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Japan Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Hakuho's lofty 'global sumo' ambitions bolstered by generous backers with deep pockets
In a June 9 press conference, former sumo stablemaster Miyagino, a retired yokozuna (grand champion) who formerly competed under the name Hakuho, announced his resignation from the Japan Sumo Association. The Mongolian-born Hakuho, now age 40, holds sumo's all-time record of 45 tournament victories, but was nudged out of sumo when the stable he managed, Miyagino, was disbanded over his failure to discipline Mongolia-born Hokuseiho, a senior wrestler who had allegedly physically abused junior grapplers. But as Shukan Post (June 20) reports, Hakuho's seemingly ignominious departure from sumo may have a silver lining, as he informed the media that he still hopes "to share sumo's appeal with many people around the world, not just in Japan." An unnamed stablemaster remarked that Hakuho no doubt expects to continue organizing the annual "Hakuho Cup," a junior sumo tournament held every February at the Kokugikan sumo arena in Ryogoku since 2010. And thanks to cash contributions from wealthy supporters, Hakuho is said to be in good shape financially. "His retirement ceremony in January 2023 made news because of the extremely high ticket price of 5 million yen," confided a supporter, who noted that several major corporations such as Otsuka Pharmaceutical and Tokyo-based amusement machine giant Sankyo Co Ltd were among the sponsors. "He's also known to have a close relationship with Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda," the stablemaster noted. Nagoya hosts a grand sumo tournament each July. As opposed to traditionally spartan lodgings for wrestlers at Buddhist temples, since 2019, the grapplers of Hakuho's stable had been cozily accommodated at the Toyota Sports Center in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture, an air-conditioned sports facility that also houses an athletics track, gymnasium and swimming pool. Toyota also sponsored Hakuho's dampatsushiki (hair-cutting retirement ceremony), where Chairman Toyoda was accorded the honor of being the penultimate person to snip off Hakuho's topknot, just before his stablemaster. "Toyoda's substantial gift of 5 million yen set tongues wagging," a Hakuho supporter was quoted as saying. Rather than sponsorship via the Sumo Association, Toyota appears to be backing Hakuho on a personal basis. "Hakuho is also involved with the Sports Academy, an industry-government-academia collaboration project established by Toyota, Chukyo University and Toyota City," the supporter noted. Asked if he would continue to support Hakuho, Toyoda was quoted as saying, "I have a good relationship with him as a friend. When we met from time to time, our conversation was always about the development of Japanese sumo, connecting the world through sumo, and what we can do for the next generation. "Hakuho's love of sumo and his sincere dedication to the development and passing on of sumo culture has resonated with many people, leading to the founding of the Tokai Miyagino Stable Supporters Association two years ago," Toyoda continued. "I am also a friend and serve as honorary chairman of the supporters' association. I'd like to consult with him about any assistance I can provide for his future activities." By harnessing his relationships with global companies, Hakuho aims to "expand sumo globally," Toyoda added. "Hakuho says he plans to create a new organization and first get involved in sumo events, and then set up a global organization for amateur sumo," an unnamed sumo journalist tells Shukan Post. "Just as judo was internationalized in the past, he wants to develop sumo into a global sport, creating a 'Second Sumo Association,' with himself as its head, that would organize a Sumo World Cup." The groundwork for that is already in place in the form of the aforementioned "Hakuho Cup," which this year marked its 15th anniversary. "The Japan Sumo Association did not participate in the sponsorship, but Hakuho himself solicited sponsors, and was supported by special sponsors including Sankyo and Toyota," the journalist explained. "Despite Hakuho's stable having been shuttered last year, entrants into this year's Hakuho Cup attracted an impressive 203 organizations and 1,144 wrestlers from 15 countries and regions, including amateurs from 40 of Japan's 47 prefectures, as well as from Mongolia, Hawaii, South Korea, Brazil, Poland and Ukraine." The sumo journalist remarked that Hakuho possesses exceptional skills at recruiting sponsors and organizing events. It's entirely possible that a fight for the international sumo market will unfold in the future, but from Hakuho's perspective, such a fight would further expose the "closed nature" of the association that forced him out. "Some members of the association look down on the former yokozuna, saying, 'Once he's gone, without the association's affiliation, he's a nobody.' But is it really going to be that simple?" the journalist asked. "Hakuho is trying to use his situation to his advantage, to recruit and develop talented foreign wrestlers and internationalize sumo," he added, predicting "The day may come in the future when a Japanese team is defeated by Mongolia, led by Hakuho, in a Sumo World Cup." © Japan Today
