ;-}

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