Time to leave, originally uploaded by windupbaerd.

When I first came to Japan perhaps a little mistakenly I projected my image of an idealized foreign country onto the sport that was sumo; it occupied a large part of my mind, on both an analytical and even an artistical level - in that way I came to see beauty in two heaving bodies slapping against each other for a brief handful of seconds. Controlled chaos as a spectator artform, the elusive prelude glimpsed only in the early minutes of a pornographic movie when the viewer can still appreciate such things as choreography and technique before all the blood shunts yonder.

With the knowledge of match fixing much of this came to pass and quite understandably clouded my viewing eye, ultimately colouring all inlets of news related to the sport that came my way. Foolish moments that turn rarer with time. Yet still I could feel a sense of passion run through hardened veins if but to see some of my favourite rikishi in action; though I long favoured the local boy, it is only because everyone naturally roots for the underdog, the alpha male in this case being that much more unattainable.

Asashoryu's announcement yesterday of finally stepping down owing to his poor behaviour outside the stifling environment of the sumo ring marks the end of a very strange era; for a long while the only poster child of a dying sport the vacuum left behind seems ill filled by the likes of fellow countrymen Hakuho, skilled though he may be, or even ozeki Kaio, who has refused to leave long after the party ended. Commentators who have their claws deep in the former yokozuna's back, their own relevance indivisible from their feisty target, turn teary eyed and remorseful, although it is unclear for whom they are crying for. How long would it take before the sole yokozuna now succumbs to whatever obligatory pressure that he has hitherto been shielded from?

The real story behind the cover of todays Mainichi Shinbun however, only becomes apparent as we take into account the item placed to the side of Asashoryu's announcement: that of DPJ Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa, who has more than enough reason to step down but manages nonetheless to escape blame, displaying an iron tenacity to shame even the most persistent of shit stains while inspiring tears of approval from a growing echelon of politicians who rub their hands in their pockets, and sit in the sun for a good six hours just to warm their blood.

The lights go down, and the sun comes up. Tomorrow will be much like today, though we would be poorer off for not knowing the difference.