French minister rips sumo & 'suffocating' Tokyo

[Taro Toporific]

French minister goes Japan-bashing in China
Daily Yomiuri, Japan - Jan 18
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy sparked controversy with comments during is recent trip to China, criticizing Japanese culture, including sumo. "I can't consider sumo--a battle between two fat guys--as a sport. Sumo wrestling is really not a sport for intellectuals."...Sarkozy also said: "Hong Kong is a magical city, but Tokyo isn't. It's suffocating." ...

[Watcher]

[Andocrates]

I disagree about sumo. Since the Hawaiians are gone it's starting to settle down. This basho there have been quite a few judo throws and the sumo has been good.

Since when do we put any stock in what a politician says, let alone a French one. If he had come to Tokyo instead of Hong Kong he would have ripped on N. Korea.

[tigny]

Hi,

I'm french.
This is pure political bullshit. You may not know that french president Chirac is a big fan of japanese arts and culture.
Interior Minister Sarkozy is just mocking President Chirac by saying this because he wants to take part to the next polls in France.
There was another french Premier Ministre Edith Cresson who said japanese people were just ants.

Unfortunately lots of french people are stupid when it comes to undertanding other countries people or lifestyle...

yours,

[Steve Bildermann]

This basho there have been quite a few judo throws and the sumo has been good.

The use of Judo techniques in sumo is considered to be 'unfair and illegal' and wrestlers are often told only 'Sumo' techniques will be recognized.

Of course what is a sumo leg trip and what is a judo leg trip is very debatable. However from time to time some wrestlers are admonished for using 'unrecognized' techniques.

[Kanchou]

So would it be legal to mule kick the other guy out of the ring?

[AssKissinger]

Who gives a fuck what some stupid French cunt thinks? Don't like Tokyo and Sumo? Then keep your cultureless French ass the fuck out! If there's any place that totally sucks in this world it's lame ass stupid fucking done nothing in the last 100 years coward ass nasty smelling France.

[kamome]

Who gives a fuck what some stupid French cunt thinks? Don't like Tokyo and Sumo? Then keep your cultureless French ass the fuck out! If there's any place that totally sucks in this world it's lame ass stupid fucking done nothing in the last 100 years coward ass nasty smelling France.

Oh come on, this is wild hate-mongering. It was one dude's comments, and as Tigny said, it probably had more to do with French domestic politics than anything else.

[AssKissinger]

Oh come on, this is wild hate-mongering. It was one dude's comments, and as Tigny said, it probably had more to do with French domestic politics than anything else

I totally agree. I've been to France and met a lot of French people in and out of France and only met one I didn't like. He was a big asshole. I just felt like writing something obnoxious (and a part of me does feel that way). Maybe I'm a loony but I usually have more than one contradictory opinion on all issues.

[Ptyx]

Tigny and Kamome are right. The whole thing started when Chirac said that when he was nothing (meaning mayor of Paris) he was also received by China officials.
Those guys hates each other's guts. The way they fight is still pretty pathetic.

[cstaylor]

Wonder if the Interior Minister made a quick Civet Cat Cuisine stop while praising Hong Kong.

[Andocrates]

The use of Judo techniques in sumo is considered to be 'unfair and illegal' and wrestlers are often told only 'Sumo' techniques will be recognized.

Of course what is a sumo leg trip and what is a judo leg trip is very debatable. However from time to time some wrestlers are admonished for using 'unrecognized' techniques.

Andocrates doing Dana Carvey doing Johnny Carson:

"I did not know that!"

[kamome]

The use of Judo techniques in sumo is considered to be 'unfair and illegal' and wrestlers are often told only 'Sumo' techniques will be recognized.

Of course what is a sumo leg trip and what is a judo leg trip is very debatable. However from time to time some wrestlers are admonished for using 'unrecognized' techniques.

I'm going to see sumo at Ryogoku this Saturday! First time seeing it live, baby!

[Caustic Saint]

I'm going to see sumo at Ryogoku this Saturday! First time seeing it live, baby!

My sister has requested souveniers from there. I may swing buy and see what they've got, but I doubt I'll be attending any matches.

[Taro Toporific]

I'm going to see sumo at Ryogoku this Saturday! First time seeing it live, baby!

