Re: Taka's marriage

[Masumi Abe <abe@zoom.com>]

Premarital sexual encounter is nothing unusual these days, and
it's not that unusual to get married based on the born-to-be.
I actually would congraturate Taka for responsive act rather
than choosing an abortion.

Terao recently got married with his wife after having a son.
If you follow sumo community closely, this is well known.

So if there is another wave of Taka-bashing, that is only based
on his "star-ness". Unlike other rikishi, Taka/Waka have been
treated as TV stars, and his wife is well-known TV personality
and their wedding was a multimillion dollar enent payed by
a TV station, etc. etc. Some people won't be impressed by these
out-of-the-world exposure and every popular star has their own
star haters.

I think the recent phenomenon in Japan reported by Mr. Tanaka
is nothing new for Japanese stars.

About sumo gishiki, you should think about the Japanese baseball
camparing to sumo.

Basically professional baseball and amateur baseball play the
same type of sports/games. They are another sports without
significant cultural and traditional ceremony type of events
attached, though their uniforms are based on their tradition
than effectiveness for the sports movement.

Professional Ozumo is very popular in Japan with obvious cultural
tradition attached with their performance, much so than baseball
for example. Just like baseball, there are amateur sumo exist
in Japan without too much cultural aspect of Ozumo.

Is amateur sumo popular in Japan? I haven't been following amateur
sumo closely, so I can't give you a diffinite answer, but I think
it is safe to say that amateur sumo is not as popular as amateur
baseball in Japan. Even among larger-than-average Japanese men, 
amateur sumo is not as popular than amateur baseball. If any of 
you know otherwise, please let us know.

There is a sumo-like sports in Korea. It is traditional, but it
is played like a sports with much less cultural and traditional
than Ozumo-style sumo. If sumo becomes a Japanese wrestling played
on cirled padded mat with body tights. With white-gloved referee
and ring announcer than gyoji and yobidashi, I'll be not as excited
as I am now, safe to say.

Also, too bad to say this but, the Kyokai's attempt of making
sumo as an international sports event for Olympic games will fail
I think. The only posible scenario, IMHO, will be to organize
the many sumo-like national sports in all over the world and 
re-create a new sumo-like sports as an international-style sumo.
Based on NHK TV program on in-search-of origin of sumo, there
are many such sports all over the world. If Kyokai chould unite
these sports and start a new sumo-like sports, it could get popular
as a new sports.

But Ozumo abandons their tradition, mage, mawashi, kesho-mawashi,
dohyo, dohyoiri, shikiri, tachiai, gyoji, yobidashi, etc. etc.
at least majority of current fans will leave for good. That
means the end of sumo business.

-Masumiriki