If it's the Haru Basho time in Osaka, it must be...

[Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]

It's reported that the Kyokai will be deferring again
the decision to permit the Governor of Osaka Fusae Ota
to present the Governor's Cup on the dohyo at this
Haru Basho.

When Governor Ota took her office back in February,
2000, she expressed her desire to hand over the Osaka
Governor's Cup herself on the dohyo but the Kyokai
steadfastly refused the request citing the unique
tradition and culture of sumo not allowing women on
the dohyo.  In the past three years the Vice Governor
has presented the certificate, trophy and agricultural
produce worth half a million yen to the Haru Basho
Yusho rikishi.

Recently a kyokai executive released a comment saying,
"We get a variety of opinion being expressed from both
men and women,  This is not a type of things we should
rush into by making a snap decision."        
 
As the Governor's term is expiring the next February,
it's now certain that her wish will not be fulfilled
in her first term.     

===========

The first female member of Yokozuna Deliberation
Committee and screen writer Makiko Uchidate will be
enrolling in the University of Tohoku Graduate School
this spring to purse a master degree in Literature. 
Her thesis will be on "Yokozuna Theology" and 
she will be primarily researching why women are not
allowed to be on the dohyo from a theological
perspective.   

"I understand Ms Uchidate's research objective is to
identify the relationships between Sumo and Shinto
rituals and then to delve further into the reasons
from an academic point of view for such subject
matters as Sumo barring women from the dohyo.  I am
hoping that she learns the theology from the basic
level just like all of the other students do, " said
Professor Iwayumi Suzuki of the University's Graduate
School of Literature, Department of Theological
Studies. 

Makiko Uchidate is from Akita Prefecture and graduated
from Musashino Fine Arts Univesity. In 1992 her screen
play on Ozumo, "Hirari", was selected for the season's
popular morning drama series on NHK TV.  She became a
member of the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee in
September, 2000. 

At the time of Governor Ota's request to present the
Yusho Trohpy on the dohyo for the 2001 Haru Basho and
the Kyokai's subsequent refusal, Makiko explained by
saying, "It's a natural decision, based on trying to
preserve the traditions.  It has nothing to do with
sex discrimination.  This is a problem of different
order." 


=====
.....Jonosuke 
  <  Heart  Technique  Physique     ?S   ?Z   ?Ì  >

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