Regarding the current crisis in the Sumo World, apparently there is nothing in the Sumo rule book to preclude bout-fixing, and also there is nothing in the Japanese law books. Anyone who runs an organization knows that rule books can be extremely cumbersome. Whenever an untoward incident happens, the temptation is to add another rule, so rule books can become thicker and thicker. Do we really want that? It seems like what is commonly understood need not be said. For example, is it really necessary to make a rule that a teacher must be in time for class? And in the case of sumo, is it just so much part of common understanding that bouts shouldn’t be fixed that a rule need not be stated? Or, could it be the opposite, i.e., fixing bouts is just part of what one does depending on the circumstances? Officially, of course bouts cannot be fixed, but unofficially? Behind the scenes? Honne vs Tatemae? Thanks to modern cellular phone technology, the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, and once it is, it can be hard to stuff it back in again.
If the sumo wrestlers have no salary until they enter the top division and then, in the top division, they have a minimum salary of 1 million yen per month, it must certainly be a temptation for lower division wrestlers to take their turn helping their fellows out, or UP should I say?
About Me: Steven Parr
I am a long term resident of Japan, and the Founding Director of New International School of Japan, a dual language and multiage by design international school in Tokyo. It keeps me busy, but also I have ideas and images I would like to share, not all of which are directly related to education; hence, this blog site.