相撲は神道色を強く持つ。それが日本の国技として長く国家に守られて現在に到る。「古代から現代に至るまで皇室との縁は深い。(ウィキぺデア)」。八百長は日本の文化であると言う者さえいる。表では伝統と格式、その尊厳を豪語し、その中身は腐敗に簡単に染まり、長くそれを隠蔽できる構造をもつ。政治や経済や社会のあらゆる組織・団体運営もまた、伝統があればあるほど、その色を強く染めている。戦後の復興から産業経済のピークを迎え、そのバブルがはじけた昨今、国際的競争力が徐々に失われて行く日本の将来を暗示する大きな事件としてみると面白い。
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Saturday, April 9, 2011
JAPAN TIMES EDITORIAL
Sumo must clean up its act
The Japan Sumo Association on April 1 took disciplinary action against 21 wrestlers and two stable masters for their involvement in match-fixing. Nineteen wrestlers — six in the elite makuuchi division, eight in the second-tire juryo division and five in lower divisions — and one stable master were called on to retire, while one stable master and two wrestlers were banned from sumo activities for two years.
By April 5, 21 wrestlers and one stable master retired. Stable master Tanigawa refused to retire, saying he never fixed matches during his 14 years' career as a wrestler. He was fired April 6.
It is significant that the JSA, which had long denied charges of match-fixing, has finally admitted that it exists and has taken disciplinary actions against wrestlers and stable masters. Ultimately it had no choice as long-standing contention that match-fixing does not exist in the sumo world has been undermined by the investigation.
The match-fixing scandal surfaced about two months ago when text messages suggesting such activities were found on mobile phones by chance during a police investigation into illegal betting on pro baseball games by sumo wrestlers. A special investigation committee questioned wrestlers who played a central role in match-fixing and wrestlers who fought them on the ring. But it did not question all wrestlers, particularly those in the higher ranks. In this sense, the committee failed to unravel the whole picture of the scandal and its investigation remains incomplete.
Having seen the mass media reports, especially in weekly magazines, fans and others harbor strong suspicions that match-fixing is not a short-term problem involving only a few wrestlers, but rather a cancer that has been eating away at the sumo world for a long time.
Match-fixing is a betrayal to diligent wrestlers who devote themselves to fierce training every day, and to fans who expect to watch fact, not fiction. The JSA must strive to strengthen professionalism among wrestlers and adopt concrete measures that will help to prevent them from being lured into match-fixing.