And now- Baruto is in a pickle

[Kintamayama 45,284]

Baruto was seen walking around Roppongi right after the July basho. The problem wasn't that he was walking around even though he was injured in July, but he was walking around without a mage, wearing short pants and a tee-shirt. He will be called in to the Kyokai offices with his shisho right after the Aki jungyo is over.

It happened late at night, July 24th. He was involved in some trouble with a "dead drunk man". No charges were brought, but the Kyokai is more concerned with the fact that he was not wearing a kimono or his hairdo at the time. "I am very indignant that he was seen in public in such an improper state, with total disregard to his status as a rikishi.. I immediately punished him (the word kinshin, the Asa word, the house arrest word, is used ..) and he is reflecting deeply on his behavior..", explained Onoe Oyakata.

A fine? Suspension? Who knows, now that everyone is getting very sensitive.

Soon, will all gaijin rikishi who still don't get it find themselves under house arrest and their Oyakata will get day jobs to help pay their various fines? Asa, Wakanohou, Rohou, Baruto, Kyokutenhou -who's next?

My money is on Osh.

Edited October 25, 2007 by Kintamayama

[ilovesumo 12]

... :-S ...

no words needed...

[Shomishuu 0]

Baruto was seen walking around Roppongi right after the July basho. The problem wasn't that he was walking around even though he was injured in July, but he was walking around without a mage, wearing short pants and a tee-shirt. He will be called in to the Kyokai offices with his shisho right after the Aki jungyo is over.

It happened late at night, July 24th. He was involved in some trouble with a "dead drunk man". No charges were brought, but the Kyokai is more concerned with the fact that he was not wearing a kimono or his hairdo at the time. "I am very indignant that he was seen in public in such an improper state, with total disregard to his status as a rikishi.. I immediately punished him (the word kinshin, the Asa word, the house arrest word, is used ..) and he is reflecting deeply on his behavior..", explained Onoe Oyakata.

Hmmm...just curious but if this happened in July, when and how did the Kyokai find out about it, and when did the oyakata punish him? If it was some time ago, does this mean they wished for the incident to remain surpressed, but are 'getting out in front' of it now because it's about to come out?

Still trying to understand ozumo, after all these years. :-S

[Sasanishiki 57]

It is much more likely that the sports newspapers have latched onto it as they try to look for anything to do with ozumo that happens out of the ring. That it is a foreigner again probably adds to the news-worthiness of it all. I really doubt this was found via a press release but much more linkely through a tip-off and Onoe's comment is upon being asked directly about the incident.

My question is more about, what is he doing in Roppongi late at night with shorts and a T-shirt on? Where does he live? Is he still at Onoe-beya or nearby? I know there has been talk about his gaijin girlfriend in the past (was she Russian?) and maybe he went to visit her?

[Washuyama 641]

I understand the rule about having to wear a kimono and keeping his hair in a mage, but it seems if he wants to go out without being stopped every three steps for a photo, this is the best way. Especiallly in Roppongi, where there are more gaijin than you can shake a stick at, wearing a topknot, even if you are the most obscure shin-deshi, will obviously draw attention to you... Seems like a harmless attempt at privacy/obscurity to me... if there's such a thing as obscure for someone that's almost 200cm/175kg...

[Fay 1,677]

I'm wondering a bit when its allowed for the rikishi to go out in the public with shorts and t-shirts and when this is a problem?

I see the Tomozuna and Izutsu guys sometimes in normal clothes in public, although they always wear a mage. Is it allowed when they make a trip together with the oyakata or another official, but not when they go out by themselves? Is it a problem only for the sekitori, although I've seen Kakuryu doing it as well. Do they have to ask the oyakata for permission?

Who knows the answer???

Edited October 26, 2007 by Fay

[kaiguma 0]

I'm wondering a bit when its allowed for the rikishi to go out in the public with shorts and t-shirts and when this is a problem?

I see the Tomozuna and Izutsu guys sometimes in normal clothes in public, although they always wear a mage. Is it allowed when they make a trip together with the oyakata or another official, but not when they go out by themselves? Is it a problem only for the sekitori, although I've seen Kakuryu doing it as well. Do they have to ask the oyakata for permission?

Who knows the answer???

My guess is it's a problem if it is ever conspicuous. Which in Baruto's case would be almost anytime, ever.

