TOKYO — As the gravity of yokozuna Harumafuji’s assault further emerged Nov. 15, condemnation of his behavior has morphed into disappointment that sumo’s veiled underbelly has yet again stained the reputation of Japan’s national sport. The latest blow to the ancient sport came just as it had begun to regain lost popularity with the promise […]
FROM SUMO TO MUSIC: Former Ozeki KONISHIKI to be Grand Marshal of parade
April 1, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Hail the conquering hero … once again. When KONISHIKI last came to the Bay Area in 1996, the much celebrated sumo wrestler in Japan was taking a victory lap of sorts at a tournament in San Jose while he wound down a history-making career. Sunday, April 16 in San Francisco, the Hawai‘i-born KONISHIKI will return […]
Cancellation of Spring meet leaves wrestlers at loose end
February 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
TOKYO — As the crisis-torn Japan Sumo Association grapples with the sport’s biggest and most damaging scandal, wrestlers are at a loose end following the cancellation of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament. In what JSA Chairman Hanaregoma described as the “darkest chapter” in sumo’s centuries-old history, the sport’s governing body confirmed Feb. 6 that the […]
Sumo tournament canceled in wake of match-fixing scandal
February 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Japan Sumo Association announced the first canceled tournament since 1946 in the wake of a series of text messages that brought to light a seemingly widespread system of match-fixing among sumo wrestlers. According to the New York Times, police found text messages that link as many as 13 wrestlers to rigged bouts. Wrestlers must […]
The Art of Sumo
January 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment
In a current exhibition in San Francisco, local artists re-imagine the traditional Japanese sport of sumo in entirely untraditional ways, often pairing the iconic rotund athletes with quirky pop-culture images. A sumo wrestler battles a giant sharp-toothed monster as onlookers gasp below. Orange-haired clown wrestlers trade blows, with balloons bursting from their open mouths. […]
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