The world of sumo faces perhaps its greatest ever crisis after last week’s revelations of bout fixing in the sport. The exposure of a series of text messages sent between more than a dozen top level rikishi (wrestlers) was followed by public admissions by two of them and a coach. Though such “yaocho” (bout fixing) rumors and accusations have circulated for years, this time the evidence is out in the open and cannot be ignored. As a result, the Japan Sumo Association announced yesterday that next month’s “haru basho” (spring tournament), one of six major events held every other month during the year, would be called off and the sport will be in a state of suspension until thorough investigations are carried out. It is the first cancellation of a basho in the post-war period other than one occasion in 1946 when structural repairs were required at the official venue.
The sport has its roots in the traditional religion of shinto and is officially a government affiliate with preferential tax treatment, so membership of the sumo world brings with it the expectation of high moral standards. But that image has been greatly damaged by a series of major scandals over the last few years. 2007 saw the hazing death of a 17-year-old trainee and the arrest of his “oyakata” (stablemaster); in 2008, drug use led to the expulsion of two Russian rikishi and the resignation of the JSA chief; Mongolian Yokozuna (grand champion) Asashoryu quit the sport while at the top of his game in 2010 after accusations of a drunken assault; gambling by rikishi on baseball games led to the expulsion of two top rikishi last summer, and it was police investigation of that gambling that led to the latest scandal.