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Fieldwork in Japan: an Encounter with Japan’S Big Boys

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Fieldwork in Japan: an Encounter with Japan’S Big Boys Fieldwork in Japan: An Encounter with Japan’s Big Boys Francisco Javier Tablero Vallas Aichi University It was unusually warm, that May she was talking about and Mr. Suzuki, the day in Tokyo, when I set out looking for the calligraphy teacher, nodded his agreement. sumo wrestling heya (training house) in Put firmly in our places and clutching three bo- which I hoped to do my fieldwork. My su- ttles of Portuguese wine we made our gateway. pervisor, Professor Yoshio Onuki, and I had Just a few meters further on we came to a met earlier at his University of Tokyo office. three-stored white-washed building. This, Mr. After pin-pointing issues and working out Suzuki assured us, was the heya. I say ‘assured’ strategies, we set off for one of the forty-three because of our incredulous looks. We were as- heya which then made up the sumo world. tounded. This ordinary building? Hidden away We wanted to talk an oyakata (sumo mas- in this little back street? Groaning inwardly, I ter) into allowing the fieldwork - so I could tried not to let my crumbling images spoil my collect detailed data (on everyday life, social optimism. At least this was where I was would relations, organization, rituals etc.) in situ. have the wonderful opportunity of learning how the mythical Japanese sumo wrestlers live At about 6:00 pm., our train passed above and how they have survived and preserved their the Kokugikan (the National Stadium - the tradition against increasing westernization. home of Japanese sumo) and got out at Hi- rai station. A middle-aged man was waiting We entered by a side door. A huge plank, han- for us at the exit. Immediately the section ging vertically to the left, announced in Chine- on courtesy from my Japanese textbook se characters: “Michinoku-beya (“the school of flashed through my mind. I had anticipated Michinoku”). This was more like it! The name this meeting - I was ready! But Professor was exotic enough to conjure up images of In- Onuki nudged me a discrete warning that diana Jones in the mind of any anthropologist: my bows and greetings were just a bit over “michi (earth) and “oku” (depth). As the eve- the top! This was not our man after-all. No, ning closed in the whole place took on a mys- this was the oyakata’ calligraphy teacher terious gloom. I could just make out the dohyo and he was only going to take us to the heya. (training area) - the ring made of rice straw, the central stake decorated with sacred whi- On the way Professor Onuki - thank Heavens te paper, salt scattered over the clay surface. he was with me - suggested we stop at a liquor There was a little shrine on the wall. Excellent! store to pick up a present for the oyakata. In- I noticed a light on in one of the adjoining side he asked the woman for Sake or Shochu. rooms. But there was no time to think about “Because the sumo world is very traditiona l and that before a young sumotori (sumo wrest- the customs must be respected” he explained. ler) indicated that the master’s place was on “For the oyakata, you said?” The shopkee- the third floor. In spite of the western-style per had overheard. “Sake? No way! Mateus track suit I recognized the sumotori by his Rose for him!” She obviously knew what chonmage (topknot) like the ones I’d seen Recibido el 15/12/2014 Aceptado el 23/01/2015 18 Fieldwork in Japan: An Encounter with Japan’s Big Boys 19 on TV so often. Eventually my curiosity got the master (Hoshi Kabuto) who had accepted the better of me and I stopped to have a clo- them as apprentices and who we hoped to talk ser look at the dohyo. But imagine my asto- to. This ingenious choice of names gave Pro- nishment when, in a nearby room I spot- fessor Onuki the idea of calling me Hoshi no ted two western faces, cheeks bulging with furamenko (Star of the flamenco) to get me off broiled fish. Then this was not the virgin, to a good start. This anecdote was enjoyed by untouched and completely Japanese world everyone in the department at the University that I had hoped for. So where were Mali- since it’s also the title of a Japanese hit song. nowski and his “paradise community” now? In the meantime the wrestler who had gone However the looks of tranquillity on their upstairs told us the master wasn’t ready yet. He faces, as they wielded the chopsticks like ex- suggested we go to the nomiya (Japanese bar) perts, told me that as far as they were concer- across the street and wait there until he came. ned, this was