The Court of Public Opinion

[Peterao 3]

It's a financial thing, and not hypocritical at all. If a private company like Fuji TV were televising this, then your argument has merit. But I, who live in Japan, am obligated by law to pay 15,000 yen a year to finance NHK programming, whether I want to or not. Call me crazy, but I believe that that gives me (not you!) a right to complain about, and even demand the removal of, planned programming.

Yes it does give you the right and you're not crazy. Out of curiosity, do people complain about other types of broadcasts as well?

The Media and the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal show is probably the most famous example of NHK altering programming to cater to a small (but very vocal!) minority:

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Tessa-Morris_Suzuki/2305

Edited June 30, 2010 by Peterao

[Kintamayama 45,111]

Written by Eddie Torial of Asahi

Wall Street Journal

Edited June 30, 2010 by Kintamayama

[Asashosakari 19,319]

Written by Eddie Torial of Asahi

Final paragraph:

The sumo community has traditionally regard the dohyo ring as a "sacred" place. If it tries to keep up appearances by using lower-rank wrestlers as substitutes for those who have been suspended, the association will sully the ring.

Biggest laugh-out-loud moment I've had since this scandal started. Thanks, Asahi editorial writer(s)!

[Peterao 3]

Updated statistics from NHK (the survey that matters):

• Between June 14th and July 1st, they have received a little more than 8700 responses regarding the upcoming basho
  
• About 10% of those response were in favor of broadcasting the basho
  
• About 68% of the responses were in favor of canceling the broadcast
  

In comparison, about 400 responses total were received in regards to the Asashoryu soccer scandal of 2007, so the response rate this time really stands out.

"There are a lot of protests, but there's also more messages of support than we've ever received before. Both sides are making their case very respectfully." says the NHK president.

[Peterao 3]

NHK is walking through a land mine with this issue. After having gone through its own scandal five years ago, conscientious objectors have been withholding their payments from NHK at an increasing rate. As a result, last year's collected fees were 4.8 billion yen lower than expected.

Naturally, they want to avoid exacerbating the problem, so they are trying tread very carefully. "We're going to get complaints whether we show the basho or not!" laments someone in NHK management. As if to send a warning to the Kyokai, the NHK President said the other day "We hope they will explain things in a manner that our viewers will understand."

[Kintamayama 45,111]

"There are a lot of protests, but there's also more messages of support than we've ever received before. Both sides are making their case very respectfully." says the NHK president.

The basho will be broadcast. It's all a song and dance. We know it, they know it, everyone knows it. They just want to be seen as "doing it right" in the eyes of the subsidizing benefactors. Every new report is a step backwards from the edge.

Edit-Oh, oh,. a good one I heard today. Q:Why did Bono fall off the stage? A; He got a bit too close to the edge.

Edited July 3, 2010 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 45,111]

Profligacy

Edo story

[Orion 431]

[asahi and mainichi boilerplates]

Both 'Sumo 101', it appears.

Orion

[Peterao 3]

The day after punishments were announced, NHK received about 900 responses from midnight to 5pm. 67% against broadcast, 25% for. This is actually a slight improvement on previous numbers.

The final decision on the telecast will be announced this afternoon Japan time.

EDIT: In hindsight, "slight" was not the best choice of words. While 68/25 still puts the "show the basho" opinion firmly in the minority, it is still more than double the 11% opinion reported earlier.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Peterao

[Umigame 82]

The NHK press conference will begin at 4:30, according to Jiji. Half an hour from now.

[Peterao 3]

Final score: Against 68%, For 13%, about 12600 responses total.

[Peterao 3]

Sponichi held a quickie poll immediately after the broadcast cancellation was announced. 70% (289) approved of the cancellation, while 26% (109) disapproved.

This is, of course, complete bullocks. Like every other poll that purports that people don't want to just watch sumo and ignore everything else.

[Peterao 3]

Another so called "opinion poll" that completely ignores the silent majority that believe that NHK is full of crap.

MSN Sankei News Survey, up to the 13th, 2068 respondants (1747 male, 321 female)

1. Do you agree that the Nagoya Basho should have gone on as scheduled?

YES -> 41% NO -> 59%

2. Do you believe that the punishments handed down to the rikishi and oyakata were appropriate?

YES -> 22% NO -> 78%

3. Was NHK correct in their decision not to show live broadcast of sumo?

YES -> 63% NO -> 37%

Comments:

Self-employed Tokyo male (35): "It is obvious that athlete's who's hands are stained by evil deeds should not be allowed to compete. They should be judged according to the law. Why is everyone making a fuss about something so obvious?"

Salaryman Tokyo male (61): "I don't believe that all of the people who favor the broadcast to be cancelled are the ones that love sumo. I wonder whether most of the people that actually watch the sumo broadcasts feel that way."

Self-employed Tokyo female (43): "There are a lot of rikishi who are doing their keiko faithfully, so the basho should be held for them."

Salayman from Iwate male (33): "I think there is too much of a fuss. Most of the rikishi were not involved in the scandal, so it is right that the basho goes on."

Self-employed Hokkaido male (37): "I think it's good that they stopped the live broadcast. Already you can no longer call sumo the national sport, so I cannot be satisfied with paying such high broadcasting rights fees."

Unemployed Osaka male (69): "NHK is funded by the citizen's payments, so I don't think it is right to broadcast if a majority of the opinions are against it."

Edited July 15, 2010 by Peterao

[Takamizawa 0]

Unemployed Osaka male (69): "NHK is funded by the citizen's payments, so I don't think it is right to broadcast if a majority of the opinions are against it."

Wow, this is stupid; no wonder he's unemployed. If the NHK needed to have a majority of viewers to broadcast anything, well, then they'd have nothing to broadcast.

[Peterao 3]

Unemployed Osaka male (69): "NHK is funded by the citizen's payments, so I don't think it is right to broadcast if a majority of the opinions are against it."

Wow, this is stupid; no wonder he's unemployed. If the NHK needed to have a majority of viewers to broadcast anything, well, then they'd have nothing to broadcast.

He did say "a majority of opinions" not "a majority of viewers"

And I think it sad that anybody has to keep working at age 69...

[Kotoviki 16]

Unemployed Osaka male (69): "NHK is funded by the citizen's payments, so I don't think it is right to broadcast if a majority of the opinions are against it."

Wow, this is stupid; no wonder he's unemployed. If the NHK needed to have a majority of viewers to broadcast anything, well, then they'd have nothing to broadcast.

He did say "a majority of opinions" not "a majority of viewers"

And I think it sad that anybody has to keep working at age 69...

I think if anyone wants to keep working and can keep working at that age that is great! I think it is nearly impossible to stop working and live on a pension in Japan unless you don't do anything except watch tv.... so many Japanese in their 30-50's say that in order to retire and not work after 60-65 they must move to a cheaper country. There are many Japanese housing communities built in the Philippines where they can retire and live forever without working anymore. Some of my friends have plans to move to Spain and one friend is moving to the US to have enough to live on.. (they are all Japanese couples I'm talking about. Both spouses Japanese) Many Japanese work after mandatory retirement within the same company, etc but as "part time" workers. Many teachers do this. It just means they don't have to be at school for all the bull$hit, just teach their classes. They are officially retires and rehired. Many companies do this as well. Some companies arrange for retired people to work at subsidiary companies as well.

FWIW - I'm sad to say the fact that he is in Osaka and an 'unemployed' male it probably means he's homeless.

[Orion 431]

And I think it sad that anybody has to keep working at age 69...

This is almost certainly a misunderstanding of the Japanese 'mushoku' (=without employment). The first time I saw a report in one of the English-language newspapers that mentioned "Mr. X, aged 92, unemployed" I did a double-take, then checked and found out that the Japanese use 'mushoku' of anyone who does not have a job and is not looking for one. In English we'd say 'retired' when a person is over retirement age, but the Japanese makes no distinction. One of the many pitfalls of translating.

Orion

[Peterao 3]

I am aware of the vagaries of the Japanese mushoku. That comment of mine was directed at the previous comment implying that someone of 69 years of age needs to continue working, and the general state of affairs that working to and beyond that age will eventually become commonplace.

I considered translating that as "retired" because of his age, but I know of a several 70 something old men still doing menial labor and other types of jobs, so from little was written I cannot be sure that his lack of work is voluntary, thus I went with the word that was technically correct in either case.

[Takamizawa 0]

That comment of mine was directed at the previous comment implying that someone of 69 years of age needs to continue working, and the general state of affairs that working to and beyond that age will eventually become commonplace.

I thought I was more implying that what he said was dumb.. And yes you're right, he did say majority of "opinions." It's still stupid, because he's still talking about a TV lineup decided by a democratic majority with people always voting against stuff they don't wanna see, and with how specialized the NHK's programming is a lot of the time, they would just end up not showing anything (except maybe news). Disregarding the guy's age, I was jokingly stating that such a poorly thought out statement to the press was good indication of why he was unemployed. Obviously if the guy is retired, it defeats the whole point of what I wrote, rendering my lame attempt at humor useless. But still, how does my statement of "wow this is stupid, no wonder he's unemployed" bring you to your conclusion above? I once again fail to see how I at all implied what you are accusing me of, as it seems you have a knack for putting words in my mouth or reading farrrr too deep into what I write.

Either that or I guess I need to work on my clarity and communication (and perhaps my humor as well) heh :-S

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Asahi Editorial: Sumo and gangland ties

[ilovesumo 12]

There are some LOLs....