My sister has requested souveniers from there. I may swing buy and see what they've got, but I doubt I'll be attending any matches.

Hey, the "el cheapo" nose-bleed seats to sumo are only 900yen. You gotta wake up at 6:00am to get those seats but they can be used all day. Most folks get the cheap-seat tickets first thing in the morning before the tickets sell out. Then they return for the main events at 3:30PM after going to museums in the area all day such as the mega-kool, Old Edo Museum (you can walk inside recreated Edo village).

[ramchop]

I'm going to see sumo at Ryogoku this Saturday! First time seeing it live, baby!

cool. I went at a similar stage of the same tournament last year - a lot of fun, though the champion was pretty much decided by then.

Speaking of champions why is this Tochiazuma being talked about as the next Yokozuna? Looking at the record over the past year it seems to me that the more violent Chiotaikai is more deserving.

[GomiGirl]

Tigny and Kamome are right. The whole thing started when Chirac said that when he was nothing (meaning mayor of Paris) he was also received by China officials.
Those guys hates each other's guts. The way they fight is still pretty pathetic.

It is really dumb to fight in this way. These guys are supposed to be working on an international level and slagging off one country to another while trying to score some points on a domestic level is really creating a rod for your own back if he ever gets to be leader.

For Caustic - a MUST see on your visit this week is the EDO museum and the SUMO museum at Ryokoku station. Plus you can pick up your Sumo omiyage for your sister.

A good thing to do while all your friends are at work. Plus it is just a few stops from Akihabara..

[Caustic Saint]

For Caustic - a MUST see on your visit this week is the EDO museum and the SUMO museum at Ryokoku station. Plus you can pick up your Sumo omiyage for your sister.

A good thing to do while all your friends are at work. Plus it is just a few stops from Akihabara..

That's what my sister told me as well. I'll need daytime stuff to do, so it's on my list.

I'm almost afraid to go to Akihabara this trip. Stop #1 after arriving is the Apple store in Ginza, and that's going to eat up most of the lovely bucket of Yen I got from the bank today. Going to Akihabara would have me begging for table scraps halfway through the trip. (Poor geek impulse shopping control. )

[kamome]

For Caustic - a MUST see on your visit this week is the EDO museum and the SUMO museum at Ryokoku station. Plus you can pick up your Sumo omiyage for your sister.

A good thing to do while all your friends are at work. Plus it is just a few stops from Akihabara..

That's what my sister told me as well. I'll need daytime stuff to do, so it's on my list.

I'm almost afraid to go to Akihabara this trip. Stop #1 after arriving is the Apple store in Ginza, and that's going to eat up most of the lovely bucket of Yen I got from the bank today. Going to Akihabara would have me begging for table scraps halfway through the trip. (Poor geek impulse shopping control. )

Don't worry, Caustic. I hear Taro runs a nice hospice service from his apa-to, so you can be on his dole after shelling out your yen in Ginza.

You know, it'll be my first time at a sumo match (three years in Tokyo and never even hung out near Ryogoku ). I'll probably do some souvenir shopping there myself as if I were a tourist.

[Taro Toporific]

I'll probably do some souvenir shopping there myself as if I were a tourist.

Hey, even I think it would be a real hoot to buy Asashoryu bobble-headed doll that they sell at the Sumo Store. :P

[Caustic Saint]

Hey, even I think it would be a real hoot to buy Asashoryu bobble-headed doll that they sell at the Sumo Store. :P

ba-buu-ro head-uu?

[Taro Toporific]

Hey, even I think it would be a real hoot to buy Asashoryu bobble-headed doll that they sell at the Sumo Store. :P

ba-buu-ro head-uu?

