Former Onaruto-Oyakata dead - end of the scandal series

[achimP@ryu.titech.ac.jp (Achim Pawelczyk)]

Former Onaruto-Oyakata recently had become (in)famous for his Sumo scandal
stories in the magazine "Weekly Post", which have been published for 13
weeks now. I read some, they really can make you loose your trust in Sumo.
While the popularity of Sumo has dropped already because Waka-Taka and even
Takanonami monopolize the championship, the series may have caused real
damage.
January last year the then Onaruto-Oyakata (former Sekiwake Kotetsuyama)
left the Sumo-Kyokai (Haigyo), his Rikishi went to the Kiriyama-beya. He
died in the morning of the 14th at the age of 53. A friend of his, helping
him with the series, died the same day in the same hospital, 56 years old.
Officially both deaths are of the same natural cause, pneumonia. The dead
friend had been the vice-president of the Koenkai (sponsor club) of former
Yokozuna Kitanofuji (now Jinmaku-Oyakata, former Kokonoe-Oyakata), who
always appeared in the stories.
Two English versions of the first stories are on the net:
http://www.weeklypost.com/960122/960122b.htm
http://www.weeklypost.com/960304/960304c.htm

Other news in English:
On the 16th, in spite of pouring rain, about a thousand fans watched grand
champions Dawn and Nobleflower entering the clay surface at the shrine of
the Peaceful Nation in the eastern capitol.  (sorry, had to do it)

Achim (Akinogana) Pawelczyk 
Tokyo Institute of Technology
achimP@ryu.titech.ac.jp (a chimp on a dragon)