Some Little-Known Sumo

The sport of sumo, native and unique to Japan, is popular both at home and abroad. While many people are familiar with the basic sights, sounds, and rules of this ancient game, few international fans are aware of just how far back the origins of sumo reach, or of some of the more idiosyncratic embellishments that surround its early days. The history of sumo is enshrouded in one of the oldest myths of Japan. The story relates a competition between two gods, Takemikazuchi-no-kami and Takeminakata-no-kami, fighting over which one of them would rule the country. The latter lost and it was Takemikazuchi and his followers who became the first people to rule Japan. It is said that the Emperor can trace his lineage directly back to Takemikazuchi; thus the story of sumo is also the story of Japan itself.

Appearance has played a large role in sumo throughout history. It should be noted that many sumotoris (wrestlers) depicted in early art were quite trim. It seems that the colossal size we come to associate with them is a much later trend. In early days, one of the most important features of a sumotori's appearance was a smooth, hairless body (in ancient times, hair was used as a curse, and to drop it while fighting meant bad luck). During the Edo period, the chief requirements for a sumotori to be regarded as handsome included a white-as-snow, hairless body that was plump and soft to the touch, with delicate facial features and a happy, tender expression. Depictions of sumotoris in Ukioyoe (block prints on fabric) give credence to this hairlessness, although this was most likely an ideal rather than an actuality.

It was also desirable that a sumotori's hair had a fringe like an adolescent before his coming of age. This, according to historian Hiroshi Aramata, likened the ideal wrestler's appearance to that of Kintarō, the fictional child who played sumo with a bear. In its earliest days, sumo existed in society as a Shintō ritual performed by boys to determine whether the year's harvest would be good or bad. The outcome of the harvest was dependent upon which boy won the fight. It seems likely that the child-like features of a sumotori descend directly from those early Shintō rituals performed by teenage boys. There are rural areas in Japan where these rituals are still upheld, a fact that gives testament to the importance in Japan of maintaining tradition.

Wrestling must be one of the oldest sports known to humankind. The desire for one man to pit his strength against another is surely indicative not only of a man's desire and need to test his strength, but also of his ability to do so, for wrestling needs no equipment, stage or even rules. It is believed that in its infancy, sumo may have been a fight to the death; even in the modern rules there are few moves that are outlawed and a wrestler may win with any one of no less than 70 named moves.

It is in The Nihon Shoki, or 'Chronicles of Japan', one of the oldest written texts that dates from the year 720, that we find recorded the first sumo fight - as opposed to sumo as a ceremony or game. According to this tale, the fight took place in 23 BC. Emperor Suinin is purported to have made a special request to a potter from Izumo called Sukune. He arranged for Sukune to fight Taima-no-Kehaya, an overbearing character from the Nara area. The two wrestled for some time, until Sukune ended the match with ferocious kicks to Kehaya's stomach. Kehaya died from his injuries, and from that point on Sukune has been dubbed the 'father of sumo'.

Something universal about wrestling is that it is traditionally conducted by men as opposed to women. However, it may not always have been so. There is a little-known story, first recounted in The Nihon Shoki, which could suggest otherwise. The story tells of how the Emperor of the time heard about a carpenter who constantly boasted of his talents. Sure of his skill, he liked people to know that his work was without fault and that he never made mistakes. The Emperor decided to set a trap for the carpenter to make him mend his ways. He arranged for his court mistresses (girls who also acted as shrine maidens) to don loincloths and practice sumo in front of the carpenter. Distracted by the sight, the boastful man's aim in his work failed, and he was humbled. The reference here to women is fascinating, for as every Japanese knows, women are banned from participating in sumo and are not even permitted to set foot in the ring.

If you have not been lucky enough to be a spectator at a live sumo tournament, it is still likely you have seen one on TV. The intensity of the spectacle is enhanced by the layout of the stadium, with the steeply-sided auditorium focusing down on the 15-foot-wide dohyou (ring) that is edged by half-buried bales of straw. It may be hard to believe but the dohyou is a fairly new addition to the game and can be traced back to the mid-16th century. Prior to that date, there was no ring or fixed playing area at all! The movement of the fighters was determined by the size and formation of the crowd watching them. Needless to say, it was not uncommon for spectators to receive serious injury during a bout which often became quite vicious. Then, in 1578, a huge tournament involving more than 1,500 sumotori was organized by a powerful feudal lord. In order to manage the proceedings in which many fights had to be played in one day, circular rings were drawn on the ground to show where matches would be staged. The hay bales that now line the ring were a later addition again, not appearing until the 18th century.

Nowadays, sumo continues to gain in popularity. Thanks to a softening of the notoriously tough training regimes, which used to include being beaten with sticks, there has been a surge in the number of teenagers wanting to take up the sport. Tournaments are held in every odd month of the year, with the matches between the top fighters always coming towards the end of the day. So if you are trying to reach a business associate sometime between 4pm and 6pm in January, May, or September and you can't, don't worry - they're probably watching sumo!