A controversial decision in a sumo bout was once dismissed as “the mistake of the century.” The controversy was triggered by a referee’s decision in a bout that was too close to call between yokozuna Taiho and his opponent Toda during the 1969 Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka–before video came into use for reaching final decisions in sumo from the next tournament in May that year. The referee’s call in favor of Taiho was disputed by one of the ringside judges, and after a discussion among the referee and judges Toda was pronounced winner of the bout.
The decision stopped Taiho’s winning streak at 45. Televised video footage, however, showed that Taiho’s legs had stayed inside the bales indicating the yokozuna to be the winner. Media reporters rushed to the sumo wrestlers’ dressing room while denouncing the decision as “a misjudgment.” But Taiho responded calmly and came out with an impressive statement: “Ultimately, a yokozuna should never give a questionable performance. So I am to blame.”
As even grand champions are not saints but people made of flesh and blood, he must have been frustrated by the misjudgment.
But Taiho’s speech and conduct, which concealed his emotions, possibly reflect the “aesthetic value of restraint” that Kunihiro Sugiyama, a sumo journalist, described as the charm of grand sumo-dom.
Yokozuna Asashoryu made a comeback victory in the just-ended New Year Grand Sumo Tournament after missing all or part of the previous three tournaments. His fighting spirit and sumo performance were flawless. But his fist-pumping celebrations to express his emotions after beating fellow yokozuna Hakuho in a playoff were a far cry from the traditional aesthetics of sumo.
This may be a small thing to say in the face of Asashoryu’s strength in winning the tournament and attracting large crowds of spectators to the tournament. But if such small things are permitted, before we know it, professional grand sumo will have transformed into a somewhat different fighting art. I would not like that to happen.
The Yomiuri Shimbun. Musings.The following is a translation of the Henshu Techo column from The Yomiuri Shimbun.
「ガッツポーズ」感情を胸に封じ込め、優勝の瞬間に感情全開・・・ 編集手帳 八葉蓮華
大相撲で「世紀の誤審」と騒がれた一番がある。判定にビデオが導入される前、１９６９年（昭和４４年）大阪場所の大鵬―戸田戦である。物言いがつく際どい勝負は戸田の勝ちと決まり、横綱大鵬の連勝は４５で途切れた
テレビ中継のビデオでは大鵬の足が土俵に残っていた。「誤審だァ」と支度部屋に押しかけた報道陣に、大鵬の語った言葉がいい。「横綱が物言いのつく相撲を取ってはいけない。自分が悪い」と
横綱も聖人君子ならぬ生身の人間で、誤審に心が乱れなかったはずがない。大相撲の魅力を「抑制の美学」と評したのは相撲ジャーナリストの杉山邦博さんだが、感情を胸に封じ込めた大鵬の言動がそれであったろう
休場明けの横綱朝青龍が初場所で見事に復活した。気迫も、相撲も申し分ない。優勝の瞬間に土俵上で見せた感情全開のガッツポーズは、しかし、伝統の美学からは遠かった
誰よりも強く、誰よりも客を呼べる現実の前では小さなことかも知れない。小さなことを許し、許されているうちに知らず知らず、大相撲が何か別種の格闘技に変わっていた…そうならないよう願っている。
