[sumo] Musashigawa

[Lynn Matsuoka]

Musashigawa is a tough customer, but has a small, almost imperceptable
window of accessability. I remember when he became Yokozuna, I felt like I
was about to jump off  a cliff just approaching him to ask  permission to
sit with him as he put on the Tsuna so I could do a drawing of him. I was 
shocked by his immediate approval of that idea. At the same time, he is
barely responsive when one greets him, tho there is a response. In the
sumo world one has to learn to read minds and body language, as little is
said. He is old-school and strict, hands-on with daily practice, not
beyond 'doing whatever it takes'.

Another problem from all this will be that people will point to the
foreigners as the trouble makers- the ones who brought down Kitanoumi,
etc...  It does looks like they are with the current problems. But other
things have gone on and been overlooked ...my question is, why the
attention now ?


OK Doreen...take it away...

Lynn





> I posted this on the forum, but I'm keen to hear Doreen's view on this,
> so here it comes on the list as well:
>
>   To turn attention, if possible, to the future, does anyone know what
> kind of leader Musashigawa is? What kind of reputation does he have?
> All I know is his success in bringing up one yokozuna and three ozeki
> in the beginning of this decade. What has his role in the kyokai been?
> His cooperation with Kitanoumi?
>
> FWIW, I actually feel a bit sorry for Kita. He may not have been the
> best leader, but no-one deserves this kind of disgrace. But after the
> Mongolian Soccer Incident and the Tokitsukaze Scandal and now this, he
> may actually be relieved to step out of the spotlight.
>
> I feel even more sorry for ex-Taiho. The man was never a star
> recruiter, bringing up a total of only 4 makunouchi rikishi in his many
> years as shisho. And then his final recruit, who at times seemed quite
> promising and quickly rose to komusubi, turned out to be such a bad
> seed. Curse on those three idiots and what they've done to sumo. (Oh,
> and by "three" I don't mean Musashigawa, Kitanoumi and Taiho, if anyone
> thought so...)
>
> Maguroyama
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>


Lynn Matsuoka , described in the Japan press the "Degas of Japanese  Sumo
and Kabuki", has also  won awards for her hula reportage paintings in
Hawaii. Her Sumo artwork is in corporate and private collections around
the world, in of the Morikami Museum of Art and has recently been
requested by the Sumo Museum in Tokyo and Sapporo.

Visit our booth at the Hampton Classic Horse Show  from August 24~ 31, 2008.

Web  sites :   http:// www.traditions.jp & www.hamptonsartist.com

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