5 days ago
- Business
Former Hakuho Says No Regrets as He Leaves Sumo Association
News from Japan Sports Jun 9, 2025 17:05 (JST) Tokyo, June 9 (Jiji Press)--Former yokozuna sumo grand champion Hakuho said Monday that he has "no regrets whatsoever" as he left the Japan Sumo Association. "Considering my current position, I thought it would be good for me to be involved in sumo from outside the association," the 40-year-old told a press conference in Tokyo. The former Mongolian-born yokozuna said he plans to "spread sumo around the world under the concept of a world sumo grand slam," based on the Hakuho Cup international goodwill sumo tournament for boys, which he has presided over since his wrestler days. He unveiled a plan to set up a new company, with sponsors expected to include Toyota Motor Corp. In February last year, the association demoted the former Hakuho by two ranks from "iin" to "toshiyori" for breach of his supervisory duty, in the wake of a violence scandal involving a wrestler of his stable. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Former Hakuho to Be Involved in Sumo from Outside Association
The Yomiuri Shimbun Former yokozuna sumo grand champion Hakuho, left, and stablemaster Miyagino at a press conference held in Tokyo on Monday Tokyo (Jiji Press)—Former yokozuna sumo grand champion Hakuho said Monday that he wants to be involved in sumo from outside the Japan Sumo Association after his resignation from the sport's governing body. 'Considering my current position, I thought it would be good for me to be involved in sumo from outside the association,' the 40-year-old told a press conference in Tokyo. The former yokozuna said he plans to 'spread sumo around the world under the concept of a world sumo grand slam,' based on the Hakuho Cup international goodwill sumo tournament for boys, which he has presided over since his wrestler days. In February last year, he was demoted by two ranks from 'iin' to 'toshiyori' in the association for breach of his supervisory duty, in the wake of a violence scandal involving a wrestler of his stable. The Miyagino stable was then shut down, and he and the stable's wrestlers were transferred to the Isegahama stable. On June 2, the association announced the resignation of the former Hakuho, who earned a record 45 grand tournament victories, on Monday. According to the association, people from the Isegahama group of stables and others tried to persuade him to remain in the association by showing a path to the reopening of the Miyagino stable, but were unable to change his mind.
5 days ago
- Sport
Former Hakuho to Be Involved in Sumo from Outside Association
News from Japan Sports Jun 9, 2025 14:25 (JST) Tokyo, June 9 (Jiji Press)--Former yokozuna sumo grand champion Hakuho said Monday that he wants to be involved in sumo from outside the Japan Sumo Association after his resignation from the sport's governing body. "Considering my current position, I thought it would be good for me to be involved in sumo from outside the association," the 40-year-old told a press conference in Tokyo. The former yokozuna said he plans to "spread sumo around the world under the concept of a world sumo grand slam," based on the Hakuho Cup international goodwill sumo tournament for boys, which he has presided over since his wrestler days. In February last year, he was demoted by two ranks from "iin" to "toshiyori" in the association for breach of his supervisory duty, in the wake of a violence scandal involving a wrestler of his stable. The Miyagino stable was then shut down, and he and the stable's wrestlers were transferred to the Isegahama stable. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Times
04-06-2025
- General
- Japan Times
Hakuho's departure highlights worrying sumo trend
With the Japan Sumo Association accepting former yokozuna Hakuho's resignation this week, only four of the 10 most recently retired grand champions remain part of the sport's governing body. While that quartet may have won a combined total of 30 Emperor's Cups during their active days, the six that departed accounted for 117 — almost four times as many. It's a significant loss of high level experience and one that hurts sumo's efforts to both find and keep young talent in the sport. And even though many former yokozuna have left professional sumo over the past two decades, Hakuho's resignation is the biggest blow of all. He is not just the most decorated wrestler in the history of the sport — by a significant margin — but was also a major recruiter of talent dating back to the Mongolian native's days as an active wrestler. His namesake event, the Hakuho