Looks like the Oyakata (boss) of a prominent professional Sumo heya (training center) may be charged with murder after a young rikishi was recently found to have died from injuries resulting from beatings and abuse in the course of his 'training.'
Sumo training is famously tough, but this fella seems to have really gone overboard...
The head of the Sumo Association (THE governing body) was reprimanded by some government minister or other recently and as the details of this case and the wider-spread-than-previously-recognized issue of brutal training comes to light, there is real concern among the Sumo community.
People in the know always knew Sumo was rough, but beaten to death is a few hundred steps too far.
I could think of a million better things to do in Japan for a month besides jumping off of picnic tables. - x893
