Yokozuna Hakuho spends Y1 million for night in Ginza

The group walking down Ginza’s Naimiki-dori, known for its high-end nightclubs, was drawing the attention of all passersby one night in late October. People turned around while others came rushing out of bars and clubs – including hostesses who are accustomed to entertaining prominent figures – for the opportunity to see the popular yokozuna Hakuho with his entourage.

Before long, a considerable number of female fans and hostesses tagged along behind the group led by the sumo champion dressed in fine kimono, like an old-fashioned samurai lord’s procession.

According to one spectator, the core group consisted of eight men, including ozeki Kotomitsuki and comedian Masahiro Ehara. It appears that the yokozuna, in training for the November Kyushu tournament, came out for the night to join a friend’s birthday party.

The group headed to an exclusive membership club. One hostess said Hakuho was quite “dynamic” in his consumption of alcohol, downing one glass after another. “I heard they already had a lavish dinner with drinks at an expensive steakhouse, so I’m pretty sure they’ve easily spent more than a million yen tonight.”

About an hour and a half later, Hakuho emerged through the entrance with the entire female staff that came out to see the grand champion off. At quarter to eleven, the yokozuna got into a car driven by his attendant and headed back to his stable.

Hakuho’s longstanding foe, Asashoryu, is also known to frequent the Ginza district – the rivalry between the two yokozunas is obviously not confined to the sumo ring.

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Latest 15 of 34 Total Comments Show All

bamboohat at 11:02 AM JST - 2nd November

Headline: "dude spends one million yen, blah blah blah"

Actual Story: "I heard that they did this and that so they must've spent at least a million yen"

So the assertion of fact in the headline, the core of this story, is based on a guess based on second hand information of an unnamed "spectator."

Brilliant reporting JT.

Moderator: It's not JT reporting, but Shukan Post reporting.
Altria at 11:04 AM JST - 2nd November

1 million isn't too bad for a big night out with one's entourage.

Haterz can stick to the Club Pure nomihodai and McDs on the way home.
BuddhismTech at 11:17 AM JST - 2nd November

Must be interesting. It will be nice if I visit Ginza’s Naimiki-dori, although I don't drink. I will be glad to order a glass of Coke and seafood meal. Do they allow foreigners?

Maybe Hakuho is better off and happier if he is a monk who is begging for food than spending Y1 million (~$11,000) on alcohol, food, and untold things.
Junnama at 11:29 AM JST - 2nd November

Do they allow foreigners?

Well Hakuho is a foreigner, so that's a good sign.

I'm sure if you pay they'll let you drink Coke and will get a seafood meal for you!
dbung10 at 12:23 PM JST - 2nd November

dammit. bamboohat got there first. This is hilariously bad reporting - basically one hostess that wasnt even involved said to someone that she reckons he may have spent around a million yen, and that gets a headline? Someone actually gets paid to write this story? pathetic.
hanadecaka at 07:29 PM JST - 2nd November

Daily people are dying for food why he had to expened such money in unncecessary place and why news take big place in Japan why he doesn't donate money for uncief or in Mongolia for street children?
womanforwomen at 07:41 PM JST - 2nd November

Hakuho could have been a little moderate in his spending. Not just in Mongolia, but even in New York, Tokyo and Ottawa people are starving.
my2sense at 12:16 PM JST - 3rd November

kp123... I know...the russian bloke in NY... anyway this is just another day and this has gone on for decades, the whole nine yards Ginza Sumo thing above... its business. I had a go at a Sumo cocky entourage 10 years ago and they backed down. Of course thats when I punched myself in the face and told them I was a "sick dude". They are only fatter and I did my time in Boston properly you get smacked carrying around like the guys above.
marushka at 06:32 PM JST - 3rd November

Its his life, his money, so why not spend it how he likes?
bdiego at 10:35 AM JST - 4th November

Misleading headline, 1 million is just some random ho's flippant comment and not an actual figure.

Including the entourage, lots of people easily spend thousands on a birthday bash. Sounds like they had a great time.
saborichan at 06:07 PM JST - 5th November

Exactly, bamboohat. You can't go making titles based on What Some Guy Said.
morriconelover at 08:26 AM JST - 6th November

I once bought 10 burgers at a Burger King in Sweden. That should be in the news also. It cost me 15 dollars.
Hirota56 at 06:46 PM JST - 13th November

Wow....how can you spend a million yen in one night. I hope that Hakuho and company will phone me and just give me 10,000 yen. I have been waiting all these years for "dialing for dollars" to phone me.
combinibento at 06:49 PM JST - 13th November

Hirohata,

...the core group consisted of eight men, including ozeki Kotomitsuki and comedian Masahiro Ehara.

That's how they spent it. Actually that's not so much considering there were 8 guys and presumably drinks for the ladies as well.
Hirota56 at 06:59 PM JST - 13th November

Combinibento,

Oh I get it. Never had such an experience. Thanks for the info.