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Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

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The glory and sacrifice of sumo wrestling

8 November 2022
6 minutes

A sumo losing a bout after being thrown on the floor and his hands touching the ground
A rikishi loses a bout after his hands touch the ground. It can be dangerous to sit close to the dohyō as wrestlers frequently fall onto spectators. Image: Lord K2

In this extract from Sumo by Lord K2, the hidden and immense world of sumo wrestling is revealed


Images by Lord K2

In the epicentre of the world’s largest city lies a grand stadium draped in ancient symbolism and brimming with anticipation as crowds pour in, settling onto their cushions as the dohyō (ring) is swept to perfection, as it has been for two millennia. Spectators chatter eagerly as warm sake is poured into small cups. The chatter grows to a clamour as, from the corner of the arena, giants emerge. Immense 150-kilogram men, wrapped in loincloths and sporting stern faces, waddle into the ring, their bodies rippling. They toss salt high into the air over the dohyō, ritually cleansing the stage, as applause rises across the auditorium.

two sumos crouch ready to start a match with referee and crowd watching
Rikishi (professional sumo wrestlers) psyche themselves up, plan their attack and attempt to intimidate their opponent before they clash. Once ready, they crouch, breathe in a synchronised manner and clash as soon as all four hands touch the ground. Image: Lord K2

The sport is one of the oldest in the world, stretching back nearly 1,000 years in its current format. Sumo can trace its origins back through deeply religious roots to the Shinto temples of the third century CE. Originally, fights were arranged as a spectacle for the entertainment of the gods. Sumo developed into a professional sport at the beginning of the Edo period, in the early 1600s. Wrestlers from across the land were invited to battle in front of the imperial courts as grand entertainment events for the nobility. Many wrestlers were samurai working part time for extra income. Fights were brutal and blood was frequently drawn. The sport, however, was a far cry from today’s well-scripted art form. Fighters usually found themselves in the ring to settle scores, often on behalf of their masters. It was as much a blood sport as a duel of wits and cunning, not dissimilar to Roman gladiator games. 

The first professional sumo tournament didn’t take place until 1685 at the Tomioka Hachiman Shrine in Tokyo. The event became biannual and is considered to be the birth of today’s sumo. The rules of sumo are relatively simple. The winner of a bout is either the first wrestler to force his opponent out of the dohyō, or the first to force his opponent to touch the ground with any part of his body other than the bottom of his feet.

Two sumo train as a group of other sumos watch
Routine early-morning training at Hakkaku beya (a sumo stable where professional wrestlers train, eat and sleep) in Ryogoku. Drills for new recruits start at 5am, while the seniors roll out of bed by 7am. Training takes place before the stable master, who sits and observes, occasionally barking instruction and advice to the wrestlers. The wrestlers begin with a series of stretches, followed by clashing into one another in the dohyō to build their endurance and hone their technical skills.

Despite its centuries spent metamorphosing, today, those in the upper echelons of the sport are deeply dogmatic about reformation, preferring to maintain sumo as a fascinating antiquity. However, at the turn of this millennium, its popularity and relevance in contemporary Japanese culture were beginning to wane. Crowds thinned to just the elderly and tourists, and fights ceased to be broadcast on national television. There were fears of its eventual demise. However, recent years have seen something of a resurgence, perhaps in part due to PR campaigns, perhaps as push-back against increasingly postmodern lifestyles. Tickets now regularly sell out during tournaments and stadiums are filling up again with spectators eager to hark back to a different time, a different Japan – one steeped in tradition, mysticism, respect and honour. 

A sumo wrestler stands on a skateboard in a street next to two other sumos
Wrestler Okinoumi Ayumi entertains his companions outside Hakkaku beya. While sumo wrestlers take their careers very seriously, outside work they’re often playful and approachable.
6 bowls containing Chanko Nabe (sumo stew) sitting on a brown table
Chanko Nabe (sumo stew) prepared for breakfast. The staple dish of sumo wrestlers, it’s made from practically anything found in the kitchen. Inside the stables there exists a strict hierarchy – the higher ranked wrestlers enjoy all of the perks while the novices spend much of their time taking care of the stable and serving the seniors. By 9am, the new recruits stop training to begin preparing breakfast. The wrestlers then dig into a mammoth high-calorie meal, followed by sake and beer, before a nap – required for the processing of the food into fat. It’s estimated that the average rikishi consumes around 8,000 calories per day.
A sumo bout with grapping and crowd watching
The rules of sumo are fairly simple. The goal is to force your opponent out of the dohyō or make them touch the ground with any part of their body other than the bottom of their feet. It’s permissible to thrust at the throat, but choking and strangling are forbidden.
A ring of sumos stand on show during a ceremony wearing colorful garments
Wrestlers wear keshōmawashi (ceremonial belts) during a ring-entering ceremony. The sport has attracted numerous foreign wrestlers, especially  from Eastern Europe, as well  as Hawaii, Brazil and Egypt.  However, the past decade has seen Mongolian fighters dominate the sport. Mongolian wrestlers are considered to hold a true fighter’s spirit, as well as a winning appetite, in part because they tend to come from poor rural regions. Unlike Japanese wrestlers, they also have the responsibility of supporting their families back home, providing added motivation. Japanese wrestlers have made a comeback in recent years, winning half of all the major tournaments.
A tin used to style a sumo wrestler containing combs and wax
As well as wrestlers and trainers, stables house the referees, ushers and hairdressers. This tin contains the equipment used by a tokoyama (hairdresser) to style the hair of a sumo wrestler. The awl is used to give some bulk to the hair when making an oicho-mage (a style reserved for the highest-ranked wrestlers that resembles a gingko leaf).
a group of sumo wrestlers hold each other in a circle for training
Rikishi at the Kise beya go through a final drill to wrap up training. There are 43 stables in Japan, housing several hundred active sumo wrestlers. Behind the scenes, the sport is shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Foreigners, particularly Westerners, are discouraged from sticking their noses in or interfering with its ancient traditions. It’s considered a sport invented by Japanese, for Japanese. Sumo stables aren’t tourist attractions; only a few stables can be visited, and only as long as the list of strict rules is strictly followed.
A sumo bows to kids in a stadium with crowds watching
Fans fill the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo to capacity in order to honour popular Mongolian wrestler  Kyokutenhō during his danpatsushiki,
an official retirement ceremony held for a top wrestler in which his topknot is finally cut off. The next generation looks up in awe at one of the all-time favourites.
A sumo walking along a street carrying items
A rikishi walks inside the grounds of the Ryōgoku Kokugikan. Competitive wrestlers live by an extremely strict code of conduct, both inside and outside the stable. They can be spotted riding local trains or cycling around Tokyo in traditional kimonos, as they’re forbidden from driving cars or wearing contemporary clothes. Rules dictate that in public, wrestlers must be softly spoken and self-effacing at all times. Even after fights, the victor isn’t permitted to show any signs of vitriol or schadenfreude. Image: Lord K2

Click here to read our review of Sumo by Lord K2


Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: November 22

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Published in the UK since 1935, Geographical is the official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

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