I think Asasyoryu deserves to be cracked down except the sumo association gave him a mental torture and a confinement.

Ms.MIO, do you know things below?
The Japan sumo association is a public corporation. Local tour is one of their important activity for the public. So the local tour of sumo is not merely an event, but an important work for them to fulfill the requirements as a public corporation. As local tours have been substantially decreased to avoid hard schedules and so on, they are rather criticised not working enough as a public corporation.

And sumo is not a sport but like a traditional performing art, I think there's nothing we can do about there happen some unreasonable occurrences there. Isn't that a performing art is all about?

Since over 70% of main rikishis come from local places now, neglecting local tours means declining of sumo. In such point of view, it'll be no excuse any more that Asasyoryu is a foreigner, because he is a Yokozuna. No matter how the situation was difficult for him to refuse, I think it's a blunder that Asasyoryu, a public person and a Yokozuna, who had presented a medical certificate and skipped the local tour, played soccer there.

　*MIO wrote:　I want to see in his position

Thank you for your opinion.

I didn't know the Japan sumo association is a public corporation. But I think on the contrary it means their management condition does not permit them to reduce local tours even if they exploit rikishis. If they cannot decrease local tours, how about reducing the annual tournaments? Is it a rough logic?
If rikishis were consumed, sumo itself can't stand up. So I think they'd better not give a lot what they haven't got, don't they?

I think Guest1's opinion is reasonable.
I don't intend to say Asasyoryu commited no error as well. But I wrote this article because I caught a dangerous mood like
"Everybody just consentrate his fault and attack him earnestly, without concerning any background which brought about the situation."

Though he has been obedient to the system of a Japanese traditional culture and has been making continuous efforts and contributions, they are making a fuss as if this single mistake brought all of them to naught.
I think this responce is too excess.

If a Japanese rikishi did the same, do they attack him to a same degree? It seems no.
I absolutely see things, like certain jelousy or prejudice to a foreign rikishi or a narrow outlook considering only domestic circumstances, hiding behind this hard criticism.

Everybody fails. Young people fail all the more.
If all adults around him just punish him strictly and never forgive or hold him gently, he would be lost.
I think they are childish.

We were taught by teachers that we should also consider things at the viewpoints of the other, weren't we?
If I was he, even if I will reflect on me, I would inevitably feel rageful on the other hand, and a indescribable pain as well.

　*GUEST1 wrote:　reducing annual tournaments ...

... is very good. I agree with you about that.
If the tournaments are reduced to 4 times a year, rikishis will have fair time to control their conditions and local tours or events conducted to get sumo fans will also be possible in looser schedules.

I am one of them who want Asasyoryu's return.
I think people who should lead him are too bad.

I oppose you in a sense in my opinion.
You side with Asasyoryu on this issue, but I think it's somewhat wrong. First, his failure in this issue is not that he played soccer, but that he was not undergoing treatment. It seems it's true his elbow and lumbar are rather ill and needs certain treatments. He is blamed he skipped local tours without undergoing treatments nevertheless in such a condition.

It's reasonable he pay the penalty if he break a rule, because he is a member of society. Compared to a salaried worker, a pay cut or a layoff. I won't comment whether the penalty is heavy or light, because it depends upon one's personal opinion.

Though you consider these occurrences are limited in sumo, similar ones often happen in other professional sports as well. Happen also in countries overseas. Persons who are on top of a sport world are respected, however their world is demanding for them in a sense.

I tell an example in baseball. There are different rules between MLB and Japanese professional baseball, which is not written in MLB's rule book. Ichiro violated the rule. In MLB, the winning team by a large margin like 10 to 0 is not allowed to attack more excessively. Nevertheless, Ichiro made a hit, stole a base and therefore he was thrown a ball at. It's not surprising in MLB, but in Japan he wouldn't.

There're "rules not written in a book" everywhere, in oversea countries as well. But you judged this case as "What Japanese think sensible is what world people think absurd". I can't avoid to say your outlook is too narrow.

I think just the media is wrong in this issue. They surround Asasyoryu's residence all the time and prevent him from going out. The behaviors of Japanese media are just exorbitant. They say his injury is feigned, and so on, they are realy awful.

