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[sumo] Kitazakura Toyozakura Interview Part 2
An Interview with Kitazakura and Toyozakura.
from Sumo Magazine "Friendly Talk" section - September
2004
Part 2.
==========================================
Sumo Magazine: Has your older brother been like this
since you were little, always talking about all these
funny stories?
Toyozakura: I don't remember too well now but I
remember I was laughing a lot.
Kitazakura: I remember you used to laugh a lot while
watching comedy programs on TV. But once you started
Judo class, you couldn't watch TV anymore. See, he
went to his Judo class on Tuesaday, Thursday, Friday
and Saturday.
Toyo: When I didn't have the class, on Monday,
Wednesday and Sunday, I had to do practice at home.
Kita: But when you look back now, don't you appreciate
those hard training you were told to do at home,
right?
Toyo: In winter, I was told once I sweat enough, I
could finish but you know it's winter, you don't sweat
that much. So I used to pour water all over me. Yeah,
when I think about it now, I was forced to live like I
was living in a sumo beya or something.
Kita: You got the idea about throwing water over you
from our old man. He was saying during winter jyungyo
tours, to pretend he was working out hard by pouring
water all over him. But you know you get caught pretty
quickly as you could tell
pretty easily when you are really working out hard,
rolling all over the place with sweat pouring from you
and just splashing water over you a few times.
Sumo: I see.
Kita: But both of us hearing the story, we used to
splash water around in winter, freezing our guts off.
Toyo: You know sometimes you really don't feel like
working out. You keep telling yourself why I am doing
something like this.
Kita: You were just slacking off.
Toyo: You thought if the training like this would help
at all.
Sumo: What type of training have you been doing then?
Toyo: Oh..we used to run around the house, jumping
around, weight training, push-ups, sit-ups and we've
even done splits. You know there were neighbours
watching us so it was a kind of embarrassing.
Sumo: You mean you were doing a sumo style leg split.
Kita: Oh Yeah, definitely, we've mastered it. We also
did "teppos" as well as we wrapped a rubber rope
around a pole and did pushing.
Toyo: I haven't done "teppo" myself.
Kita: What? Weren't you told to do it? I was told to
do it.
Toyo: That's because you were going to be a rikishi
while I was told not to.
Kita: Back then I was already pretty big but
Toyozakura wasn't that big.
Toyo: I was bigger than average. In my school class, I
was about the second or third tallest.
Sumo: I guess your father was thinking more like
having the older brother joining Ozumo and the younger
brother to go into another line of work.
Toyo: My brother was always saying he wanted to go
into Ozumo.
Kita: Right. That's what I wanted.
Toyo: I think my old man wanted me to go to high
school. But you know when you are told to go to high
school, you feel as if you really don't want to go,
you understand (laughs).
Kita: I also wanted to go to high school and do some
judo as well.
Toyo: I asked Ma if we had any money to send me to a
high school. She said if I wanted I could but it'd be
easier if I had not. So I figured I'd better not go.
Kita: In those days we were spending so much money on
food. Like we used to eat five bowls or so easy.
Toyo: Hey I didn't eat that much, maybe several bowls.
Kita: Well, so, we had this and that, and that's the
reason you might say we are where we are right here,
right now, you know.
Sumo: When did you decide you would join Ozumo? Around
when you were Grade 9?
Toyo: Probably. I didn't like school but more than
anything else I just did not like being at home
anymore. After I joined the sumo world, there were
times I felt like I had enough but then I thought I'd
better off staying in Ozumo than going home so I
did endure the hardships. And you coud say the fruit
of those efforts is now arrived with the Kantosho. OK,
I guess I am stretching the story too far (laugh).
Kita: Oh...my...I wanted my Kantosho too...
Sumo: Well you can have it too if you get the same
record.
Kita: I guess I can manage to get a Juryo's
Kantosho....hehe (laugh).
Sumo: When Kitazakura-zeki comes on the dohyo, there
are more cheers from the crowd. Do you feel it too?
Kita: Sure.
Sumo: That pose you do after you win your bout, is
that your natural move?
Kita: Well do you want me to tell you the true story?
You know the story is going to get longer.
