With Hokuseiho becoming the latest high-profile wrestler to see a promising career ended by a bullying scandal, the question of what measures can be taken to reduce violence in Japan¡¯s national sport has been pushed to the forefront once again.
Of course ¡°eliminate¡± would be a preferable goal instead of ¡°reduce,¡± but sumo¡¯s current structures, systems of recruitment, training methods and history make the complete eradication of violence extremely difficult ¡ª if not impossible ¡ª to achieve.
It¡¯s also worth remembering that the extensive coverage this most recent scandal has generated results partly from the level of fame of those involved.
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