The death of a young sumo wrestler is shaking Japan's sumo world, which is still reeling from the yokozuna Asashoryu scandal. Tokitaizan, a 17-year-old wrestler, died shortly after a practice session, apparently because of exhaustion and a beating he received from his stable mates.

The Asashoryu incident had resulted from the failure of the Japan Sumo Association and Asashoryu's stable master Takasago to educate him on the proper behavior that sumo wrestlers must exhibit. Asashoryu played soccer in a charity event in his native Mongolia after reporting that injuries had forced him to skip exhibition tours in eastern Japan. He is now in Mongolia being treated for a mental disorder that he has been suffering from since his punishment — the suspension from two main tournaments.

The sumo association needs to rethink its culture that tends to rely on violence to train young wrestlers, as well as revise its system of education. Other sports associations should also take note of the consequences of education through physical violence.

On June 26, before the start of the Nagoya tournament, Tokitaizan, of the Tokitsukaze stable and in the lowest rank of jonokuchi, collapsed during butsukari geiko — the practice routine of pushing and being pushed — in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture. He was confirmed dead about 2 1/2 hours later. One stable mate told police that he had beaten Tokitaizan with a metal bat. It is also reported that the stable master had hit him with a beer bottle the previous day because he had tried to run away.

The butsukari geiko lasted about 30 minutes — unusually long for a sumo wrestler who had debuted in the ring in May — as three or four stable mates participated in the routine. Police suspect that they kicked Tokitaizan even after he collapsed. What happened should be taken as an unpardonable form of punishment.

Although the police are seeking criminal charges, it is regrettable that they did not act immediately. A probe was not initiated until after the wrestler's family members demanded one. The family made this request after finding burns and other body injuries that prompted them to ask for an official postmortem.