The purple bunting around the roof symbolizes the drifting of the clouds and the rotation of the seasons. The referee gyoji resembles a Shinto priest in his traditional robe. And kelp, cuttlefish, and chestnuts are placed in the ring along with prayers for safety. Each day of the tournament basho , a ring entering ceremony is held, wherein each wrestler's body and spirit undergoes purification.
Yokozuna are dressed in mawashi with five white zigzag folded strips of paper on the front, the same as those found at the entrance of Shinto shrines. On the front of all mawashi are sagari, which are fringes of twisted string tucked into the belt, and they represent the sacred ropes in front of shrines.
Numbers of strings are odd, between seventeen and twenty-one, which are lucky numbers in the Shinto tradition. And of course, the salt that is tossed before each bout is an agent for purification and one of sumo's most visible rituals.
As a religion of customs and not laws, Shinto developed as a religion to please the gods in order to ensure a good harvest and divine protection, but soon made headway into the sport of sumo as a way to entertain those same gods, purify the sport itself and protect the rikishi from harm. The first ceremony of the day is the dohyo-iri, or ring ceremony performed by Juryo and Makuuchi rikishi before their bouts begin. The rikishi are grouped into two groups—East and West—and each group takes a turn entering the ring.
The lowest-ranked rikishi enters first and walks a complete circle around the ring followed by the other rikishi in ascending order according the rank. Before the individual rikishi enter the ring, they are introduced to the spectators. Once the last rikishi in the group has been introduced, the rikishi, who are facing the spectators, turn inward and face each other around the ring.
After clapping their hands once, they raise their right hand, lift their kesho-mawashi decorative aprons created for the ring ceremony , and finally raise both hands in unison.
This tradition goes back to the samurai days and represents the rikishi showing each other that none is armed. During the Makuuchi ring ceremony, the Yokozuna are notably absent from the group as they must perform their own individual ring ceremonies. When a Yokozuna performs his ring ceremony, he will wear a white tsuna, or zuna braided rope with five zig-zag strips hanging from the front , around his waist to signify his rank.
Once the actual bouts begin, the two rikishi spend several minutes before their match lifting their legs high in the air and stomping them down, a practice said to scare away any demons. They also throw several handfuls of salt into the ring, which is said to purify the ring.
Many rikishi will also sprinkle salt around their bodies as a means of protecting them from injury. After the last bout of the day, the yumi-tori bow twirling ceremony is performed by a makushita-ranked rikishi from the same stable as a Yokozuna. Tokyo 's Ryogoku district has been the center of the sumo world for about two centuries. The district is home to many sumo stables and the Kokugikan sumo stadium where three of the six annual tournaments are held.
Below are a few more of Ryogoku's attractions that could be of interest to sumo fans:. Another district in Tokyo with a strong connection to sumo is located around Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine, a couple of kilometers south of Ryogoku:. Ask in our forum. Home Back. Plan a Trip. Sumo Museum Hours: to entry until Closed: Weekends, national holidays and in between exhibitions Admission: Free.
This small museum is located inside the Kokugikan sumo stadium. It houses rotating exhibitions about sumo, including a collection of portraits of past and present yokozuna, pictures of significant events in the history of sumo, and ceremonial aprons worn by retired prominent wrestlers. During Tokyo tournaments, the museum is only accessible to tournament ticket holders. Ekoin Temple Before the first sumo stadium was built in , sumo tournaments were held outdoors at Ekoin Temple, just a short walk from Ryogoku Station.
Today, visitors to the temple can see a stone monument on the temple grounds that honors past wrestlers and stable masters.
Chanko Nabe Restaurants Chanko nabe is the staple food of sumo wrestlers. It is a hot pot dish that comes in many varieties and contains vegetables , seafood and meat. There is a high concentration of chanko nabe restaurants in the Ryogoku area, many of which are managed by retired wrestlers. Some restaurants even have a dohyo ring in them, which patrons can take pictures with or enter for the experience.
Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine was the site where sumo tournaments were held for about a hundred years during the mid Edo Period At the shrine grounds today are monuments on which the names of past and present yokozuna and ozeki the second highest rank of sumo are inscribed.
There is also a small treasure house yen which displays some sumo-related items such as woodblock prints of wrestlers and old ranking publications. The museum is usually locked, and prospective visitors are asked to make advance inquiries. English Japan Sumo Association Official website. Japanese Japan Sumo Association Official website. Anything we can improve?
Sumo events were often held in Edo now Tokyo , Osaka, and Kyoto, and the sport's popularity grew with the sales of color woodblock prints featuring sumo scenes and pictures of wrestlers. The government of the time, though, disapproved of fighting and often issued orders banning sumo. For this reason, the organizers of sumo decided on a set of rules, including the creation of a list of 48 legal moves and the round ring that is still used today.
A system of stables was created to train wrestlers. As many aspects of old Japan remain in sumo, such as topknots, traditional dress, and ancient customs, professional sumo is more than just a sport; it's a living example of traditional Japanese culture.
The wrestlers serve as cultural ambassadors when they take part in events overseas.
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