Roppongi certainly made it more conspicuous. Current hungry media frenzy makes it more consicuous. Being a big beefy blondie makes it conspicuous. Yes, being Baruto in general would seem to be conspicuous. Poor guy, others can get away with it so easily, but I'm sure they choose less conspicuous places to try and escape the controlled life of a rikishi.

I see pics of Tamanoi guys on their blog going all sorts of public places in t-shirts but w/ chonmage. I seem to remember Nishinoshima telling tale of bumping into Hakurozan, Roho, and Kokkai in a 7-eleven and all were in track suits. Can't remember if they had mage though. Hakurozan could probably meet the prime minister without chonmage and no one would notice unless they see him from behind, for obvious reasons. He is also so utterly not famous at all that he would probably get sucked on by papparazzi leeches very rarely at this stage in his career.

Also makes me wonder, how is it okay for Sekitori to dress in drag, en masse mind you, for very strange special gag performances in gymnasiums? It is a sanctioned kyokai event I guess? Sumo will never be completely understood from the outside; I guess therein lies an elusive beauty/mystique.

Edited October 26, 2007 by kaiguma

[Shomishuu 0]

I'm wondering a bit when its allowed for the rikishi to go out in the public with shorts and t-shirts and when this is a problem?

I see the Tomozuna and Izutsu guys sometimes in normal clothes in public, although they always wear a mage. Is it allowed when they make a trip together with the oyakata or another official, but not when they go out by themselves? Is it a problem only for the sekitori, although I've seen Kakuryu doing it as well. Do they have to ask the oyakata for permission?

Who knows the answer???

Not that this is THE answer, but I now recall seeing Osh in the lobby of the Hawaiian Prince Hotel (where the rikishi were staying) during the Honolulu koen in June. He wasn't hanging around but was just on his way into the elevator, and was dressed in track pants or something like that, plus a tank top. Pics were requested but he politely declined, saying that the PTB wouldn't like it if photographs of him in the tank top were seen. Make of that what you want... :-S

[bulsara 0]

Nobody hasn't mentioned anything what kind of punishment Baruto could get... what do you think?

[Asashosakari 19,451]

Nobody hasn't mentioned anything what kind of punishment Baruto could get... what do you think?

I don't think it'll be anything more than a stern warning for Baruto...going out in casual wear seems to be one of those "everybody does it" things, going by all the comments above, and I'm sure the Kyokai realizes it, too. They can't well start handing out suspensions for that, in my opinion.

As far as his oyakata goes, maybe it'll be yet another salary reduction. The line is probably what Otake-oyakata (10% cut for three months) got when Roho hit that photographer...that's the absolute maximum I'd expect to see Onoe get hit with. Probably less.

(On that note, all these salary cuts are going to do wonders for the Kyokai's bottom line in fiscal 2007...)

[madorosumaru 7]

Nobody hasn't mentioned anything what kind of punishment Baruto could get... what do you think?

The original article mentioned that he and his shisho would be called into the Kyokai office for a warning. Immediately after the incident, Onoe Oyakata chewed Bart out and put him, as reported by Kinta, on kinshin status.

Bart reacting to being "grounded." "Aw, c'mon, Shish. A boy just wanna have fun."

Look for mage-less Blondie Bart in

He is, needless to say, in disguise. (Poking the other guy...)

[Kuroyama 715]

I don't think it'll be anything more than a stern warning for Baruto...going out in casual wear seems to be one of those "everybody does it" things, going by all the comments above,

Doing it is one thing. Getting noticed doing it is another, and getting written up in the newspapers about it is another still. To the extent any Westerner is more noticeable in Japan, and one the size of Baruto even more so, foreign rikishi have to be that much more careful about it.

[Kintamayama 45,284]

We are all forgetting the underlying story- he was involved in a brawl. The fact that the article says "with a drunken man" and plays it down could, again, be Sumo journalism for "It was something much more juicy, but we won't be the first ones to spill the beans and get in trouble and perhaps jeopardize our special relations with the Kyokai and possibly get our passes revoked as well" thingy.

If the Kyokai, as always, will go official, the dam will burst, but till then, it's insinuations and hints.

If not, no harm done.

[madorosumaru 7]

As expected, Baruto and his shisho, Onoe Oyakata, were called into the Kyokai office and sternly warned. Baruto, of course, was in trouble for wearing a T-shirt and shorts and going mage-less while out on the town in Roppongi in July.

Isenoumi Oyakata, representing the Kyokai, said, "A shisho needs to gently but thoroughly explain to a foreign-born rikishi like Baruto why that kind of attire is improper."

Baruto was apologetic: "I was wrong. I am very sorry."