all perfectly normal. “Where are This we did. After taking off our shoes and ste- you from?” one of them asked nonchalantly. pping up onto the tatami (rush matts) we sat “From ... from Spain.” around an old dark wooden table. The bar was “Ah sos de España...? (you’re from run by the oyakata’s wife so they already knew Spain...?), nosotros somos Argen- about us. Almost as soon as we finished gree- tinos... (we’re Argentinians... ).” ting the okamisan (the oyakata’s wife), her So instead of finding the heart of the “real sister and her mother the door opened again. Japan” here I was, talking in my native lan- It was him! At last, the oyakata, the master guage with these two guys dressed in yuka- who as mentor would help open the door to ta. Their bulk and oily topknots, perfumed the exclusive and hermetic sumo world. He with binzuke made it all totally surrealistic. was about sixty, tall and still well-built with “Argentinos?” I checked again a rather hangdog, poker-face expression. He just in case it was a dream. didn’t look at me or anyone for that matter. “Yes, both of us, from Buenos Aires,” He didn’t talk. And if anything did escape his they assured me, continuing to gobble mouth it seemed to cost him an enormous the fish as if nothing were wrong. I felt effort. I wanted to run away or call home and that I was the only “Martian” in the place. tell them to throw away all the travel guides and embassy pamphlets which claimed that But the funniest thing was their shikona (fi- the “real” and “true” Japanese have the most ghting names) written in Chinese characters sophisticated forms of etiquette in the world. on one of the dohyo walls: Hoshi-tango (star of the tango) and Hoshi-andesu (star of the As introductions and meishi (business Andes) - “Tango” and “Andesu” for short. cards) were exchanged I saw my chances of Later I would find out that ceremonial shiko- backtracking to do fieldwork on farmers fade na generally used by the wrestlers are often away. Professor Onuki and Mr. Suzuki did related to a mountain, a river or something what they could to draw some conversation distinctive from their native province. The from him. Amidst his: mmm...ahahs...eees the prefix “hoshi” (star) came from the name of Mateus was presented. He appeared to ignore 20 Francisco Javier Tablero Vallas it. The three of us were in seiza (kneeling in been financially supported by yakuza mem- the most ceremonial greeting position) and bers through their fan clubs and as individual were invited to relax only after our legs had patrons. I myself would have some encoun- turned to logs. We weren’t, of course, in the ters with the yakuza underworld while taking presence of one of those benevolent martial part in several sumo ceremonies and parties. arts masters like in David Carradine’s movies. “Kakko wa dame da” (“no show-offs”) which I would learn by experience that he shortened to a kind of repetitive, multiligual communication goes in one direction only “kakko...no, kakko...no” were the only words from top to bottom, and that it is impossible he addressed to me the whole evening. to try to exchange ideas. I was also to notice that most of the troubles I experienced in I hadn’t been talked to in such impolite Japa- my relationships with the heya members nese before (well, except at the immigration began by my more or less horizontal and office, of course). It would take some time egalitarian view of the world. I didn’t want to before I would understand his rude manners. be called “sensei” (teacher) or to be elevated So I decided not to let them worry me. Later I to the status of “okyakusan” (honorable was to visit him in hospital where he was being guest) with all its prerogatives. At the treated for a stroke. The nurses and doctors beginning whenever I tried to help with meal were complaining about his naughty attitude. preparation or the daily shopping I would “Naturally,” the okamisan commented quietly be stopped by “oyakata ni okorareru” (“if to me at the time, “he has given orders and re- I let you do it the oyakata will scold me”). primands all his life. He just doesn’t know how However, since I had so little to offer they to talk to those outside the sumo world.” I su- gradually allowed me to do more things ddenly felt petty as I realized how difficult that and my chances of interaction increased, first meeting must have been for him. He had especially in the out-of-Tokyo tournaments been brought up, as all rikishi (wrestlers), in a where lodging and maintenance conditions highly ranked world where he saw reality as a meant that they appreciated extra hands.
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