Photo/Illutration Police investigators enter the dorm used by members of Nihon University’s football team on Aug. 3. (Jin Nishioka)

Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) wrote “Resurrection” late in his life, years after “War and Peace” and other masterpieces.

The protagonist, Dmitri Ivanovich Nekhlyudov, is seeking to start a new life and atone for a sin he committed as a young man. Tolstoy uses this character to address the profound question of what “resurrection” means to people.

The novel’s ending is somewhat anticlimactic, as pointed out by many literary critics. Some readers may feel let down, wondering what will become of the protagonist and other main characters and if this was really the extent of Tolstoy’s idea of a resurrection.

But perhaps, what the veteran author really wanted to say is that every resurrection is a never-ending process.

In mythology, the phoenix is an immortal bird that rises from the ashes of its predecessor. And Nihon University’s football team, named for this creature, is being rocked by yet another scandal.

Controlled substances, including stimulant drugs and marijuana, were reportedly found at a university dormitory occupied by football team members. It is regrettable that police officers had to be brought into the players’ living space.

Five years ago, the team was banned from official games over a maliciously dangerous tackle by a member against the opponent team.

The punishment must have been deeply humiliating for the Phoenix, a formidable powerhouse that used to win multiple Koshien Bowl championships and reigned as Japan’s top university football team.

A new coach was chosen by the public to end the traditional Spartan-style training and rebuild the team. And he vowed to “talk to the players and let them make their own decisions while keeping an eye on them and being patient with them.”

In 2020, the Phoenix returned to the Koshien Bowl for the first time in three years, which was seen as a welcome sign of recovery.

What could have been going on in the recovery process? What will become of the Phoenix? Many questions arise and won’t go away.

The first step must be to find out the truth behind the latest scandal. Nobody wants a sad, disappointing ending.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Aug. 5

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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