Word is going about, according to the Asahi, that stark post-war events apparently have proved too much for him and unseat the mind of an erstwhile idol of millions of "sumo" fans - former Grand Champion "Man Mountain" Futabayama.
    Normally such news in Japan would be front-page stuff. But as matters stand it was worth only about 100 characters by the Asahi's "Blue Pencil" columnist.
    This writer reported that the ex-wrestling champion's friends are becoming increasingly alarmed by his recent strange conduct.
    "Sumo" wrestling - Japan's former national sport - suffered an atomic blow when the Americans came along and liberated baseball and other foreign sports, and the final blow came when the Eighth Army took over the "Kokugikan," the great "sumo" amphitheater in Tokyo, and turned it into a boxing stadium.
    Futabayama not long ago told his chums that he was quitting the ring for good. He had a barber come and ceremoniously lop off his hairdo, got into civilian clothes, which took up as much cloth as would be needed for a modest circus tent, and retired into the country.
    Then came reports that old Futabayama had became, for no obvious reason, an ardent worshipper in the Sun Goddess cult of "Jikosama."
    The essential thing about "Jikosama'' apparently is that few Japanese have ever heard of it and fewer seem disposed to give it serious thought.
    Now, the Asahi reports. the Man Mountain has taken to air dire prognostications about the future, many of which his friends think just fail to make sense.
    Futabayama arrived in Tokyo recently and flatly announced:
    "There will be four earthly and heavenly changes this year."
    Then he startled friends by whispering that all this was true because the "spirit of Lenin" had entered him.
    Just to silence disbelievers, he twitched his biceps a couple of times grinned with friendly determination, and that quickly did the trick.