Tomoaki Ogura

Morning show host under fire from Japan Sumo Association for match-fixing comments

Tuesday 13th January, 10:45 AM JST

TOKYO —

Tomoaki Ogura, host of Fuji TV’s morning show “Tokudane!” is feeling the heat after comments he made on the show on Friday morning concerning yokozuna Asashoryu were not received well by the Japan Sumo Association.

Ogura, 61, set off the latest controversy for the sumo world when the show was covering the New Year sumo tournament, now under way, on last Friday’s program. At the end of the segment, Ogura said of Asashoryu: “It’d be good if he can buy a few wins,” a remark alluding to the practice of “yaocho” – or match-fixing- in sumo. The association denies the existence of “yaocho” and said Ogura’s comment suggests the practice is widespread.

Ogura’s apology and the pursuant discussion at the outset of Monday morning’s show lasted seven minutes, in which he said: “Whether or not Asashoryu would take part in the New Year tournament or not had become the topic of conversation. You could say I made a bad joke, or at least used the wrong words. Members of the sumo association have taken issue with my comments and have asked me to apologize, and refrain from making such comments in the future. If I offended Asashoryu or the sumo association, I apologize. I’m very sorry.”

Ogura added: “But if this problem gets even bigger than it is now and I’m asked to take responsibility, well I don’t have any problem stepping down as chair of this program.”

News reports

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Latest 15 of 21 Total Comments Show All

NICOLE77 at 01:34 PM JST - 13th January

DAVIDATTOKYO - LMAO! I quite like the guy, but the wig always distracts me from what he is saying!

HEREFORNOW - completely agree.
some14some at 02:15 PM JST - 13th January

Ogura should resign in order to give adverse publicity to Sumo Association. No, neither Communication Ministry nor Eduction Ministry will allow him to do so.
wanderlust at 02:18 PM JST - 13th January

Looks like there are less and less opportunities for good old-fashioned humour nowadays, people have gotten so thin-skinned and sensitive about the slightest remark, while the lawyers hang around in the background, waiting for 40% of possible damages for mental trauma and anguish.

That there could be have been a grain of truth to the comment only makes them protest louder...
Potsu at 02:34 PM JST - 13th January

Why does he HAVE TO apologize ??? How utterely immature.
smithinjapan at 03:40 PM JST - 13th January

Well, what's the association going to do, get their thugs to go 'haze' the guy to death with steel pipes?? They better not, it might lead to minor suspensions!

Seriously, though, they have a special word for match-fixing in Sumo and they want to deny it's widespread?
Ultradude at 03:53 PM JST - 13th January

Anyone who has read Freakanomics knows match-fixing exists - the math doesn't lie. A very Japanese way of maintaining harmony. Same with price collusion on construction projects and many other aspects of business here - it is just a different way of looking at the world. Yeah, that guy's wig and his brown and gray suits make me switch to CNN/BBC pretty quick.
GJDailleult at 04:25 PM JST - 13th January

Actually, the stuff in Freakanomics about match-fixing talked about cases where one guy is facing demotion if he loses. It didn't show that match-fixing goes on at the yokozuna level, though of course, that doesn't mean that it doesn't.
ironchef at 05:34 PM JST - 13th January

Did he get a new toupee?
medievaltimes at 10:32 PM JST - 13th January
1. Shame culture working overtime.
2. Japanese are too sensitive to criticism.
3. In Japan, the image is much more important than the reality.
4. Sumo is fixed.
Ah_so at 11:20 PM JST - 13th January

I was never entirely convinced by the Freakonomics explanation - it did not fully explain all variables or psycological conditions.

However, there have been enough confessions from those on the inside to be pretty sure that sumo is fixed. Onaruto and Seiichiro Hashimoto were insiders who spilled the beans and died on the same day, apparently coincidentally. As the cause of death was not suspicious and the police found nothing untoward. The odds of such a death being coincidental are absolutely minute and proof that wrestling matches had been fixed.
sf2k at 03:26 AM JST - 14th January

yaocho is not allegedly, but fact as the Freakonomics math example shows. This man has nothing to apologize for. Was this book ever released in Japan? I thought not. Nice to see a Japanese man with an opinion though. Too bad he wasn't allowed to keep it.

Talk about making a mountain out of nothing
soldave at 08:55 AM JST - 14th January

The JSA cries and everyone else kowtows.
GW at 09:50 AM JST - 14th January

Sumo sucks, to think I got suckered into watching all that sumo back when Akebono Musashimaru & Waka/Taka brothers & the rest of their beya got off easy not having to wrestle each other, was all a scam, I shud be able to sue for all the sake I drank watching sumo digest in those days & all the chanko I ate at the local chanko restaurant, was all a scam

Sumo sucks! And the TSA are a bunch of wussies.
Richard_III at 02:22 PM JST - 14th January

This man has a lot to apologise for, but it's not really for the Sumo comments.
cow76 at 11:42 PM JST - 14th January

I think the Freakonomics arguement is pretty conclusive as the numbers it presents are from a long study period (over 10 years if I recall) and the discrepancies on the last days are HUGE when you compare them with the other 14.