Re: former Onaruto's book

[abe@zoom.com (Masumi Abe)]

  From Weekly Post Web Site
<http://www.weeklypost.com/960527/960527b.htm#Sumo>
The original article at this site has photoes. If you have access to
WWW, I'll encourage to visit the original page, instead of reading
this post. This post is intended for the people who don't have access
to WWW. -Masumiriki

--------------------
Japan Sumo Wrestler Association (JSWA) Files A Lawsuit Against 
The Weekly Post -- Why Is JSWA Suing The Weekly Post? -- 

During the past 12 years, The Weekly Post (TWP) has been engaged 
in a full investigative report on fraudulent conduct within the Sumo 
Wrestler Association (JSWA) including their rigged matches. It has 
been taboo to criticize Japan's historical national sport, the Sumo. 
(Refer to the previous issues on this Web site.) 

The JSWA has been listening to what TWP had been reporting without 
making any claims. They have taken some small steps aimed at 
improving their conduct, accepting the stories to some extent. However, 
their problems may be too big to solve by themselves. The roots of their 
internal corruption and Sumo wrestlers' conduct in rigging matches are 
too deep. 

Ohnaruto Oyakata, one of the members of the JSWA who died mysterious 
recently, revealed his version of the truth courageously to TWP. As 
reported many times on this Web page, he told of matches being rigged by 
wrestlers on a regular basis, Marijuana use, fraudulent money transactions, 
and relationships with the Yakuza, Japan's organized crime groups. He also 
spoke of sexual scandals. 

Ohnaruto Oyakata revealed these surprising stories of corruption
explicitly to TWP, naming those involved and revealing secret internal
affairs at the JSWA to which no one had access. 

Fourteen of Ohnaruto Oyakata's private stories appeared on The Weekly 
Post (some of them appeared on the Web site), but the series ended with 
his death on April 14. His death caused some mystery because he died at
the same hospital and almost at the same time as Mr. Seiichiro Hashimoto, 
the chairman of the supporting group for the former Yokozuna, Kitanofuji 
who is currently the Director of the Public Relations of JSWA. He was one 
of the central figures in the scandals. (For the detailed story of Ohnaruto's
mysterious death, refer to the previous issue of this Web site. Use the 
search engine.) 

Right before his death, Ohnaruto told the TWP that he was being pressured 
and harassed by Yakuza groups. 

Although the JSWA kept silent about Ohnaruto's stories on the TWP
without even a single denial, they filed a lawsuit against TWP on May 22
at the Tokyo District Prosecution Office one and half months after
Ohnaruto's death. Their claim is, "The stories in The Weekly Post about
Konoshin Suga, the real name of the former Ohnaruto Oyakata, were found
to be totally false. The stories contain no hard evidence and are a total
fabrication." 

At the press conference, the Chairman of the JSWA, Mr. Sakaigawa
stressed repeatedly, "The lawsuit has nothing to do with the death of
Ohnaruto." 

Their decision to bring the lawsuit was made in the middle of the
May Sumo Tournament. Right before the tournament, Mr. Sakaigawa
delivered his warning to all wrestlers, "Any wrestlers who rigs matches
are garbage human beings. You will never be allowed to do that. I will
always be watching you. You will not be able to deceive me." 

His mission should not be to try and save face. It should be to clean up the
corrupt Sumo world. 
------------------