Selected Columns
Kaleidoscope of the Heart: Asashoryu a picture of extremes
Yokozuna Asashoryu recently announced he was leaving the sumo ring for good. If people were asked what the name "Asashoryu" meant to them, half would say "powerful yokozuna," but the other half would say "problem-plagued yokozuna." He's the kind of person that invites a divided estimation.
The part of Asashoryu's career which left the greatest impression on me was the time in 2007 when, claiming he was in bad health, he missed a summer tour and went home to Mongolia. After he returned to Japan he faced serious criticism when the media reported he had played soccer while in Mongolia, and he went into a serious mope, not setting foot outside his house. He was paid nearly daily visits by a psychiatrist, and the diagnosis for the wrestler's condition went through several phases, from "depression" to "dissociative disorder" to "acute stress."
At the time, my thoughts were split between realizing that even a tough yokozuna could feel the effects of stress, and wishing Asashoryu wouldn't use illness as an excuse for his absence from the ring. I thought that claiming clinical depression just for having his actions reported in the media and being scolded by the Japan Sumo Association was an affront to people truly suffering from the condition.
Later, a meek Asashoryu appeared before the news corps to apologize, saying, "I still love sumo after all," and went on to even greater feats in the ring, and in my heart I cheered him on. Rather than transforming into a Goody Two-shoes, he became more likeable by continuing to take an unconventional approach.
Asashoryu's return even had an effect on my practice. Some patients told me, "Even though he had to confront such a difficult time mostly of his own making, and fell into a nasty slump, he can come back like this. That's really encouraging." I bet there were lots of people thinking the same thing.
However, I wonder if at the end of all that, Asashoryu was left with a mistaken sense of invincibility and the belief that, "Hey, I can do anything!" So he went from a fragile shut-in to someone who fears nothing, who believes in his own omnipotence, and ended up unable to control himself -- culminating in the violent incident that led to his retirement.
Unlike the Asashoryu that seemed so haggard during the media frenzy of 2007, the man who retired Feb. 4 looked healthy and fresh. On the other hand, perhaps he was tired of struggling with his own growing sense of indestructibility.
Already, there are some who have voiced worries that Asashoryu's arrogant attitude will carry over into his post-sumo life, but I don't think that will happen. I tend to think he will not give in to illusions of grandeur, and that he will make his way in the world as a life-sized man. And I for one am praying that Asashoryu -- still not yet 30 years old -- will have a fruitful and successful life. (By Rika Kayama, psychiatrist)
Click here for the original Japanese story
(Mainichi Japan) February 14, 2010