His shisho was also chastened: "I will guide him in such a way that this kind of thing will never happen again."

A properly-attired, properly-coiffed and properly-apologetic Baruto meeting the press with his impeccably-dressed shisho after getting properly chewed out.

[Kintamayama 45,284]

"Shimatta...":

[_the_mind_ 0]

"Shimatta...":

for the people who have one or would know, how long does it take to get dressed in this sort of formal kimono? i realize this isnt a yukata which takes all of a min to put on, just wondering how long it takes to get the whole formal outfit on and proper

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

for the people who have one or would know, how long does it take to get dressed in this sort of formal kimono? i realize this isnt a yukata which takes all of a min to put on, just wondering how long it takes to get the whole formal outfit on and proper

Depends how many tsukebito you have, and how well they work.

[Johnofuji 232]

Speaking of Baruto's pickle.I'm curious to know how all the rikishi past and present manage to slip out inconspiciously for horizontal refreshments.There must be some sort of mizu shobai (water trade) close to the stables for soapy encounters? I suppose US presidents and members of the British royal family can do it without getting caught- well some of them.There must be a some japanese Heidi Fleiss style madam or even a Russian mafia connection catering for the foreign riksihi perhaps.Do they order heya delivery? Maybe I will have to check the Shukun gendai paper.

[_the_mind_ 0]

for the people who have one or would know, how long does it take to get dressed in this sort of formal kimono? i realize this isnt a yukata which takes all of a min to put on, just wondering how long it takes to get the whole formal outfit on and proper

Depends how many tsukebito you have, and how well they work.

how about a human who doesnt have tsukebitos and isnt a rikishi and actually dresses themselves? ....im just curious. 10mins?

Edited October 31, 2007 by _the_mind_

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Speaking of Baruto's pickle.I'm curious to know how all the rikishi past and present manage to slip out inconspiciously for horizontal refreshments.There must be some sort of mizu shobai (water trade) close to the stables for soapy encounters? I suppose US presidents and members of the British royal family can do it without getting caught- well some of them.There must be a some japanese Heidi Fleiss style madam or even a Russian mafia connection catering for the foreign riksihi perhaps.Do they order heya delivery? Maybe I will have to check the Shukun gendai paper.

IIRC, the blog (now by invitation only) In the Hall of the Mountain Kings had a blurb on a call girl being brought into Hanaregoma stable on occasion for Shunketsu (former Ishide-zeki).

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

I'm not on the list to be able to read the blog since it was removed from general readership. It was quite a while back that I read it, but I'm reasonably sure that at one time that was in there. It could have been removed, not sure now.

[Chiyomaru 0]

I found the article from In the hall of the Mountain Kings:

But when I reached the top of the steps, I was surprised to see a pointy pair of women's zippered boots outside the room. When I slid open the door, there was Iki sitting on the floor sorting photographs next to a girl in a short skirt and thigh-high stockings.

I did a double take. I had never seen a woman in the stable's upper levels, and had only seen a small handful even in the common room. It never even occurred to me that a woman could exist in the wrestlers' bedroom: it was such a boys' room. But there she was. She was hot too, and in her early twenties if that.

I tottered at the door, unsure if I was seeing a mirage. Then, finally, I said, "Konnichi wa," and walked in.

"Harry Potter!" Iki greeted me. Then to the girl, he said, "You speak English, talk to him."

But instead, she told a story

[Kintamayama 45,284]

Baruto was lucky this time. He got into a fight with a drunk in Roppongi, and it all ended with a handshake and no charges brought against him. He was reprimanded only for being out of uniform. It could have gone a different way easily. No more chances though. The words "stern warning" were repeated a few times. "It all ended with a handshake with his opponent so that is good. As for the clothing his shisho and him were sternly reprimanded", said his Oyakata. "My bad for walking around like that. It's inexcusable. I will be very careful not to repeat this", said Baruto. "I'd like to show leadership that will avoid this kind of behavior in the future", said Onoe Oyakata.

Edited October 31, 2007 by Kintamayama

[Oimeru 0]

I found the article from In the hall of the Mountain Kings:

[...]

Just curious: who is the author of this article? I never heard of that blog before.

[Chiyomaru 0]

I found the article from In the hall of the Mountain Kings:

[...]

Just curious: who is the author of this article? I never heard of that blog before.

His name is Jacob Adelman and he is from Los Angeles and he is a journalist who spend some time in a heya and wrote a blog about his experiences over there.