Re: Culturally Offensive / Ko-en-kai

[Achim Pawelczyk <achimp@herten.de>]

At 22:18 01.06.99 +0100, Nashinokawa wrote:

>I think you would need to be extremely blatant on the advertising front
>I remember the Pepsi Mawashi that Takatoriki wore early in his Makuuchi
>career
>which was nothing more than the logo, which some (non-Japanese) people
>objected to at the time (letter in Sumo World I think)
>
>Personally I thought a little more taste could have gone into it (a more
>textured  woven style would have improved it immensely), but at the end of
>the day sumo and rikishi need sponsorship to survive and he who pays the
>piper calls the tune, one way or another.
>
>Apparently the Pepsi Japan Manager of the time was a sumophile (he may have
>been the first foreign Ko-en-kai chairman I believe) and sponsored
>Takatoriki as he felt his style of sumo epitomized his ware:  fizzy, full of
>energy, exciting etc.

In the list of Ko-en-kai heads it still says  "Pepsi general manager Japan"
with Takatoriki. The katakana for the name say "Ahrushahrih" ("h" to
indicate the prolonged vowel sign "-").

My list is from the Sponichi banzuke data, which I could get last basho - I
was disappointed: the riksihi photos are no longer colour and it was
printed on the same paper like any newspaper - it used to be top quality,
staying clear for at least ten years.

BTW not only Akebono has no entry (and no koenkai - will there be Kawika
listed virtually next time ?), but also Tochinowaka, now the oldest rikishi
in Makunouchi.
Does anyone know the story on this ?

Also marked "not yet established" (Ko-en-kai head) are Toki, Yotsukasa,
Kotoryu, Ohinode, Wakanojo.


>I guess that the other areas would be considered unacceptable though as
>Doreen says.  I think religious cults may also be unacceptable, as would
>symbols that would cause controversy in the Japanese media (e.g. the Rising
>Sun flag used by the military during WWII)

Kyokudozan used it. He also used the usual Rising Sun flag (Hinomaru) with
the inscription "Kamikaze".


Akinomaki

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