I think the Japan sumo association expects Asasyoryu only to undergo treatments in a hospital and come back to the sumo games soon. I cannot have another impression. Just the media is agitating.

It's pity lots of people are controlled by the media.

　*MIO wrote:　Thank you for your comments

>his failure in this issue is not that he played soccer, but that he was not undergoing treatment

I heard Asasyoryu was diagnosed as "medial collateral ligament injury of left elbow, left ulnal nerve injury, acute low back pain and stress fracture of 5th lumbar vertebra".
Since I'm not an orthopedist but a medical doctor, I suppose treatments of those above are mainly rest cure, besides, an operative reform if left elbow joint is critically damaged.

Then he don't necessarily need to undergo certain medical treatment at once. The remedy is "not to overwork his body".
I think he was going to treat himself by taking a holiday.

He was invited to a field of another sport in the holiday, which was definitely unlucky for him.

To criticise others is easier than to hold others gently. But I think if I was Asasyoryu, I wouldn't endure these hard criticisms or handlings, so I do not want to see him so.

I agree with you about Japanese media.

>There're "rules not written in a book" everywhere

One's sense of values will vary depending upon the individuals or their countries.
Indeed, I myself is a Japanese and don't know any common practice in Mogolia actually.

You may think "Japanese common practice is valid in Japan.", but I don't think so.
I think "We' d like to solve conflicts due to different sense of values by understanding each other as far as possible.".

　*GUEST2 wrote:　Re

I can't understand your opinion.

What Asasyoryu did was obiously out of rule. As he passed the local sumo tour for recuperation though he had to attend it and did not ungergo treatments, he should be given the penalty as a matter of course. People in any country will think the same.

I wonder if you may misunderstand by hearing the madia's fuss that all rikishis and oyakatas criticise him. I never think they don't. I think criticising ones among Japanese peoples are in small numbers, too.

Asasyoryu has served as the only Yokozune for a long time enduring big stresses. People around him know it. I suppose Mr. Kitanoumi, the head director of the Japan sumo association, see it as well. Among oyakatas, only low rank ones, who promoted to Sekiwake(two ranks under Yokozuna) or below when they were active rikishis, are complaining. They are irresponsible because they never know the pressures being in important positions as Yokozuna or Ozeki . (I'm sorry I'm telling the truth.)

It'll be good Asasyoryu avoids the Japanese media subtly and go back to the sumo games in the next year. He will take a good rest in a heath resort until then.

　*MIO wrote:　Did he do wrong so?

>I think criticising ones among Japanese peoples are in small numbers, too

I heard ordinary people or sumo fans saying, "I don't want him to be back." or "We don't need Asasyoryu any more." interviewed on the street by medias. Are they minor? I hope so.

Still, I recognise general opinion in Japan is, "He is the one to be blamed, he deserve to have certain punishment." I disagree with it.

I suppose he was taking a rest except he ran after a soccer ball for only 10 minutes or so. Resting his body is a treatment, which means he was treating himself.

However, Japanese interprited it as he cut the tour evilly. I think it might bring a terrible trauma in his mind.

I'm afraid it may be difficult for him than Japanese think light that he comes back, just like nothing happened, among Japanese peoples who didn't trust his faith.
If I was him... when I am going to go back to Japan, my foot may shrink unexpectedly and prevent me from going. I might hit on living as a rikishi of Mongolian sumo from now on between people who hold me warmly.

I wrote my reply expecting you might not understand me, so don't mind.
It may be, "What I think sensible is what Japanese think absurd".
I thank you you noticed me your opinion.

　*GUEST2 wrote:　Re

>I suppose he was taking a rest except he ran after a soccer ball for only 10 minutes or so. Resting his body is a treatment, which means he was treating himself.

You are misunderstanding the situation. First, it's in question that he was in the mentioned soccer ground. It occurred because he had certain contact with VIPs in Mongolian government. This is another his failure. If he announced clearly that he was recuperating because of illness, anybody would have invited him. And, attending the soccer game was one more failure. His attitude since he come back to Japan also gave us bad impressions. Actually, he seemed to meet various peoples nevertheless he should be at rest. He truanted. He is a employee of the Japan sumo association. A second job is not permitted as well. He is called to account for his responsibility as a member of society.