Ozeki & Yokozuna

[mabe@netcom.com (Masumi Abe)]

> This is related to "Konishiki" discussion.
> 
> I have not put too much thinking about this issue, but this is my initial
> thought.
> 
> Any yokozuna or ozeki deserve to have a toshiyori kabu and retire 
> gracefully. Also, current Ichidai-Toshiyori system is not good at all.
> If it is really to honor the great contributor to sumo community, it
> should be an additional regular toshiyori-kabu, instead of "life-time".
> 
> Taiho, Kitanoumi and Chiyonofuji deserved to have their names added
> as a new tohiyori name. There are no real good reason of having only,
> or as many as, 105 toshiyori-kabu. For example, until relatively recently,
> Negishi family kept Negishi kabu as one of toshiyori kabu. Negishi family
> was a printer and publisher of official banzuke, and sumo style writing
> was called Negishi-ryu. Also, Gyoji used to have heya, but they no longer
> have the rights.
> 
> Having their name in the list of oyakata name is the ultimate honor.
> 
> Another idea is to make all ozeki and yokozuna belongs directly to kyokai
> instead of heya. Kyokai will compensate each heya for transfering them to
> kyokai. All these rikishi have right to start their own heya and match 
> each other, as a representative of their own heya. Futabayama started 
> Futabayama Dojo while he was still active rikishi.
> 
> Kyokai will buy out toshiyori kabu from retired toshiyori who could not 
> find their heir, and from families who retained toshiyori kabu from late
> toshiyori. Also, from toshiyori who has heya but failed to raise any
> sekitori within first ten years, or any makushita within first 5 years.
> 
> Yokozuna and Ozeki are the ones sumo business going. They deserves to
> be rewarded with toshiyori from Kyokai. Also, sumo fans deserve to have
> all possible yokozuna-ozeki matches, at least. This system will ensure
> Makuuchi rikishi to concentrate on sumo training and sumo match, rather
> than drinking and dining with patrons.
> 
> This system will make sumo matches more exciting. I don't think rikishi
> who never won any sho or never been ranked in sanyaku, except rikishi
> played over 20 basho or more in makuuchi, deserve to be an oyakata.
> With this restriction, Kyokai could manage to keep toshiyori kabu for
> every ozeki and yokozuna.
> 
> -Masumi
> 
>