....push em out of society...prevent em from having bank accounts...

no word on how to prevent youth from joining nor how to re-integrate those who wanna quit.

Society is more sick then ever before. With Jobs more and more complicated and then name of your school more important then what what you actually learned plus the problems those face who cannot keep up - no wonder kids slide into crime. If everybody gets a chance in life to do something important one can be proud of, we got much less crime. Had been like this for ages.

[nonews 0]

I did my own scientific survey, as scientific as nhk's anyway but I asked questions differently.

I asked 29 relatives and neighbors if they watched sumo on tv when nhk was nice enough to show it. 7 said they didn't watch sumo on tv. I asked them why. 6 said they didn't get off work in time. 1 doesn't like sumo. of the six working 4 said they would watch it if they could get off work earlier. the other 22 said they watch sumo all the time, every day, when it is broadcast. I then asked all 29 if they watched nhk regularly. they all said no. when I asked them why they said they didn't like the programing. nothing that interested them except sumo and news once in a while. I guess they are inane people who like inane commercial tv. then I asked the ones who said they watched sumo if they would start watching it again if nhk started to televise it. all of the sumo watchers said YES.

my results add up to a great majority who wants sumo televised. now I asked these people because they are everyday normal Japanese who don't live in big cities where nhk had their polls. my results can't be skewed by nhk to be in their favor. one more question was if they pay the nhk tax for tv's. nobody pays and most of them didn't know what I was talking about with the tax.

the age of everybody ran from 17 to 78.

that's as scientific as nhk's poll. maybe more so because I asked real people with tv's and not homeless people who walk around the Ginza and large department stores or nhk employees scared to tell the truth because they might be fired.

[Kotoviki 16]

I did my own scientific survey, as scientific as nhk's anyway but I asked questions differently.

I asked 29 relatives and neighbors if they watched sumo on tv when nhk was nice enough to show it. 7 said they didn't watch sumo on tv. I asked them why. 6 said they didn't get off work in time. 1 doesn't like sumo. of the six working 4 said they would watch it if they could get off work earlier. the other 22 said they watch sumo all the time, every day, when it is broadcast. I then asked all 29 if they watched nhk regularly. they all said no. when I asked them why they said they didn't like the programing. nothing that interested them except sumo and news once in a while. I guess they are inane people who like inane commercial tv. then I asked the ones who said they watched sumo if they would start watching it again if nhk started to televise it. all of the sumo watchers said YES.

my results add up to a great majority who wants sumo televised. now I asked these people because they are everyday normal Japanese who don't live in big cities where nhk had their polls. my results can't be skewed by nhk to be in their favor. one more question was if they pay the nhk tax for tv's. nobody pays and most of them didn't know what I was talking about with the tax.

the age of everybody ran from 17 to 78.

that's as scientific as nhk's poll. maybe more so because I asked real people with tv's and not homeless people who walk around the Ginza and large department stores or nhk employees scared to tell the truth because they might be fired.

all I can add is well done!!!! (Laughing...)

[Orion 431]

I am aware of the vagaries of the Japanese mushoku. That comment of mine was directed at the previous comment implying that someone of 69 years of age needs to continue working, and the general state of affairs that working to and beyond that age will eventually become commonplace.

I considered translating that as "retired" because of his age, but I know of a several 70 something old men still doing menial labor and other types of jobs, so from little was written I cannot be sure that his lack of work is voluntary, thus I went with the word that was technically correct in either case.

Sorry Joe, but in the case you posit, the word is "shitsugyou" -- genuinely unemployed (fired, etc.) as native speakers of English understand it. 'Mushoku' simply means that the person isn't working (for any number of reasons, but failing to find work isn't one of them). Using Japanese-English dictionaries without bothering to check on what the actual usage is, is a veritable minefield. Again, way back when I was checking the English translation of the annual White Paper on Crime, I found that 'embezzlement' was way up. I was rather surpised at the numbers, but I passed it. The next year, however, the police added that it was particularly common among teenagers. Now, in the real world, teenagers have little opportunity to embezzle, so I probed further and discovered that the Japanese word 'ouryou' actually includes the taking of unattended property, and in the police reports mostly referred to stealing unlocked bicycles. This is not embezzlement, and my questioning of the translation went quite a way to changing the assumptions of at least one translator. But I fear we are now off-topic.

To get back on-topic, consider the Japan Times's boilerplate translation of 'oyakata' as 'stablemaster' -- even though about half the oyakata are not masters of stables. This led the Financial Times correspondent, Mure Dickie, to report the Nagoya 'yakuza in ringside seats' scandal quite correctly, except that he described both Kise oyakata and Kiyomigata as 'stablemasters' and gave a correct gloss on 'stablemaster' -- ignoring the fact that Kiyomigata does not fall into this category but is a run-of-the-mill oyakata -- 'sumo elder'.

Orion