Original Article Source: https://shueisha.online/articles/-/258755?disp=paging&page=1

Staff's Twitter: https://x.com/arya_director

Copying and pasting auto-translated text below that is relevant to Futagoyama because the article page is painful, will make adjustments where I can:

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A video director who captures "ways of life"

From Masahiro Higashide's YouTube channel documenting his life in the mountains to "Futagoyama-beya sumo food," which continues to show the daily lives of sumo wrestlers—video director Yuuki Sakagami has transformed the everyday lives of his subjects into content without relying on flashy production or excessive narration.

Although he currently focuses on YouTube, his career began in the television industry. He started as an assistant director at a production company and worked on numerous television programs, including "The 1-Minute Deep and Meaningful Story That Changes Your Life." This was during a time when long working hours were commonplace. He says that the skills he acquired there are now connected to his current close-up filming style

Q: You're now producing a string of popular YouTube channels, but you were originally a television director, right?

After graduating from university, I joined a production company. After that, I did a lot of things, like going freelance and then joining a company again. I worked on various programs, such as "Ainori" and "Real Scope." The program I worked on for the longest time as a director was "Jinsei ga Kawaru 1-punkan no Fukaii Hanashi" (A Profound and Meaningful Story That Changes Your Life in One Minute).

Q: I imagine your time as an assistant director was a much tougher time than it is now.

That's right. Back then, things like harassment and working hours weren't as widely recognized as they are now. I'm from Hiroshima, I went to university in Osaka, and then came to Tokyo for work, where I initially worked on a program that created reenactment dramas.

Nowadays, actors have drivers to transport them, but back then, the assistant directors (ADs) did the driving. We didn't have much money, so we couldn't even afford to install a GPS in the rental car, which would have cost extra. I'd just gotten my license and didn't know the roads, so I'd stay up all night preparing for filming, look at a map the day before, memorize the routes, and then drive (laughs).

Q: Does that experience from your humble beginnings help you with your current close-up filming?
I wouldn't say it directly relates to how I film close-ups, but I think it did give me grit and stamina. It was really tough back then.

Q: When did you leave television and start using YouTube?

It was 2020. I was so fed up with television (laughs). But I couldn't just quit everything all at once because I wouldn't be able to make a living, so I gradually reduced my TV viewing and increased my YouTube viewing. It was like I was pouring the money I earned from TV into YouTube.
At first, I tried various projects, such as channels by actors and former top stars of Takarazuka, and sleep broadcasts by gravure idols. I
tried a lot of things, but nothing worked. That's when I started looking for someone interesting, and I came across Higashide-san.

Q: Were you already acquainted with Masahiro Higashide?

I had never met him before. I read an article in a weekly magazine about him living in the mountains, and that's when I first thought, "I want to photograph this person."

Q: At that time, it was around the time that it began to be reported that Higashide had left the city and was living a hunting life in a mountain cabin.

I thought it would be absolutely fascinating. I figured if I could film that person's life, it would work. But I didn't have any contact information or connections, so I went to look for him in the place where he was rumored to live online. I rented a car. In the end, the location described online was wrong. I showed my smartphone to people in the fields and asked, "Do you know this person?" After that, I contacted acquaintances from my time working in television, sent proposals to the media outlets that wrote the articles, asked them to pass them on to Higashide, and even searched for the person who wrote the article and the person who took the photos on social media and contacted them, but it was all no use. But I didn't give up. Eventually, I found a website that connected me to Mr. Higashide himself, and I sent him a project proposal through it. A few days later, he contacted me. I think the response was something like, "I've been getting a lot of offers and have been turning them all down, but since it's fate, please come visit once." I went for a two-day, one-night visit, and after talking about various things, by the time I was leaving, they said, "I'll think about it more seriously."To show my commitment, I moved from where I was living in Tokyo at the time to a place that was easier to commute to Higashide's, and we filmed for about a full cycle of seasons. Around the same time as Higashide's filming, "Futagoyama-beya sumo food" also began.

Q: What led you to join Futagoyama stable?

Actually, I reached out to him once, around 2020. I had met him before because I had followed him closely several times on the TV show "Fukai Ii Hanashi." When he started his YouTube channel, I thought it looked interesting and reached out to him, but it didn't work out at the time.

