Asia After Hours

With the cancellation of the Osaka sumo tournament in March, the city’s nightlife quarters will not be receiving patronage from its burly regulars, who, reports weekly tabloid Shukan Jitsuwa (Mar. 3), are using their mobile phones when canceling entertainment bookings.

Every year, sumo wrestlers (rikishi), their supporters (tanimachi), and coaches (oyakata) frequent one particular lounge in the Kita Shinchi district.

“Since we do not need to prepare a big sofa this year, it is sad,” says an employee. “While it is disturbing to see drunk sekitori grapplers” — those ranked in one of the top two professional divisions — “we are used to hosting them every year. Sumo wrestlers drink a lot given their huge body mass. Given that nowadays we have been losing customers, this will have a huge impact on sales.”

A hostess from a club within the Tobita Shinchi district is shocked by the cancellation. “Since they have massive bodies,” she says, “they do push themselves over the limit. Plus, they are good tippers. I just have to sit on their laps all night; it’s not much work. They were good customers.”

Shukan Jitsuwa informs its readers that Tobita Shinchi is a Mecca for quickie joints. A person from a lounge says that they’ll usually come in a group that includes three attendants (tsukibito) and a sekitori. “When the sekitori is off enjoying his erotic activities,” the source says, “the attendants will stick around for drinks. It is vital to the local economy.”

Some wrestlers called their regular places to kindly let them know that they would not be able to make it this year, and there was one thing that they all had in common. “Everyone is using a pay phone to say they cannot come,” says the previously quoted hostess. “They were told not to use mobile phones.”

For those living under rocks for the past few weeks, the Japan Sumo Association indicated that text messages discovered on the mobile phones of roughly a dozen senior wrestlers have implicated them in systematic bout-fixing — a revelation that caused the cancellation of the Osaka tournament.

“While I cannot speak for other training stables,” says one coach, “I am prohibiting the use of the mobile phone. Any contact to be made outside the stable must be done in open areas. Of course, there will be no playing around with women either, including visits to Tobita. We have to do this to regain trust.”

Shukan Jitsuwa, however, wonders what steps the grapplers will take to satisfy their sexual needs. (A.T.)

Source: “Osaka basho chushi Tobita-Shinchi e no cancel rikishi wa zenin koshu-denwa,” Shukan Jitsuwa (Mar. 3, page 31)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

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As the world of sumo continues to grapple with revelations that wrestlers routinely gambled on baseball games, Shukan Jitsuwa (Sep. 2) reports that police authorities are now targeting entertainers for the same illegal activity.

A former member of a gangster organization is at the center of a police investigation.

“The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department seems to know which entertainers are involved in baseball betting,” says a person related to the investigation. “And in tracking them down, it all is going back to the same former gangster. So he is the key guy in the betting scheme.”

Among those suspected to be partaking are a famous idol and an enka singer.

“The idol is a huge fan of the Yomiuri Giants,” explains a production manager at a big firm. “He’ll wager around 20 or 30,000 yen on Giants games. Even though the amounts are small, that is still betting. The enka singer owns his own team, and he loves betting. He’ll put down one million yen a week. He’s even been getting enka composers involved.”

According to a person with knowledge of baseball betting, the enka singer has had a strong relationship with the former gang member. “He was a sponsor to the enka singer,” says the source. “That’s how the gambling started, and he became addicted. The gang member also has access to underground casinos, and he sponsored wrestler Chiyotaikai, the former ozeki, who was never questioned in the betting scandal.

“The gangster wound up marrying a large-breasted model after engaging in extra-marital affairs with her,” the course continues.

A person in the mass media adds, “The former gangster was marked by the police, mainly due to unusual behavior resulting from suspected drug use. When he was first seeing the large-breasted model, he ran a high-end real estate firm.”

But now, Shukan Jitsuwa says, the former gangster is nowhere to be found.

“The police are attending parties and events organized by the former gangster,” adds the same source close to the investigation. “But they can’t find him, and he’s since divorced the big-breasted model.”

Should the former gangster be found, the tabloid concludes, a can of worms will be opened up regarding illegal activities within the entertainment world. (K.N.)

