Photo/IllutrationTakanoiwa sits on a chair placed on the floor of the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo to let invited female guests cut a strand in his topknot during his retirement ceremony in February as women are prohibited from entering the elevated “dohyo” ring. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) is showing no sign of being more conscious about the role it plays in society and its responsibility.

Tournaments are as popular as ever, and the results have raised expectations for the next generation of sumo wrestlers: four up-and-coming wrestlers won a tournament for the first time during the past year. The JSA is expecting another sellout crowd for the next 15-day tournament starting July 7 in Nagoya.

But the association has done nothing to deliver on one important promise to the public: serious debate on a tradition that bars women from entering the sumo ring, or dohyo.

The issue came to the fore in April last year during a tour in a city in Kyoto Prefecture. When a group of women, including a nurse, rushed to the dohyo to save the life of a guest of honor, the mayor of the city, who suddenly collapsed in the ring while giving a speech due to subarachnoid hemorrhage, they were urged to leave the dohyo over the public address system. The JSA’s thoughtless and callous response to what happened surprised the public.

Another episode concerning the issue took place during the association’s next tour in Hyogo Prefecture. When a female city mayor asked for permission to give a speech in the dohyo, the organizing committee consisting of local companies and organizations rejected her request after consulting with the JSA.

The association was bitterly criticized over these episodes, and JSA chairman Hakkaku, former yokozuna Hokutoumi, issued a statement, apologizing for the PA announcement asking the women administering cardiac massage on the stricken mayor to leave the ring. He promised to conduct a survey to ascertain what the public thinks about the centuries-old ban.

Hakkaku said the association will “consider” the issue after studying the results of the survey and listening to outside opinions.

More than a year has passed since the statement was issued, but almost nothing has been heard about what association has done to deal with the issue.

The first meeting of a committee set up to examine the issue was held finally in May, according to the association. But the fact was not publicized and little information about the committee has been offered. Even the names of the members were not released. When the association was contacted, all it disclosed is that the committee is chaired by Oguruma, the JSA director and its No. 2 man and former ozeki known as Kotokaze.

The association’s tardiness in responding to public criticism and its traditional closed nature are unacceptable.

We cannot help but doubt the JSA’s commitment to tackling the issue and finding an acceptable answer.

There were surveys on this issue during the period between 2004 and 2007. Hakkaku’s statement referred to the fact that more than 50 percent of respondents in these surveys were opposed to even allowing women to enter the dohyo only during awards ceremonies.

But the results also showed that respondents were almost equally divided over the issue. In one of the surveys, the numbers of respondents supporting and opposing the change were the same. It should be noted that the surveys only covered people who came to watch sumo matches, not the public at large.

In a nationwide Asahi Shimbun survey in May last year, 65 percent of respondents supported the idea of allowing women to enter the ring.

What should not be forgotten is the fact that the association is a public interest corporation entitled to favorable tax treatment and other regulatory advantages.

That means it needs broad support from the public, not just from core sumo fans, to maintain its status.

It should be keenly aware of this fact in deciding on the methods of future surveys, analyzing their results and discussing the issue.

The JSA cites “tradition” as a reason for banning women from the dohyo. In the history of sumo, however, various steps have been taken to break with its traditions in response to changing times.

The four pillars to support the roof over the ring have been removed for television broadcasting, for instance. Wrestlers belonging to the same “heya” stable are now allowed to face off in bouts. The association has even accepted foreign nationals as wrestlers.

If it continues resting on the laurels of the popularity of the sport and dragging its feet on much-needed reforms, the sumo governing body will find itself in hot water sooner or later.

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 6