BACK TO LIST
LIST OF CONTENTS
Sumo
Sumo, a form of wrestling, is one of Japan's most interesting and colourful traditions. Its exact origin is obscure, but it is certainly very ancient and linked with the Japanese cult of Shinto. Sumo matches are held on a dais of banked earth, in a circle defined by small rice bales. Within this circle, the wrestlers attempt to push or throw their opponent down -the match is won even if the losing wrestler merely touches the earth inside or outside the circle with any part of his body.
Many rituals surround the matches, some of them having mystical significance; before a bout the wrestlers throw liberal amounts of salt into the ring as a form of purification. The most senior wrestlers are those holding the ranks of yokozuna (grand champion), ozeki (champion) and sekiwake (junior champion ). Ozeki, sekitwake and all the lower ranks are promoted or demoted after every tournament according to their performance, but yokozuna is a fixed rank and very few wrestlers achieve this supreme, unassailable position. Sumo wrestlers cat large quantitics of high-protein food in order to achieve massive bulk and strength; between 100kg and 200kg is a typical fighting weight.