Source: “Sosatokyoku ga maaku suru yakyu tobaku no omono ichimi,” Shukan Jitsuwa (Sep. 2, page 209)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

Related articles:

1. Sumo world’s connection to mob begins in university
2. Illegal casinos in Tokyo under scrutiny after sumo betting scandal
3. Sumo world’s ties to gangsters, baseball betting have long legacy

With the Nagoya tournament now underway, Flash (July 27) reports that the ties between sumo and the criminal underworld run much deeper than simply the recent revelations that wrestlers frequently gamble on baseball games and provide seats to matches.

Sources tell the tabloid that relationships are nurtured from the university level. “A senior level member of Kudo-kai, which is a subsidiary of the Yamaguchi-gumi, happens to like and support one particular wrestler,” explains a person from within the sumo world. “That wrestler is a Nihon University alumnus and that has helped to foster the connection with the yakuza.”

Flash notes that Nihon University’s sumo division is known for bringing up wrestlers like (ex-yokozuna) Wajima and Mainoumi. There are five oyakata (stablemasters) and seven wrestlers currently active in sumo.

Wrestler Kiyoseumi, an understudy of stablemaster and ex-wrestler Kise, is also a graduate of Nihon University. In May, Kise was implicated in the scandal in which members of the Kudo-kai were given ring-side seats at last year’s Nagoya tournament. Furthering the mob connection, Flash provides a photo showing Kiyoseumi wearing the character 忍 (shinobi), which is to honor Shinobu Tsukasa (司忍), the sixth and current leader of the Yamaguchi-gumi, on the front of his traditional hakama, or skirt-like pants.

“A yakuza member was a driver for Kise,” explains one sumo supporter. “He was bragging about how much he is connected to the Kudo-kai. He is actually completely under the thumb of that gang, and that’s not an exaggeration.”

Flash explains that the relationship between the yakuza and sumo used to be that of sponsor and benefactor. But the baseball-betting scandal makes it clear that the landscape has changed. It is now about targeting wrestlers and sucking money out of them.

A former wrestler explains why student-born wrestlers are an easy target. “Those from universities don’t need to go through the basics to reach sekitori status,” the former grappler says of wrestlers who reach one of the top two divisions. “Since they have easy access to cash, they tend to become addicted to gambling. They are also well connected horizontally to their peers. That makes it easy for them to share information.”

The article also links Hiroyoshi Murayama, who is the acting managing director of the Japan Sumo Association, to general contractor Suruga Corporation.

“Suruga paid the Yamaguchi-gumi tens of billions of yen through a front company to implement jiage on properties,” says a former senior level manager at Suruga of the practice where threatening actions are taken to evict tenants from properties prior to their sale. “When that issue rose to the surface, Murayama was a managing director of the firm. Further, Suruga became the first company to enter Mongolian property market, and it did so through a partnership with (ex-yokozuna) Asashoryu’s family business.”

Thus far, the association has dismissed wrestler Kotomitsuki and his stablemaster Otake for gambling on baseball. Other wrestlers and senior advisors received punishments. Former wrestler Mitsutomo Furuichi has been arrested for for extorting 3.5 million yen out of Kotomitsuki in an attempt to conceal the operation.

A writer assigned to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police says that the police have searched 30 sumo stables and are working on indictments, with cell phone calls and emails being scrutinized in order to identify the route between former wrestlers and bookmakers. “They will indict all implicated stablemasters and participants after the Nagoya tournament,” the writer says. “The police are doing whatever it takes to eradicate the Kodo-kai.” (K.N.)

Source: “Boryokudan ga anyaku…kore ga kakukai osen “gottsuan sokanzu” da!” Flash (July 27, page 10)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

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With the illegal gambling activities of sumo wrestlers having been duly exposed in recent weeks, Weekly Playboy (July 26) reports that underground casinos are now coming under fire.

“After the story concerning sumo wrestlers and baseball betting broke, three illegal gambling operations in Kabukicho were raided,” explains one illegal casino operator. “They included an a gaming room, an Internet operation and poker game shop. I am very worried about a raid on my place.”

