Sumo is once again under attack in the domestic media — this time on the back of twin allegations. First of all, there's the one involving seniors in the sport, known as oyakata, rubbing shoulders with the Japanese underworld and supplying choice tickets to their contacts at times. The other scandal covers some of the more famous names in the sport's senior-most makunouchi division have been gambling on baseball — a no-no in Japan where only limited opportunities to gamble are permitted by law (horse and powerboat racing, as well as football and cycling, the prime areas for those interested in a flutter).
In the past two weeks those most closely connected to the "tickets for the yakuza" allegations have seen their world fall apart and their careers take a serious hit with Kise oyakata perhaps the worst affected; his stable having been closed and his rikishiabsorbed into another stable.
At time of writing around 60 have admitted to some degree of gambling (primarily on baseball or card games), a number of sekitori included. As a result, there have apparently been calls from within the Japanese government to suspend the Nagoya Basho next month. Voices from inside the Sumo Association and Yokozuna Deliberation Council have yet to openly comment on these calls but the condemnation by sumo officials of those who have admitted gambling of any sort deemed illegal has taken a far more serious tone than with other recent scandals involving illegal drug use and even hazing.