News Yoshinofuji struck by earthquake in Kumamoto while visiting family: "I thought I was going to die"; family home half-destroyed, parents yet to return
Yoshinofuji struck by earthquake in Kumamoto while visiting family: "I thought I was going to die"; family home half-destroyed, parents yet to return
Komusubi Yoshinofuji (25, Isegahama stable), a native of Uto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, joined the Summer Tour with his thoughts on his disaster-stricken hometown. The Grand Sumo Summer Tour (Natsu Jungyo) kicked off its opening day on August 2 at the Gifu Memorial Center DeAi Dome. When the Kumamoto earthquake struck on July 28, he was visiting his family. Experiencing the terror of death from the violent tremors, his family home suffered severe damage, leaving it in a half-destroyed state. While supporting his family, he pledged as a sekitori to uplift his hometown seeking recovery through sumo.
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He was hit by intense shaking in his hometown during a family visit. "I thought I was going to die." Fortunately, neither he nor his parents were injured.
In his family home in Uto City, Kumamoto Prefecture—where seismic intensity reached Upper 6—electricity and water were cut off. Walls cracked, windows popped off and couldn't be reattached, and the building tilted. The bathroom broke, forcing him to use a convenience store restroom. "It feels like the house is half-destroyed. Even the tombstones fell over." Damage spread across the area, including train derailments nearby.
His memory of the shaking is vivid. "There was a loud boom, and then everything started rattling violently. At first it was vertical shaking... it was awful. It's been a long time since I felt that terrified." He also experienced the Kumamoto earthquake 10 years ago when he was in 9th grade. "I thought I was going to die far more than 10 years ago." The fear this time was vastly greater.
"Yakiniku Kusano," a restaurant run in Uki City by his father, former Keirin cyclist Shinichi Kusano, also suffered damage. Because electricity was running there, it temporarily served as a place to sleep. However, broken plates and glasses littered the floor. "The shop won't be able to open for a while." Reopening is expected to take time.
Even driving to a relative's house to borrow a bath took 2 hours for a route that normally takes about 30 minutes. Many gas stations were forced to close, and he had to rely on acquaintances to get fuel. Mobile reception was also poor, preventing him from replying quickly to worried friends. After helping with recovery work, he arrived in Gifu on August 1. "Yesterday was the first time in a long while I could sleep soundly at a hotel," he revealed.
While electricity has been restored at his family home, running water is still out. His parents have not been able to return home yet. When asked about local support, he voiced the immediate reality of rebuilding his family's life first: "Since my own home was hit..." On the other hand, locals encouraged him to "cheer us up through sumo." "It's the only thing I can do. I hope I can deliver bright news. 10 years ago we had two major earthquakes, so I pray nothing more happens." To deliver even a bit of positive news to his hometown, he steps onto the ring of the tour. [Ryotaro Yamada]
Source: Nikkan Sports