What’s going on?

“Normally there are two patterns for the raids,” explains a member of the National Police Agency, who refused to be named. “The first case is when customers or others in the industry report an illegal operation. The second occurs when higher-ups order the police to raid a particular place.

“If it’s a customer or person in the industry leaking information, then the raid will be only place shop,” the source continues. “However, if (Tokyo Gov. Shintaro) Ishihara announces that he wants to pursue the establishment of a legal casino in Tokyo, for example, multiple places will be raided.”

The representative of the police adds that the Japan Racing Association may also request the busting of operations offering illegal, off-track satellite wagering. The crackdown then on the three Kabukicho parlors is unprecedented, the source says.

Customers are feeling the backlash.

“At poker clubs in Kabukicho, it used to be that players could start out up 500,000 yen and then if they continued they might go down one million yen,” explains an owner of a kyabakura chain who enjoys betting on poker machines. “Now, you can burn through two or three million yen from the start and not see one royal flush or a four of a kind.”

The owner of a fuzoku club likes baccarat. “Before, it would be 50-50, win or lose,” the source says. “Not knowing whether one will win or lose is the is the fun of gambling, and the customer would keep playing. But now, it’s all losing.”

An underground casino manager says that everyone is being targeted. “We don’t know which place will be raided next,” the owner explains. ” So the owners of the clubs want to earn as much as possible now. As a result, the regulars lose all the time. I feel bad for them. But I have to do it. I can’t go against upper management.” (A.T)

Source: “Ura kajino jyankii tachi ga rensen renpai no naze?” Weekly Playboy (July 26, page 10)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

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Ever since weekly tabloid Shukan Shincho reported (in its May 27 issue) that sumo wrestlers frequently gamble on professional baseball games with organized crime members, the Japan Sumo Association has been on the defensive.

On Sunday, the association decided to dismiss 34-year-old wrestler Kotomitsuki and his stablemaster Otake. Other wrestlers and senior advisors received punishments.

Recent revelations that Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate members have been supplied with ringside seats for past matches — ostensibly so that fellow gangsters behind bars can catch a glimpse of their compatriots on television — have also soiled the image of the pastime.

Two days after the firings, NHK announced that it would not provide a live broadcast of the upcoming tournament in Nagoya as a result of viewer complaints and sponsorship cancellations over the ongoing scandals.

Yet very little has been explained regarding the intricate connections the grapplers have with mobsters and just how they were gambling on ball games. For that, The Tokyo Reporter turns to a back issue of Flash (June) for a little insight.

“It is not just the rikishi (wrestlers), it is also former grand champions (yokozuna) and sumo officials who are betting on baseball,” a senior member of a Kansai boryokudan, or a yakuza group, explains to the tabloid. “The gamblers stay at inns in the countryside with people affiliated with gang groups and bet on games. Some officials will have their wives there. Relatives of gangsters who are running the gambling ring will also be in attendance. This practice has a long history; it didn’t start just yesterday.”

Revenue collected from baseball betting has historically been one means of income for yakuza groups. “The practice started in the Kansai area in the ’60s,” says a journalist who covers criminal activities. “In the ’80s, it spread to extend nationwide.”

The source says that a single game can see between 10 million yen and 100 million yen change hands.

The betting system is much more complicated than simply picking a winner. In each game, a betting line, or hande, is determined by a bookmaker. This number is based on a variety of factors, including the strength of the teams and the scheduled starting pitchers.

“On the day of the game, the hande of each game is decided by noon and passed to a yakuza messenger who will then distribute them to the gamblers by email,” explains a person affiliated with gang groups. “All bets must then be placed by 2 p.m. that day.”

Two different types of hande are generally applied. Flash provides a photo of a mobile phone screen that displays hande data for the games of May 24. As an example, the favored Yomiuri Giants are given a hande of 1半5 (which is read ichi han go) over the Orix Buffaloes. This means that should the Giants win by a single run, wagers on the Giants are considered losing bets. If the Giants prevail by two, punters will receive a return of 50 percent. If the difference is three or more, then bettors will get even money returned.

