00:00All right. Well, congratulations on the award. Can you just tell me a bit about how it feels to be
00:05here today to be receiving this?
00:12I was very nervous, but I am very appreciative and grateful for this honorable award.
00:17And the immense success of sumo in London last summer and over the years, what does that mean to you
00:23and to take the sport outside of Japan?
00:27So it was a great success and I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to spread the culture
00:34of sumo, the proper sumo outside of Japan.
00:37And as you have seen in the media, these wrestlers still wear the traditional top knots, which is a tradition
00:43that has actually died out in Japan.
00:45But due to our previous wrestlers in the sumo world, the top knot has retained its cultural tradition.
00:52So we are happy to be able to bring this kind of heritage to other countries.
00:57Born Nobuyoshi Hoshi in Hokkaido in northern Japan in 1963, throughout his 13 year career spanning from 1979 to 1992,
01:12Mr. Hakaku won eight top division championships.
01:15He was appointed chairman of the Japan Sumo Association in December 2015 and was reappointed in March this year to
01:25his sixth term.
01:27Mr. Hakaku was nominated for the freedom by former Lord Mayor of the City of London, Professor Michael Minnelli.
01:35He attended his ceremony at the City Corporation's Guildhall headquarters last week.
01:42The former Lord Mayor said the City of London Corporation treasures its relationship with Japan from hosting His Majesty the
01:51Emperor of Japan for a state banquet at Guildhall in June 2024 to its work with Japan's financial and professional
02:01services communities.
02:02Professor Minnelli added he was a sumo fan himself and said he was particularly delighted to welcome chairman Hakaku to
02:11Guildhall for his admission to the freedom of the city of London.
02:15Professor Minnelli, Phantastic. What are your fondest, greatest memories of London, of competing in London?
02:24The most happiest moment was winning the trophy in 1991.
02:29Professor Minnelli, Phantastic. Absolutely, I can imagine. And just finally, what's next for sumo? What would you like to see
02:34from sumo in the next in the next few years?
02:37Professor Minnelli, Phantastic. The most important part is the training of each sumo wrestler because if you do not train
02:43well, you are injured and cannot compete.
02:45So they need to retain their physique, their training, the diligency in order to present the sumo that they take.
02:53strategic.
02:55Caitlin.
02:56You
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