With Hokuseiho becoming the latest high-profile wrestler to see a promising career ended by a bullying scandal, the question of what measures can be taken to reduce violence in Japan’s national sport has been pushed to the forefront once again.
Of course “eliminate” would be a preferable goal instead of “reduce,” but sumo’s current structures, systems of recruitment, training methods and history make the complete eradication of violence extremely difficult — if not impossible — to achieve.
It’s also worth remembering that the extensive coverage this most recent scandal has generated results partly from the level of fame of those involved.