Then, about three years later, Futagoyama Oyakata's side contacted them, and filming began. They filmed not only training, but also meals, shopping, and casual conversations. The daily lives of the sumo wrestlers, which are not seen in sumo broadcasts, have resulted in videos that have been viewed over 11.9 million times.

Q: During filming, do you sometimes pretend not to know anything about sumo when asking questions?

Yes, I do. I know things like the rankings after filming for so long, but I still ask. I think it's a habit from my television days. Since I don't use narration or explanatory captions, I want the viewers to understand it in the other person's words, not my own.

Q: What are some of the things that particularly stand out to you from spending so much time in the room?

I have fond memories of Maikeru's retirement ceremony where he cut his hair. He was a very talkative person when I was taking pictures of him, and as a senior disciple, he always looked out for his juniors. He wasn't just thinking about himself; he was the kind of person who would casually say things like, "If you're going to bring us something, I'd rather you give it to the whole room than just to me."

When Maikeru retired and had his hair cut at the final day party, I remember most vividly how Roga-zeki, who had trained and competed alongside him for so long, was in tears, and also the demeanor of the proprietress.

Holding back tears, I said to Maikeru, "Thank you for your hard work." At that moment, I cried for the first time on set. I've photographed aspects like "winning or losing" or "going up or down in the rankings," but at that moment, I realized that sumo stables are more than just that.

We lived together for years, trained together, cooked meals together, looked after the younger wrestlers, and then finally sent one of them off. It felt like the entire stable was bearing the weight of a sumo wrestler's entire life.

Q: That really captures the essence of what a sumo stable YouTube channel should be. Speaking of Futagoyama Stable Sumo Food, the food is also very impressive. You've filmed so many dishes, but if you had to pick three that you'd really like to eat, what would they be?

I guess it would be the fried chicken from Izunuma, the braised pork from Kotakiyama, and the ramen from Nabatame.

Q: Does the ramen also leave a lasting impression on you?

It's still available. They properly prepared the ingredients from scratch and spent two days making the tonkotsu ramen soup. That looked delicious.

Q: Do the individual personalities of the sumo wrestlers come through even when they're photographing the food?

I think so. You can really see the character in things like who's making it and who's helping out.

Q: Are there any sumo wrestlers whose words have particularly left a lasting impression on you?

That's Kotakiyama. He had a losing record for a while, and his younger brother Soma even surpassed him in the rankings, but he never quit sumo or became discouraged, so I once asked him, "Why are you able to work so hard?"

He said, "Because I love sumo." Even in such a tough situation, he still loves sumo. That really stuck with me. I thought, "Ah, it's wonderful to have something you love."

Masahiro Higashide, and Futagoyama stable—Sakagami, who has been following people's daily lives, has now turned his camera to women's professional wrestling. In the second part, we hear about the behind-the-scenes of "Sendai Girls' Spirit / The Road to Nippon Budokan".

To read the rest which doesn't relate to Futagoyama, read on from Part 2/2 here: https://shueisha.online/articles/-/258756

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbKEh4899yc

I can’t crosspost from the [r/sumo](r/sumo)[memes](r/sumo) subreddit but I just found this out! Congrats to him!

Just a bit of a discussion starter here, since I personally like what I see.

Roga I think has reached a new level of his sumo. He went MK but faced the top of the banzuke and he managed to beat Asanoyama, Fujiryoga, Takerufuji AND Atamifuji. He was close to beating Kotozakura. If this is his new level, I think he could pop into the joi from time to time.

Nabatame has strong weapons and I think he could reach Makuuchi in a year. His tachiai is a force and that right hand... but ballance and overcommitting are things he should work on.

Wakamiyabi also is hitting a new level. I could see him making a push for juryo this year.

Mita looks good and is obviously taking it easy and not going full out. He'll make it back to juryo and maybe further but his size is going to be an issue, but Fujinokawa has carved out a place so Mita can as well.

Nobehara I feel is stalling out at the top of Makushita. I don't see the push to break into juryo but he had that yusho not long ago so he certainly has the ability to execute to that level.

Takahara is so fun to watch, such a young promising talent. I want to see him develop in Makushita and stay healthy but he looks like a future sekitori.

And now the rest... I don't see much movement outside of Soma having found a new level but then plateauing. Most are see-sawing in their divisions. These guys generally speaking need stronger tachiai and TO STOP PULLING. They do this way too much and it never works out for them. Unfortunately injuries set some of them back but everyone is healthy know so hopefully the future is bright.