What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
Later, in 720, a similar chronicle called the Nihon Shoki dated the first sumo match as in fact taking place in 23 BCE, when a legendary warrior in Japanese history, Nomi no Sukune, is believed to have fought against an opponent at the request of Emperor Suinin. Sukune is today regarded as the founder of sumo wrestling.
Sumo originated in Japan. This unique style of wrestling was first mentioned in the Kojiki, a manuscript of myths, legends, and semi-historical accounts published in 711.
In 1578, 1,500 wrestlers gathered under the auspices of Oda Nobunaga, the "Great Unifier" of Japan, for a tournament that saw the invention of the dohyō, the circular space in which a sumo bout takes place.
However, by the 12th century sumo was repurposed by the shoguns from a ceremonial struggle to a form of military combat training among samurai.
The Middle Ages saw sumo leave the seclusion of the court and become a popular event for the masses.
Later, the wrestling took place under Imperial patronage, between 710 and 1185. The sport had become more refined, with great emphasis placed on ceremony, as it still is today.
However, by the middle of the following century, sumo briefly lost its appeal after being branded by Western culture as tasteless and dated. It was only after Emperor Meiji organized a tournament in 1884 that the popularity of the sport was restored, when it became a national symbol of Japanese culture.
Legendary sumo wrestler Akashi Shiganosuke is formally recognized as the first yokozuna, or grand champion. Huge in stature and of immense strength, Shiganosuke was awarded the title in 1632.
In 1925, the Japan Sumo Association was founded. This is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling, which is a male-only sport. Women are not allowed to compete.
In response to the huge following the sport was now commanding, the association increased the number of annual tournaments, called hon-basho, from two to four, and then to six in 1958—the current format.
The second part of the pre-bout ritual involves the rikishi cleansing themselves using water presented to them from the opponent they defeated last. Next they take a handful of cleansing salt (kiyome-no-shio) and throw it over the ring before entering.
Tournament referees are known as gyōji. Once they have signaled that a bout can begin, each rikishi crouches behind a white line. The wrestlers themselves decide when to start, but only after a few tense seconds sizing each other up.
After entering the dohyō the wrestlers perform a ritual called shiko—the characteristic leg raising and stomping that signifies the crushing of evil spirits.
The rikishi will also raise their arms to show they carry no weapons before clapping their hands to attract the attention of the gods.
Sumo is unique in that no other sport involves more pre-match ceremony and ritual. The day before each bout, the dohyō is "cleansed." This tradition involves placing salt, cleansed rice, dried chestnut, dried kelp, dried cuttlefish, and nutmeg berry in a small hole made in the middle of the ring as offerings to the gods.
Sumo wrestlers are known as rikishi in Japanese (the two characters of the kanji meaning "strength" and "warrior"). There are around 650 rikishi in the six divisions of sumo.
Rikishi can win one of two ways: by forcing their opponent out of the ring, or by making them touch the ground with any part of their body except the soles of their feet.
One bout decides the victor—sumo is not a best-of competition. A contest usually lasts a few seconds. Rarely does it go beyond a minute.
There are no weight restrictions or classes in sumo. This means that wrestlers very often find themselves matched off against an opponent many times their size.
Weight gain is therefore an essential part of sumo training. A favorite protein-packed dish in the diet of sumo wrestlers is chanko-nabe, or 'sumo stew.'
Sumo wrestlers train and exercise in what's known as a stable. Interestingly, there is no formal teaching of holds or maneuvers; rather, the rikishi learn these themselves by watching their seniors and practicing endlessly.
Daily practice sessions are called keiko, which commence around 5 am for the lowest-ranking rishiki. The higher-ranked a rikishi is, the later in the morning he may enter the practice ring.
The average rikishi weighs 136 kg, about 300 lbs. And despite their immense bulk, sumo wrestlers are surprisingly agile and supple.
Sumo today enjoys a global fanbase. The sport's current grand champion, or yokozuna, is Mongolian-born Terunofuji Haruo, seen here receiving the Emperor's Cup after winning his eighth championship title on the final day of the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on May 28, 2023.
Sources: (Sumo Talk) (Japan Guide) (The Japan Times) (The Guardian)
On entering sumo, rikishi are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot, or chonmage, similar to the samurai hairstyles of the Edo period.
At the end of his career, a sumo wrestler will have his hair cut, the topknot lopped off during a retirement ceremony.
Japanese parents believe sumo wrestlers can help make babies cry out a wish to grow up with good health. This is achieved during special baby-cry sumo events, a custom where rikishi hold up the infants as their tears flow.
Sumo is the national sport of Japan and enjoys a global fanbase. It's a style of wrestling where weight, size, and strength can decide a bout in seconds. Sumo is an ancient competition, its roots dating back 2,000 years. And no other sport involves more ceremony and ritual, which is why sumo is a national symbol of Japanese culture. But how did this unique form of grappling evolve, and what are the customs and traditions behind its foundation?
Click through and get to grips with sumo wrestling.
In ancient times, sumo served as a ritualistic performance to entertain Shinto deities. But it was seen as a brutal submission spectacle.
In the 1600s during the Edo period, the revival of public matches led to sumo turning professional. It eventually became the national sport of Japan.
The sport's first great popular superstars emerged in the late 18th century, among them Onogawa Kisaburō and Tanikaze Kajinosuke, both seen being given shimenawa belts representing their future status of yokozuna.
Getting to grips with sumo wrestling
Japan's national sport is 2,000 years old!
LIFESTYLE Sports
Sumo is the national sport of Japan and enjoys a global fanbase. It's a style of wrestling where weight, size, and strength can decide a bout in seconds. Sumo is an ancient competition, its roots dating back 2,000 years. And no other sport involves more ceremony and ritual, which is why sumo is a national symbol of Japanese culture. But how did this unique form of grappling evolve, and what are the customs and traditions behind its foundation?
Click through and get to grips with sumo wrestling.