Cup, has over the past decade and a half grown into arguably the most important sumo tournament in the world for elementary and junior high school children. In addition to being a major milestone and motivator for numerous current rikishi, including newly promoted yokozuna Onosato, the Hakuho Cup has provided invaluable experience for children from numerous countries across the globe and served as a link between international amateur sumo and ōzumō. Now with Hakuho's resignation from the JSA — the organization that provided the venue for most editions of the Hakuho Cup — the future of the tournament is unclear. And even if reports already surfacing about the former yokozuna's intentions to create a new international professional sumo organization are true, the scale of that challenge is enormous, with all previous attempts to do so having crashed and burned in short order. Several other prominent ōzumō stars expressed similar intentions after retiring, but the logistics and financial obstacles, as well as the fractured and highly politicized nature of international sumo, proved too great to overcome. Hakuho speaks at the 2023 edition of the Hakuho Cup at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in February 2023. | John Gunning Regardless of what transpires over the next few years, Hakuho leaving the JSA is a blow to ōzumō, and part of an unfortunate trend among recent yokozuna. However, before positing possible solutions to the situation, it must be remembered that in each individual case the circumstances behind the separation were unique. It would be a mistake to try and portray the aforementioned six men as victims of some grand conspiracy. Even so, there are certainly enough commonalities to provide food for thought. Straight off the bat, it's obvious that wrestlers who exerted total dominance over the opposition inside the ring often chafed at sumo's strict rules and norms throughout their careers, finding themselves chastised on multiple occasions. But official censure — or condemnation by the media — is easier to handle when you are top of the world and raking in trophies and prize money. It's a completely different situation when the limelight and all the perks are suddenly gone and you now find yourself on the lowest rung of a new hierarchy. For men such as Akebono, the Hanada brothers and Hakuho, sumo is all they knew from a young age. There were few, if any, opportunities to develop the kind of skills and mechanisms needed to cope with the emotional turmoil that comes from such a sudden shift. Every professional athlete undergoes something akin to grief when their career comes to an end, and the feeling of helplessness tends to be stronger the higher they soared when active. What sets sumo apart, and makes the adjustment even harder, is the rigid nature of life post-retirement. For those who acquire elder name stock and choose to remain with the JSA as coaches or stablemasters, there is still little freedom in how they choose to live their lives day to day. It's no surprise that bleached hair and tattoos are often the first step for former rikishi — especially those with 'rebellious' personalities — once they leave the JSA. Hakuho is the most decorated wrestler in the history of sumo by a significant margin. | John Gunning Imagine how tough it must be to join professional sumo at 15, fight and claw your way to the very top over the course of a decade or more, all while sacrificing the freedoms and experiences that people in their twenties normally enjoy, only to find yourself at the bottom of another 30-year-long ladder. Life is also very different in the 21st century than when yokozuna like Asahifuji, Onokuni and Hokutoumi retired in the early 1990s. Globalization and the internet have combined to lay out a whole range of tantalizing alternatives for well-off former star athletes. Of course, life as a stablemaster provides a certain amount of stability and can be a very comfortable existence that meets the needs of many ex-rikishi. For uber-high-profile men such as Takanohana or Hakuho, however, there are always other options and their willingness to stay and fight various battles within the framework of JSA structures can reach a breaking point. Regardless of who might have been right or wrong in each individual case, the result has been the same. Sumo's biggest names in recent history have chosen to follow paths outside of the sport. That's a problem, and one without easy answers that may require some innovative thinking to overcome. Despite the latest departure, the JSA will continue to survive and thrive, and the former yokozuna likewise may discover exciting new opportunities. That doesn't mean both sides wouldn't have been better off by finding a solution to outstanding issues, however, and it's hard to argue that sumo hasn't been lessened without its most decorated champion. Hakuho is gone, but for the sake of the sport's future, sumo should figure out a way to stem the tide of such high-profile departures.
