元横綱若乃花 (わかのはな) 及び貴乃花 (たかのはな) の母親である藤田紀子 (ふじた のりこ) さんが、自分が藤島 (ふじしま) 部屋 (令和6年 [2024年] 現在の藤島部屋とは異なります) のおかみさんだった時の経験を語った記事が「デイリー」にありました。(「若乃花、貴乃花の母・藤田紀子さんが驚きの相撲部屋運営を語る 食費は「年間２０００万円以上」、水道代は２カ月で「６０万」 水道局が混乱の事態に」「デイリー」2024年4月8日付)。
On April 8, Reiwa 6 (2024), a Japanese news website called "Daily" ran an article based on an interview with Noriko Fujita (藤田紀子), the mother of Wakanohana (若乃花) and Takanohana (貴乃花), both of whom attained the rank of yokozuna (横綱), the highest rikishi rank in ozumo. Ms. Fujita described her experience as okami-san (おかみさん: the sumo stable master's wife who performs many low-key but important tasks to manage the stable) of Fujishima Stable (藤島部屋: it is NOT, and has NO connections with, Fujishima Stable of Reiwa 6 [2024]).
記事の題名にある通り、部屋の食費が年間2,000万円、毎月150万円以上はかかったそうです。沢山食べて身体を大きくするのも力士の仕事の一つですが、この食費は一般家庭の基準から見ると驚くばかりです。
According to Ms. Fujita, the cost of food at the stable amounted to more than 20 million yen a year, which is more than 1.5 million yen a month. One of the important tasks for rikishi is to eat much so that they become physically bigger. However, the cost is staggering by the standards of ordinary households.
また部屋の水道代が二か月で60万円かかり、水道局が漏水があるかどうか調べに来たそうです。漏水はなかったですが、藤田さんがあまりの高額さに驚いて先代のおかみさんに電話して尋ねると「あら、それぐらいかかるわよ」で片付けられてしまったそうです。
Moreover, the water bill at the stable was approximately 600,000 yen every two months. The local waterworks department was amazed at the water consumption amount and visited the stable to see if there was any water leakage. The department found no leakage. Nevertheless, Ms. Fujita called the immediate previous okami-san and asked her if such high water cost was unusual. The previous okami-san dismissed Ms. Fujita's question by replying "Oh, that's just normal. You shouldn't be surprised."
これほど水道代が高額なのは、身体の大きな力士たちが次々に入浴し、湯船からお湯があふれるのが主な原因でした。しかし力士たちに入浴を控えさせることはできませんので、節水は元々無理だったはずです。
The main reason for the extremely high water cost was that many physically big rikishi continuously took a bath, causing hot water to overflow from the stable's bathtub. However, there must have been no way for the stable to save water because it would have been impossible, and unreasonable, to keep rikishi from taking a bath.
更に考慮に入れるべきなのは、藤田さんがおかみさんだったのは昭和57年 (1982年) から平成12年 (2000年) の間だったことです。令和6年 (2024年) 現在で、一つの相撲部屋で当時の藤島部屋と同じ数の力士を擁し、同じ程度の量の食料品を消費していれば、食費も水道代も更に高額になることは容易に想像できます。
It should also be kept in mind that Ms. Fujita was okami-san from Showa 57 (1982) to Heisei 12 (2000). In Reiwa 6 (2024), if a sumo stable had the same number of rikishi as Fujishima Stable in the period above and consumed the same amount of food, it is reasonable to conclude that the stable's water and food costs would be much higher.
令和5年 (2023年) に配信され話題となった、大相撲の世界を描いたNetflixのウェブ上のドラマ「サンクチュアリ - 聖域 -」 (私はこのドラマは見ていません) のCM映像で「相撲は儲かるぞ!」と登場人物が言っていたのを記憶しています。しかし、上記の「デイリー」の記事を読むと、本当は「相撲は金がかかるぞ!」というべきでしょう。
I recall an advertisement moving image for "Sanctuary," Netflix's online drama depicting the world of ozumo (I have not seen this drama), which was distributed in Reiwa 5 (2023) and gained a measure of popularity. In the advertisement, a character in the drama is seen saying "Sumo will make you rich!" However, based on what the article on Ms. Fujita states, it would be more accurate for this character to say "Sumo is very expensive!"
食費と水道代だけでもこれほどお金がかかるので、相撲部屋、そして大相撲は「タニマチ」と呼ばれる支援者がいないと成り立たないのだろうと推測します。
I suppose that sumo stables and ozumo do not function without supporters called tanimachi (wealthy donors who make financial contributions to individual rikishi, sumo stables, or the Japan Sumo Association) because the costs of food and water, which are just a few among many necessities for sumo, are already so high.