Japan has experienced another famous death from COVID-19, known as 新型コロナウイルス shingata corona virus in Japan, with the passing of sumo wrestler Shobushi Kanji. who passed away on May 13. He developed fever symptoms in early April and was admitted to a hospital ICU soon after. Four other members of the stable (what a sumo-beya is called in English) also contracted the virus but recovered, however Shobushi Kanji’s situation continued to worsen until he finally passed away from organ failure.
What’s surprising about this death is that the wrestler was just 28 years old, and relatively healthy, being an athlete involved in daily training, and his death is listed as the youngest confirmed death from COVID-19 so far. It highlights something I’ve heard discussed on Japanese TV about why the death toll has been so high in the U.S.: the comparative tendency for Americans to be overweight compared with people in countries affected less by the virus. Men who are obese are supposedly higher at risk. [source]
[Update: it’s been reported that Shobushi Kaji may have suffered from diabetes, too, another risk factor.]
Sumo wrestling is the kokugi (national sport) of Japan, funded and operated directly by the Japanese government. The sport has an extremely long history, dating back to the Nara Period (710-794). I love visiting the Ryogoku area of Tokyo because you can always see rikishi (sumo wrestlers) walking around, and they’ll gladly talk to you or pose for a picture with you. A surprising number of wrestlers aren’t Japanese, and sometimes you get to meet one of the foreign wrestlers and ask what it’s like to step onto the dohyo (the sumo mound) even if you don’t speak Japanese.
Here’s a photo of Shoubushi Kanji (at right) celebrating happier times. His shirt says ドエロ do-ero meaning roughly “I’m fuckin’ ero.”
