INSIDE JAPAN from our view

Asashoryu off to winning start  JAPAN TIMES, FUKUOKA — Yokozuna Asashoryu made a winning start in his bid for an unprecedented seventh straight Emperor's Cup by beating fellow Mongolian Hakuho on the opening day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday. In other bouts, Bulgarian sekiwake Kotooshu fell to second-ranked Kakizoe, ozeki Kaio forced out Futeno and ozeki Chiyotaikai dragged down Hokutoriki.

 Sumo is Japanese national sport. It began as a ritual ceremony more than 1000 years ago. And in Edo period (1603-1867) Sumo obtained such a great popularity that many foreigners think Sumo as a symbol of Japan.

Now six championships are held in a year and each championship lasts 15 days. Every day, a sumo wrestler has one match so that you should win at least eight matches to get to higher levels at the next championship. Sumo represents vast tastes of Japanese traditional culture. Many people love to watch this sport. It is said about 10% of us watch it through TV even the game is held by 6 pm.

 After several strong wrestlers from Hawaii, Sumo world are now in panic because Japanese wrestlers cannot beat Asashoryu, who are from Mongolia. It is under the same situation as Wimbledon. But do you know why Japanese wrestlers easily lose foreigners? It is not because of our physical weakness but because of a kind of “mutual” system of Sumo world. Japanese wrestlers are sometimes defeated on purpose so that everyone should be happy to maintain “salary”. No wrestler can earn less than the previous season unless they lose more than eight matches. That is the reason at the end of each championship, some games seem odd because a weak wrestler can win stronger one. This mutual system has sustained for many years. People know that but it rarely became a controversial issue. No one suffers from this system.

 But this system is beginning to fade away. Hunger minded foreign wrestlers never take part in this system. They gradually broke the unwritten law. Sadly, however, Japanese wrestlers, who are still majority in number, still need and obey this comfortable system. That is why there has been no star Japanese wrestler for a decade.