RE: [sumo] Asashouryuu AWOL

[Doreen Simmons <jz8d-smmn@asahi-net.or.jp>]

I've been too busy to do more than skim this thread (albeit with 
considerable interest) but while I'm waiting for the eggs to boil for the 
salad I've promised for this evening, I'll try to give what I'll call, for 
want of a better word, the "bifocal" view; for it seems to me that much of 
the confusion has arisen through people having either a long-distance or an 
up-close view.

Permission to travel, especially out of the country: if you all it 
"permission" it sounds bad; but it's a matter of common sense, as well as 
common courtesy, for a man as important as the only active yokozuna, to let 
the powers-that-be know that he will be out of reach for xx days. One of 
the burdens of fame is the fact that people, important people, need you to 
be within reach. In the case of a star who is an important asset, there is 
also the question of the hazard of travel. This is why people at a certain 
level have to have drivers and are not allowed to drive themselves. (There 
have been cases where a man got into an accident just before a basho and 
went kyujo.)

Segue into TV appearances. These fall into two kinds: (1) Taking part in 
entertainment shows, which may sometimes involve accidents; again, it has 
been known for an accident on a stage set to injure a man sufficiently to 
put him out of the next basho;  (2)  making CMs for a large fee; in 
principle the Kyokai takes a large cut of the fee, and, although it changes 
its principles from time to time ;-} it tries to make sure that the company 
being advertised is one of its sponsors.

Taking part in a chat show does not come under either heading. There are 
some rumblings (I am not free to give a direct quote) that Takanohana's 
behavior in this respect is bringing the world of sumo into disrepute, but 
there is nothing in the rules, spoken or unspoken, to prevent him from 
making such appearances.  Cases of bringing sumo into disrepute have, as 
far as I recall, nearly always involved gangster connections or thrown 
bouts; sitting in a studio saying nasty things about one's brother or 
mother has not been so regarded up to now. When the bigwigs judge on such a 
matter, the punishment is customarily suspension of salary for a fixed 
period.

As for taking time off for trips home; in the week's holiday after a basho 
ends, it is customary (in many heya) to allow juniors a little time off for 
family visits, when the basho happens to be in their own neighborhood; and 
it is getting customary for Mongolians to be allowed a short home visit as 
a reward for kachi-koshi. (At least, that as the answer given by the ones 
I've met in Ulaanbaatar airport.) Outside that holiday period the juniors 
all have work and keiko to do. How do sekitori spend the week? Those who 
can afford it may take a plane to get home sooner, or take a vacation trip; 
but they _are_ expected to inform at least their master about it.

Eggs are done, time to sign off; down in Ryogoku beneath my window the 
young deshi are going hither and thither saying their goodbyes, as they 
prepare to depart for Nagoya tomorrow. This morning three young foreigners 
came swinging down the street; and hopefully pulled the heya front door 
open enough to peek in; no good;  little did they know that they were a day 
late and a dollar short. Training ended for most yesterday; today was spent 
on cleaning up and packing.



Doreen Simmons
<jz8d-smmn@asahi-net.or.jp>
[EndPost by Doreen Simmons <jz8d-smmn@asahi-net.or.jp>]