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YOSHIKI, sumo association feuding after singer keeps boots on in Hakuho's dressing room

23 Comments

Rock group X-Japan front man YOSHIKI remained defiant toward the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) Tuesday after a sumo official, at a photo session marking the rise to yokozuna status of wrestler Hakuho, publicly castigated the musician for not removing his boots on a tatami surface in the wrestler's dressing room.

In a fax to media organizations, YOSHIKI wrote, “If there is to be any apologizing, the JSA should apologize to the other guests who were there, and to Hakuho. They should make every effort not to disappoint the sumo fans who came to lend their wholehearted support to the occasion. I pray that the tradition-bound world of sumo starts moving forward.”

YOSHIKI’s office said it received a letter of apology from the JSA late on Monday night, but added, “It said that the fault was on both sides. The content is such that we can’t show it to YOSHIKI. We’ve asked them to reword their apology.” 

JSA officials for the present are maintaining a wait-and-see attitude. “The photo session was not a JSA function,” said a spokesperson. “Invitations were sent out on a personal basis by the stable and the wrestler. Any complaints should be addressed not to the JSA but to the stable.”

YOSHIKI, for his part, has published his comment on his website. Meanwhile, the website of the Kiriyama stable, to which the sumo official who initially reprimanded YOSHIKI is attached, has been so inundated with mail from fans of both YOSHIKI and sumo that the site has had to temporarily shut down.

© Wire reports

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

23 Comments
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And this is news? I would think that the image Nazis of the JSA have more to worry about than some glam rock star whose boots were left in a dressing room.

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I've heard that Yoshiki's mama was a kimone woman so he knows when to take of his shoes. I gather that this is a case of a sumo guy not liking the appearance of a long haired fop. Maybe he didn't take off his shoeses quick enough or maybe he stepped back toward the tatami. But I've heard that Yoshiki knows about tatami manners.

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I imagine that the sole on Yoshiki's single boot is worth a hell of a lot more than everyone put together in the dressing room.

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Hmm... I would think the JSA would be a lot more worried about the allegations of match-fixing. Interesting.

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Yoshiki is a rockstar thus a Rebel. What should he Care what the JSA thinks

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Yoshiki is a girl, and this story is little more than media whipping it up while it's hot and getting people to stay tuned to the sumo ruckus.

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I wonder if he had his secretaries with him & did they remove their pumps or not, that is also a very important question & why is their no pics JT?

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here are the pics. scroll down. Yoshiki is on the left.

http://rinkya.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html

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romulus3- Thnks for the pics bro!

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romulus3, official photographer to the Japan Sumo Association's tatami boot-removing disciplinary committee..

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Shouldn't this be in the "Entertainment" section, rather than pushing down members of the armed forces firing into their own Defence Ministy?

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northlondon,

romulus hates tatami. Its hard on the knees. He has burn scars everywhere.

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Romulus3-Quirinus hates tatami too. It gets smelly after a while, i prefer wooden flooring.

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Anyone with any common sense whatsoever knows to take his/her shoes/boots off before walking on a tatami mat.

romulus ( 6:45 PM ) - Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Best snappy comeback EVER!

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Sarge,

and romulus was not talking about walking on Tatami.

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Boo tatami, down with the cursed floor weed.

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maybe he has smelly socks...

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I pray that the tradition-bound world of sumo starts moving forward.- Why not start with leaving your shoes on?

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I don't see how "leaving your shoes on" equates to "moving forward."

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Why does this site always refer to YOSHIKI as a singer?

He's a drummer/pianist.

Anyway...IMO it's pretty common-sense stuff to take off your shoes on tatami and he should have known better but it's also stupid to me that these sumo officials are throwing such a hissy fit over something like this. Seems like attention-whorism to me...but had they just let it slide, wouldn't the photo session have brought them more positive attention? I mean, sumo needs as much of that as itcan get these days...

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While I'm no fan of Yoshiki or Japan X, he's absolutely right... the whole sumo world (which is to say, the JSA, since the rest of the world has actually progressed already) needs to move forward. This week there's been revelations that matches were set up, more than just the two Russians are/were into drugs, etc, etc. No wonder sumo is dying.

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DickTaterTots - you come on here expecting facts and accurate reporting?!

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