In another case, a 1.5 hande is applied to the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters over the Yakult Swallows. This translates as follows: should the Ham Fighters win by a single run, bettors receive a 50 percent return; and even money is reached for a two-run difference or better. The magazine notes that Nippon Ham Figher star right-hander Yu Darvish will often receive a 2.3 hande, meaning a whopping three-run margin would be required for even money.

It should be noted that a 10 percent commission gets taken off the top by the gang group on all wagers.

Interestingly, starters in the Central League are guessed at — a necessity given the league’s tendency of not naming starting hurlers in advance. On May 24, both Yudai Kawai and Kenta Asakura were listed as probables for the Chunichi Dragons against the Rakuten Eagles.

“At least three games must be wagered on,” says the same senior gang member from Kansai. “The money must be paid each Monday. Bets are commonly between 10,000 yen and 1 million yen.”

The same source says that the bets are usually placed by company presidents, members of the sumo world and entertainment figures. Betting on high school baseball also takes place, with gamblers often wagering on games involving their alma maters.

“Since the wrestlers train in the morning, they have time during the day to check the hande numbers,” says the senior boryokudan member quoted previously. “In the afternoon, they’ll have their bouts. So at night they’ll watch the baseball games.”

Sumo and the criminal underworld have a long history, says Flash. “Years ago, sumo wrestlers visited cities and towns in the countryside on special tours,” says the crime journalist. “The people sponsoring the events — which means providing the catering, security and lodging — were local leaders and gang groups.

“Nowadays, the tours don’t happen, but the intricate relationship still exists,” the same journalist continues. “At the sumo stables, for example, it is still up to the yakuza to provide security and transportation, and should there be trouble with a particular wrestler, it’ll be the yakuza who’ll keep it away from the media.”

Sumo watchers feel that the sumo world needs to change its culture if it wants to transcend from mere entertainment to actual sport. “The wrestlers are always receiving everything, always having everything done for them,” explains a person connected to sumo. “If this doesn’t change, they’ll never be able to sever the ties with gangsters and move forward.” (K.N.)

Source: “Kakukai to boryokudan ‘kuroi kankei,’” Flash (June 15, pages 9-11)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

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The media has been full of reports about ties between professional sumo and the Japanese underworld.

The first question that comes to almost everyone’s mind is, how could these guys be so dumb?

Nikkan Gendai (July 1) looks to Alexandre Dumas for the answer, and — voila — comes up with Cherchez la femme.

As reported in the ongoing weekly column “The Dark Side of the Sex Business,” an ex-sumo grappler who opened up a “pink” shop after retirement tells the tabloid, “Sex shops can be profitable. You can expect to turn over 100 million yen or more in a year. So thanks to the sex trade we have a chance to become a yokozuna (grand champion), in a manner of speaking.”

Unfortunately, there’s a major impediment to such operations. Once the shops start making money, the yakuza are on to them like a ton of bricks, charging all kinds of excessive fees for rents, recruitment ads and others — at four to five times the going rate.

“Sumoists are easy to con,” an unnamed gangster is quoted as saying. “Most of them join the sport out of middle school, and they’re ignorant in the ways of the world, and trusting to boot. We can easily exploit these flaws.”

Actually, some gang members are also former sumoists. When a grappler retires, he’ll be approached with an offer to “assist” in the running of his sex shop. When and if business slows down, the gang will help keep it afloat by extending loans at usurious rates.

Once in debt to the gangsters, the ex-grappler is likely to turn to gambling to reduce his debt. But instead of going to the racetrack, he’ll make bets with the girls in his own shop. This system calls for girls making good on their losses by having a portion of their salaries withheld.

Should the girls fall too heavily into debt, they’ll just disappear; but the shop owner can’t flee so easily, and will find himself deeply in debt to the gangs.

To perpetuate the system, the gangs will order the ex-wrestler to approach young, still active grapplers from his former stable, and ask them if they are interested in starting up their own sex business to support them after retirement. And thus the vicious circle is maintained. (K.S.)

Source: “Sumotori wo kamo ni shita yakuza-tachi,” Nikkan Gendai (June 1, page 22)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

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