Sumo: Why not. Go for it.
Kita: OK. You know when you win your bout, you will be
happy. When you lose, you can't stand it. So each bout
you will be psyching yourself up. But you know this is
the world where "outlandish" behavior is frowned upon.
But when everything goes well
and you are so happy, it just comes out naturally. I
remember seeing Toyozakura showing a bit of the move
too last basho (laughs).
Toyo: Have I done it too?
Kita: So if you do it with a small gesture, you get
people arguing about whether he's done it or not done
it. So I figured I might as well leave no doubt and do
it really big so I can really convey what I am feeling
to the spectators. By now I am really doing it big
naturally (laughs). Those moves are really natural and
nothing intentional. If I can show the fans really
good sumo, personally I think it really does not
matter if I win or lose. That's how I feel.
Sumo: I agree if both rikishis really display their
all, even if you lose, the fans will go home happy and
satisfied.
Kita: Exactly. When you get their applause even if you
lose, there is nothing more valuable. Thank you.
Toyo: I agree.
Kita: You know, in Toyozakura's sumo recently I've
been noticing something...what can I say, like
"Samurai spirits". The older brother has been getting
really moved by seeing those sharp tsupparis.
Toyo: Hey, are you feeling sick or something? You must
be suffering from lack of sleep...
Kita: Right, this is no good, it's not going nowhere.
Let's talk about something more useful like...ah..a
secret training program.
Sumo: If it's a secret, can you talk about it?
Toyo: Actually it's no secret at all. It's just I am
doing it all alone by myself.
Kita: Correct. It's no secret. It's been well
publicized.
Toyo: No, what are you talking about? I haven't been
publicizing it (laughs).
Kita: While he is doing physical training, I am
training my voice. Yeah, just the other day, I went
into a telephone booth to belt out a song, I was told
the microphone had a wrong shape. Well that's just one
of the episodes but I have more.
Toyo: Like he goes to a Karaoke place and he doesn't
turn on the mike switch, like all we see is his mouth
flapping around with no sound.
Sumo: Have you been going out together recently?
Kita: We don't go out much now but we have a good
mutual friend so sometimes the three of us go out.
Sumo: Now your older brother has a family, do you go
to his house for a dinner or something?
Toyo: I've been to his place but I don't recall
getting a dinner there.
Kita: Well you know Toyozakura has been doing his
secret training in evenings.
Toyo: Actually that's true. Either I am working out or
getting a massage so I really don't have a time.
Kita: Me too. I am also involved in a secret training
mission. So we are both busy. I am doing mountain
cocooning.
Sumo: Mountain cocooning?
Kita: That's right but I haven't been publicizing it
so I can't tell you what it is (laughs). But I still
have seven scars on my chest left from that event. So
I have been doing a lot while getting everyone to
think otherwise (laughs).
Toyo: Is it really OK to keep talking about something
silly like this? Let's start talking something more
serious.
Sumo: OK, then let's hear about the next basho (the
Aki Basho)?
Toyo: I have been trying to respond to the question by
saying I'd approach it the same way as I have done in
the Nagoya Basho. If I could do it, then I know it
will lead to a good result.
Sumo: Your opponents will be much stronger but if you
can compete using your own sumo style, I am sure you
will be successful.
Toyo: Of course the big question is if they let me get
in my own sumo style.
Kita: Me...well, my sumo is basically a total mess so
I figure even if I lose, it would be OK. I am thinking
of going full out and then try to go for a good
defeat. I go forward and fall down on my face, as long
as I can show a spirited youthful effort, it will be
quite all right. And not suffering any injury helps.
Sumo: There will be a Makuuchi dohyo-ri with two of
you together, so there is a lot to look forward to
next basho.
Kita: Well our ranks are kind of far apart so it's not
likely that we'd be next to each other but it should
feel great.
Toyo: Yeah we will be real happy. Well, then why don't
we close this by saying both of us will do our best
the next basho.
Kita: You must be sleepy too.....
Toyo: Yeah, I was so sleepy......
Sumo: Thank you both so much for spending time with us
today.
(Recorded on August 4, 2004 after Goshogawara Jyungyo
Tour.)
=====
.....Jonosuke
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