It was plain from both Harumafuji's words and body language at Wednesday's news conference announcing his retirement that he was going under duress and felt harshly treated.
Still, the yokozuna understood that given his position, no other outcome was possible once it became clear he had assaulted another rikishi.
The pain on his stablemaster's face was visible and at times Isegahama oyakata had trouble holding back the tears. That's understandable with him having raised Harumafuji since the age of 16. Stablemasters and their wives (okamisan) are often described as more surrogate parents than coaches and managers, and in Harumafuji's case it's even truer with his biological father having passed away a decade ago.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.