Re: Takanohana gossip (more!)

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

Totoro-san:

If I am allowed to confess...

Through watching so many Takanohana Special video tapes, I noticed that I
started liking Hanada brothers. If you remember, I stopped calling him
TakaTokyo since the very early stage of Kyushu-basho. I sensed his drastic
change, that time, compared to him in Nagoya, in particular.

When he was treated as a star or in formal settings, he was rather
emotionless. But when he was in informal settings, he was relaxed and very
lovable young man. I also respect the way he is matured and concentrated on
his responsibility, not as yokozuna but as a person. He constantly
commented in the "Takanohana Special" video tapes that he does not want to
fit him into a frame of yokozuna but he wants to grow as a person. Also, he
does not want to learn how to perform a yokozuna sumo, but wants to brush
up his sumo.

I think it is true that mass media created the image of Takanohana and then
when they realized that he does not fit to the created image, they started
criticizing him based on their measure.

If you see the way media treated the brothers virtually since they were
born, particularly since they became a rikishi, you understand why they
have been rather unfriendly to the media. We as sumo fans only see them
through the eyes of media, unfortunately. They have been under so much
pressure to be successful as rikishi. Cameras were all over them and
everywhere they go. They were sick and tired of this attention as strongly
as other rikishi in Fujishima-beya and later in Futagoyama-beya felt. They
asked "Why us? There are sekitori in the heya, but media people seem only
interested in us."

Well, this time, I appreciate media for exposing Takanohana's relaxed side.
On the other hand, there is still a stupid TV personality who asked
Takanohana to smile when he does not feel comfortable dealing with this
"personality". You could tell he is forcing Takanohana to appreciate this
attention. One of the guests of this program was a young female singer who
has nothing to do with this "Takanohana Special".

Another such scean was when a reporter interviewed Takanohana while the
semi-private celebration was going. She asked what's he want to do most,
and he answered that he wants to be alone and enjoy the taste of being a
yokozuna. He clearly expressed his true feeling that time, but the reporter
kept interviewing him with not-so-valuable questions.

I can't blame him being stiff and emotionless sometime. Probably, he is not
supposed to show him being upset, for Sumo Kyokai's sake, as a yokozuna or
as an ozeki before. Being emotionless is the best he could in some
situations.

Through these video tapes, I just realized how young he is. They
interviewed his school mate when he was an elementary and secondary
students. They are still college students. That how young Takanohana is.

I envy older generations who watched active Futabayama. I was lucky enough
to watch Tochi/Waka, Haku/Hou, Kita/Tama, Ki/Rin-Rin/Ko, and Chiyonofuji.
And then next generation will envy our generation to watch Takanohana
growing into a great yokozuna.

His uncle, Wakanohana-I won 10 yusho as a great yokozuna, and Takanohana
has won 8 yusho when he is only 22-year-old. His 7 makuuchi yusho as a
non-yokozuna rikishi is the best ever. The second is Tamanishiki with 5.

I'll collect his records so far and post them for FAQ.

-Masumi