Sumo

I had a great opportunity to watch the final sumo of National Tournament, in 28 March at Osaka Gymnasium, and learning a little about this traditional sport in Japan.
When I bought the ticket I received a pocket book explaining the origin and rules of sumo, as well as the sumo ranking ("banzuke"), and ceremonies. I will try to resume some of these aspects here.


According to Japanese legend the very origin of the Japanese race depended on the outcome of a sumo match. The supremacy of the Japanese people on the islands of Japans was supposedly established when the god, Takemikazuchi, won a sumo bout with the leader of a rival tribe. Apart from legend, however, sumo is an ancient sport dating back some 1500 years.
The origins were religious; the first sumo matches were a form of ritual dedicated to the gods with prayers for a bountiful harvest and were performed together with sacred dancing and dramas within precincts of the shrines.


The sumo ring is called "dohyo" and takes its name from the straw rice bag wich mark out different parts. The greater portion of each bale is firmly buried in the earth. The "dohyo" is 18 feet squareand 2 feet high and is constructed of a special kind of clay. The hard surface is covered with a thin layer of sand.




Me and my friends arrived very early to get the tickets, thus we watched the amateurs first in the morning and the professionals in the evening. Most of the people arrived only for the latter’s matches. Therefore we could sit in other places ant took pictures very close to the ring and see how people ritually prepare the place.


Sumo has managed to survive with formalized ritual and traditional etiquette intact making it unique among sports. Nowadays, world companies, including Western Corporation manage this very popular sport in Japan. This photo can represent the "modern aspects" insert at the matches.



One example of ritual that we watched many times before the “makuchi” match is the colorful “dohyo-iri” or “entering the ring” ceremony: