Re: [SUMO] Re: Takanohana and humility

[Gunnar Jeschke <jeschke@mpip-mainz.mpg.de>]

Masumi Abe wrote:

> Along with the fact Takanohana failed to win yusho back to back basho,
>
> there were some questions about his character or integrity.
>
> 1. announced his engagement to marry to a young actress, and then
> suddenly
> decided not to pursue his public announcement and dumped her

This story happened shortly after I had arrived in Japan. I did not
understand enough Japanese to get it at least second hand from media,
but only from hearsay. That is what I remember:

Taka proposed by phone to a girl (Rie Miyazawa) whom he knew only from
T.V. appearance. It came shortly after he had won his second yusho
(beginning of October 1992). He was told that this was not the behavior
of a future yokozuna (in fact it was rather childish, but what would you
expect, I don't think he had had much opportunity to date girls). With
Rie in his head he had a very bad start of the basho in November 1992
(0:4). She said in an interview that she was (slightly) ashamed about
that. He went on to win the next 10 bouts and lost the final bout to Ake
(who got the yusho). There was a first encounter of Taka and Rie after
this basho and then a tearful separation.

I would like to ask those of you in the knowing:

Did Rie really want to be engaged with Taka? She could have had about
any man in Japan and their grandfathers at that time, I guess. She was
really cute, but not exactly an ideal future wife of a yokozuna (a book
with semi-nude photos of her was in distribution).

Did Taka bow out under pressure or because he lost interest?

Gunnar