Things Japanese - Sumo

Long before I had even set foot on Japanese soil I had heard of 'Sumo'. One of the first things that comes into people's minds when you mention Japan, such is its historical and cultural significance, it has become part of the pre-formed image of Japan for many.

History and origins: According to Japanese legend the very origin of the Japanese race depended on the outcome of a sumo match. Debatable as it sounds, the supremacy of the Japanese people on the islands of Japan was supposedly established when the god, Take-mikazuchi, won a sumo bout with the leader of a rival tribe. This is of course just a legend and the exact origins are believed to be based on religion.

The first sumo matches are believed to have been a form of ritual dedicated to the gods and were performed together with dancing and dramas within the grounds of certain shrines. From the 8th century (The Nara Period) a wrestling festival was held annually in which an early form of todays sumo was played out in front of the Imperial Court. There were less rules regulating the matches than there are today and the bouts combined elements of boxing and wrestling. However, over the years rules were formulated and techniques developed so that it gradually came to resemble the sumo of today.

After Japan was united under the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603 professional sumo groups were organized to entertain the rapidly expanding working class and sumo became the national sport of Japan. The present Japan Sumo Association has its origins in these groups first formed in the Edo Period. The sumo association from Tokyo combined with the association from Osaka in 1927 to form the modern Sumo 'Kyokai' (the official association or administration). The Nihon Sumo Kyokai administers the sport under the Ministry of Education in Japan.

The sumo ring:This is called the dohyo and is named after the straw rice bag which mark out its different parts. The dohyo is 18 feet square and 2 feet high and is constructed of a special kind of clay. The hard surface is covered with a thin layer of sand. The ring itself is just over 15 feet in diameter. Over the dohyo suspended from the ceiling by cables is a roof resembling a Shinto shrine with four large tassels hanging from each corner - these signify the seasons of the year. 

Rules: A match is won by forcing the opponent out of the inner circle or by throwing him in the dohyo. You do not have to fall or be forced out of the ring to& to lose a match though. Touching the ground with any part of your body is enough to lose the bout. Putting a toe or heel over the straw bales marking the circle will also mean defeat. It goes without saying that choking and kicking in the stomach, hitting with fists, eye gouging and so on are all prohibited. It is also against the rules to take hold of the part of the band covering the vital organs. As there are no weight limits as in boxing or western wrestling it is possible for a rikishi (sumo wrestler) to find himself up against an opponent twice his own weight.

Judges: Sitting around the four sides of the dohyo are the judges dressed in black kimonos. If there is any doubt about the referee's decision, the judges climb into the ring and settle the matter among themselves. They may over-rule the referee's decision or they may order a rematch - this often happens when both particpants appear to touch the ground at the same time, and it is impossible to decide the winner.

Referee: The only other person in the ring, other than the rikishi themselves are the 'gyoji' or referees. They are dressed in Kimono patterned after the style worn by the samurai of the Kamakura Period, some 600 years ago. Like the rikishi the referees are graded and only a top ranking referee can officiate at a bout involving a yokozuna (the top sumo rank) The rank of a gyoji can be determined by the color of the tassel on his fan - purple or purple and white for the tate-gyoji (top rank), red for those corresponding to san-yaku, red and white for maku-uchi, blue and white for juryo and blue or black for the rank below. The higher ranking referees wear tabi, Japanese split-toe socks and zori, straw sandals, as opposed to the lower ranks who are barefooted.

Tournaments: There are six Grand Tournaments a year, three are held in Tokyo, one in Osaka, Nagoya and Kyushu. A tournament lasts for fifteen days, each rikishi fighting once every day with a different opponent. The winner of the tournament is the person with the best record of wins over losses and is awarded the Emperor's Cup on the final day after the last match. There are three additional prizes, the shukunsho awarded to the rikishi who upset the most yokozuna and ozeki (second highest rank after yokozuna), the kantosho for fighting spirit and the ginosho for technique. To be eligible for any of these prizes, the rikishi must also have won at least eight of his fifteen matches.

Nagoya Basho: The next sumo tournament will take place from July 8th (Sun.) to July 22th (Sun.) at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium - Nagoya. For telephone reservations please call (in Japanese) 052-962-9300 and for general information 052-221-0738. Ticket prices are: