The newest scandal to rock the sport of sumo are the allegations of gambling and ties to the infamous Japanese mob, the yakuza.

The chairman of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA), Kitanoumi Toshimitsu, has resigned after a series of scandals in the sport. Initially, Kitanoumi had been able to escape responsibility, relying on ideological preconceptions with regard to hierarchy within the ancient Japanese sport. However, when a Russian wrestler from his own stable was found guilty of smoking marijuana, he was forced to step down, reawakening debate in Japan on the future of the semi-religious sport in a commercial environment.