The image of the Japan Sumo Association has been tarnished again, this time by the discovery that senior members of an organized crime group obtained tickets for special ringside seats at sumo tournaments apparently with the help of two sumo stablemasters. It has also surfaced that ozeki Kotomitsuki was questioned by the police in connection with his alleged involvement in illegal betting on baseball games.

It was reported last week that more than 50 senior members of the Kodokai gang, which is under the wing of Japan's largest crime syndicate Yamaguchi-gumi, occupied front-row seats at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament last July. Tickets for such seats are normally provided to people or firms that have made large monetary contributions to the JSA. The police theorize that the gangsters obtained the tickets and occupied the seats so that imprisoned gangsters, including Kenichi Shinoda, the boss of the Yamaguchi-gumi, could see them on TV in the sumo broadcasts.

The JSA has punished two stablemasters in connection with the ticket scandal. Stablemaster Kise was demoted two ranks in sumo hierarchy and his stable will be closed. Stablemaster Kiyomigata was reprimanded. Kise arranged tickets for the seats at a sumo ticket booth for at least five years until last year. At his request, Kiyomigata had helped him until two or three years ago.