Sumo : Japan’s Revered Ancient Sport
Embracing the Culture
Story by John Penisten; Photos by John & Susan Penisten
Japan revels in its self-proclaimed world’s oldest sport of sumo. This style of wrestling traces its origins back some 2000 years and is related to Shinto religion harvest rites. Today, sumo retains links to Shinto in its rituals and traditions. It is woven into the country’s cultural fabric and lays claim to being the world’s oldest sport with its origins traced back as far as 23 B.C.
Super Sized Wrestlers
Sumo wrestlers (known as rikishi) are noted for their large size, many weighing in between 300–400 lbs and up. Their large size is achieved by a special diet of chankonabe and training. Chanko-nabe is a stew of various meats, fish and vegetables usually eaten with large amounts of rice and often followed by much beer and sake. Sumo wrestlers usually do not eat breakfast while in training and after a morning session consume a large lunch and dinner. This routine helps the wrestlers put on extra weight so as to be more competitive. Sumo wrestlers live and train in communal groups called stables ( heya) and their lifestyle is strictly controlled by a stable master. Wrestlers adhere to a strict regimen of training, following rules and regulations. The stable provides for their daily needs and pays a salary based on their rank and performance.
Sumo Bouts
Sumo wrestling takes place on a circular clay ring called a dohyo. It’s 15 ft in diameter marked by rice straw bales and is on a raised platform. Sumo bouts are usually short, most lasting just a few seconds. Wrestlers wear only a thick loincloth belt called a mawashi during their bouts. After following certain rituals and tossing handfuls of salt into the ring to ward off evil spirits, the wrestlers crouch down like opposing football linemen and launch their attack by crashing into each other. Despite their size, the wrestlers are surprisingly agile and quick on their feet. The rules are simple. Whoever is pushed or thrown out of the ring or touches the ground with any part of their body except the soles of their feet is the loser. Sumo bouts are overseen by a ring referee ( gyoji) who is traditionally attired in a colorful kimono. There are also five or six ringside judges who render decisions on questionable calls.
Day Long Wrestling Excitement
The sumo stadium presents a festive atmosphere. Sumo bouts begin each day of the 15-day tournaments about midmorning with the lower ranked division wrestlers and continue through the day leading up to the late afternoon and evening’s top level Makunouchi division. Sumo fans line up at the stadium entrance prior to the start of the day’s top-level matches hoping for a closeup glimpse of their favorite sumo wrestler as they arrive. Inside the stadium there is excitement in the air as the afternoon’s bouts get underway. As the wrestlers file in a few at a time to ringside to await their bout, sumo fans shout out the name of their favorite along with raucous cheers. Some fans hold and wave signs with the names of their favorite wrestler in Japanese characters. And as the wrestlers step up onto the dohyo (ring) the cheers and shouts become more intense and boisterous.
Stern and Stoic Emotions
One interesting observation about sumo wrestlers stands out. They are always in control of their emotions. Sumo’s intense training instills in them a stern and stoic countenance and approach to their sport. To a great degree sumo is a mind art. Whether they win or lose, sumo wrestlers maintain their calm and cool-headed demeanor. In sharp contrast to professional athletes in the U.S. and elsewhere, you never see sumo wrestlers high-fiving, dancing, jumping up and down or berating their opponent after a bout. They always keep their emotions in check.
Divisions and Rankings
There are six divisions in sumo and the Japan Sumo Association is the governing body that oversees professional sumo wrestling in Japan. The top division, Makunouchi, is set at 42 active wrestlers. Within the division there are five rankings: Maegashira, Komusubi, Sekiwake, Ozeki and Yokozuna (the highest ranking). Rankings are based on a wrestler’s overall won-lost record performance from one tournament to the next. Wrestlers are promoted or demoted according on how they perform. The lower ranked divisions after Makunouchi are Juryo, Makushita, Sandanme, Jonidan, and Junokuchi. These divisions are composed of demoted wrestlers from the top division and the younger wrestlers who are just learning the art of sumo.
Sumo Tournaments
Six grand sumo tournaments, or basho, held annually. The two weeklong tournaments are held at indoor stadiums in Tokyo (January, May and September), Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November). Tickets are good all day with the lower ranked division bouts in the morning and early afternoon hours. Top division matches begin about 4:00pm. The four-seat cubicle box is very suitable for two and provides extra room to stretch out. These seats are closer to the action and comfortable enough even with just sitting on the cushions provided. Cheaper stadium seats are comfortable as well but are located in the upper stadium sections much further away from the action. Daily tournament tickets allow spectators to watch the entire day’s matches.
Sumo Sized Food Concessions
Stadium lobby areas have gift shops with all manner of sumo memorabilia, souvenirs, and food concessions as well. Sumo fans don’t have to worry about going hungry. Food is allowed in the stadium and folks enjoy their lunch or dinner while they watch the sumo bouts. The menu is supersized like the wrestlers themselves with a variety of local foods like sushi, bento box lunches, and even the famous chankonabe that is the favorite of the sumo wrestlers. Beer, sake and other beverages are also available. Taking in a sumo tournament is certainly a different cultural immersion activity while in Japan.
If You Go
For information on sumo and to purchase tickets, see the Grand Sumo Tournament Home Page and Schedule, https://www.sumo.or.jp. A travel agent can also assist in obtaining tickets.
If you are purchasing the tickets online yourself, it’s best to consult the sumo tournament schedule in advance to work it into a travel itinerary. Tickets are sold online beginning on specific dates prior to the sumo tournament. Once tickets are made available online, they often sell out quickly. So, you have to time your online request for when the tickets become available.
The stadiums where sumo tournaments are held are generally modest in size. The venues include Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Stadium (11,000 seats), Osaka Edion Arena (8,000 seats), Nagoya Dolphins Arena (7,500 seats) and Fukuoka Kokusai Center (10,000 seats). While Japan was closed to international tourism due to the pandemic, sumo remained as popular as ever. If you are looking to travel to Japan now that the country has reopened, you can enjoy the thrill, color, excitement, and culture of Japan’s acclaimed national sport of sumo.
A previous version of this story appeared in GoNomad.com.
Other Japan stories:
Wandering Around: Takayama, Japan | by John Penisten | May, 2024 | Hawai’i TraveLog| Medium
Finding Winter Fun in Japan’s Far North | by John Penisten | BATW Travel Stories| Feb, 2024| Medium
Kyoto, Japan: On the Trail of Temples | by John Penisten | Hawai’i TraveLog | June, 2023| Medium
About the Writer
John Penisten is a photojournalist and longtime resident of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai’i. He has authored the guidebooks Hawai’i the Big Island, Kaua’i the Garden Island, Adventure Guide to Hawai’i, and Experience the Big Island: The Road to Adventure. His personal adventure book Green Hills and Blue Lagoons: A Peace Corps Memoir covers his travels and experiences as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in the Fiji Islands, South Pacific. His travel stories and photos have appeared in a variety of print and online publications.
