EDITORIAL: Gangsters in sumo world

An investigation by Aichi prefectural police revealed that two oyakata sumo elders--Kise, a former stablemaster, and Kiyomigata, a coach--were involved in helping yakuza gangsters get special ringside seats at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament last July.

The Japan Sumo Association, which operates sumo tournaments and supervises wrestlers, is a public-interest corporation eligible for tax breaks.

But the sumo community has been plagued by scandals these last several years, such as the 2007 beating death of a novice wrestler by his stablemaster and senior wrestlers, suspected drug use by wrestlers and the resignation of yokozuna Asashoryu over an alleged drunken assault.

Just the other day, an ozeki was questioned by police on a voluntary basis over suspected illegal betting on baseball games. With things in such a woeful state, we cannot help but question whether the association deserves to be a public-interest corporation.

The seats occupied by the gangsters in the Nagoya tournament are ones assigned free of charge to ijiin (patrons)--individuals and companies that made donations above specified amounts to the association. Since the seats are exclusively reserved for such donors, basically, it is not possible for members of the general public to get them.

During police questioning, the two senior sumo officials denied their direct involvement, arguing that they made arrangements not knowing the seats would be given to yakuza members.

However, given the special nature of the prime seats, helping third parties get them is not permissible. There is no way the two officials did not know that.

If they make arrangements through inappropriate means, the seats may find their way to undesirable people. If they were not even aware of such possible consequences, they are unworthy of their positions as officials responsible for running the association.

The association questioned the two officials at a board meeting May 27 and punished them. Kise was demoted and ordered to close his stable. Kiyomigata was reprimanded. The decisions are reasonable.

There are suspicions that similar problems are spreading outside the Nagoya tournament. The association should conduct a thorough investigation to check whether passes to the special seats are distributed by irregular means.

Does the association really understand the gravity of the problem? This is not the first time for questions to be raised over its relations with yakuza groups. In past cases, a yokozuna received monetary gifts and a wrestler was caught up in a shooting incident while dining with gangsters. The latest case shows that the association is still soft on yakuza.

Recently, the association has shown a stance of trying to eliminate ties with yakuza. It issued notices to oyakata and was planning to organize a lecture by police officials. But the two gave no heed to such efforts.

At the board meeting, the association incorporated a clause to sever ties with anti-social forces into its statutes. But unless it implements effective guidance to wrestlers and coaches, the clause will be nothing but empty words.

We also call on the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to take action. It is not enough to take such routine measures as requiring the association to submit a report on preventive measures. As the government office overseeing professional sumo, the ministry should keep a close eye on the management of the association and impose tough guidance this time.

The statutes of the association state its purpose as contributing to "the maintenance and development of sumo and the improvement of mind and body of the people." But the first thing it should do is to right itself.

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 30