Just mime it. :P


http://espn.go.com/page2/s/brain/ichirobobble.html

[Watcher]

As far as going to sumo goes I did that my first year here back in 2000 at the Osaka Basho. We got there early and grabbed the cheap (read non-specified) seats. Youy could go in at anytime but you couldn't leave. And you were able to sit in any seat not taken. I wish I could share the pics with you... ahhhh memories. Yup first there was the minor ranked nameless tubby clutching his phone laid out snoring on a bench behind the stands. Then there were the women fans all lined up to get an autographg outside the dressing/warming up room. And finally a massive pillow fight when both Musashimaru and Takanohan lost! Thousands tossing their little pillow mats at Musashimaru as he did his wind down dance! Hahaha what fun! And as for souvenirs I got one of those cool curtains over the door thingys (what do you call them?) with a print of all the top wrestlers hands. It's like a modern abstractionist screening in my opinion. Enjoy the day and make sure your camera has got plenty of juice.

[Ptyx]

It is really dumb to fight in this way. These guys are supposed to be working on an international level and slagging off one country to another while trying to score some points on a domestic level is really creating a rod for your own back if he ever gets to be leader.

THey are actually really dumb as 80% of the french politicians when it comes to interact with foreign countries. And half of the population does agree with that.
Now is a really bad time to live in France, picture a giant bed with Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Silvio Berlusconi in it and you'll have a good idea of the people "working" in the actual french governement.
For example read this

[cstaylor]

Speaking of champions why is this Tochiazuma being talked about as the next Yokozuna? Looking at the record over the past year it seems to me that the more violent Chiotaikai is more deserving.

Just went today. This is my 10th tournament (it's always a blast). To make Yokozuna, you need to be Ozeki level and have one of two things happen:
[a] Normal circumstances: Tournament champion twice in a row
[b] You are a Japanese Ozeki, and the only Yokozuna is the widely despised Asashoryu: Win one tournament, and scrape by with sum of at least 25 wins over the current and previous tournaments, and they'll put you in as a Japanese Yokozuna.

Tochiazuma bombed against Takamisakari (aka Roborikisihi, the Forest Gump of Japanese Fighting), and today against Kyokutenho, pretty much sealing his fate to not make Yokozuna this tournament.

Kamome: the fighter to watch is Kokkai:

Today's match was spectacular: he got in a little tussle of words with his opponent, Kitazakura, before the match (this is the first time I've ever seen that happen... he probably got called a filthy gaijin or something), and then Kokkai comes out like a raging bull- thrashed him in less than 10 seconds.

GG is also a sumo fan:

[GomiGirl]

GG is also a sumo fan:

Indeed I am. How come you get to go to the sumo on a school day? Not fair!! Whine Whine Whine.

But with the photo above.. I thought that standing next to a large person was supposed to make you look thinner. I look as huge as him in this photo... what camera were you using?

BTW a funny story from your wedding.. somebody at our table asked Sentoryu if they had to keep to a strict diet given that they were professional athletes etc.

(Note: I had just finished explaining to them that they were sitting at the table with the equivalent of a Major league baseball player)

It was a classic response from Sentoryu.. he thought about it for a moment, scratched his chin and said that while they were not allowed to eat before training each morning that they could pretty much eat what they liked - the more the better.

It was brilliant.. this coming from a man that needed to use two seats to sit down.

I did learn something that I didn't know.. that it was extremely bad luck for the Sumo for a woman to touch their hair.

[American Oyaji]

I've been asking about that picture for months and was asking if it was GG or not and NO ONE would answer me.

FINALLY I got a answer.

Thanks for nothin..


And GG, you are NOT fat. I think you're just right.

[GomiGirl]

I've been asking about that picture for months and was asking if it was GG or not and NO ONE would answer me.

FINALLY I got a answer.

Thanks for nothin..


And GG, you are NOT fat. I think you're just right.

I knew that this would get a reaction from you today. I was just teasing you by not responding to your pleas about this photo.

[Shinigami]

French minister goes Japan-bashing in China
Daily Yomiuri, Japan - Jan 18
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy sparked controversy with comments during is recent trip to China, criticizing Japanese culture, including sumo. "I can't consider sumo--a battle between two fat guys--as a sport. Sumo wrestling is really not a sport for intellectuals."...Sarkozy also said: "Hong Kong is a magical city, but Tokyo isn't. It's suffocating." ...

I see nothing wrong with what this guy said. If you ask me he hit the nail right on the head

As much this must hurt the nipponese feeling of "everything about us is the best in the world" it don't change the fact that what he said is true.

Get over it nippon. You're not nearly as great as you think you are

[Shinigami]