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SUMO

a Japanese ritual turned national sports

By Kim Lau

Sumo (相撲) wrestling is the national sport of Japan, but it had religious beginnings as a ritual act in dedication to the gods to pray for a good harvest. Sumo today had influences from the various wrestling styles in the region, namely Mongolian Bökh, Chinese Shuai jiao, but Japanese Sumo remains unique with its colorful ritual and uncommon terms. The Grand Tournament takes place yearly at Tokyo (Jan, May, Sep), Osaka (Mar), Nagoya(Jul), and Fukuoka (Nov)., and each tournament last 15 days. Ryōgoku Kokugikan is the location in Tokyo, where one can queue for a economical day ticket, limited to 350 individuals per day only. The daily tournament starts with bouts from the most junior division Jonokuchi, proceeding to Jonidan, Sandanme, Makushita. Jūryō and Makuuchi are the top 2 tiers, they happen in the late afternoon and their bouts were preceded with Ring Entering Ceremony, call Dohyō-iri. Dohyō refers to the wrestling ring and these wrestlers (formally known as sekitori in contrast to rikishi from the lower divisions) wear a special apron call keshō-mawashi, whereby mawashi is the belt that wrestlers wear during practice and competition. Chrichozu refers to the pre-bout ritual, whereby wrestler meet, greet, asked for blessing by clapping, purify the ring with salt, stomp out demons with their feet, professed that they had no weapons, both fist on the ground and finally, start of a bout that is usually very short. A battle is lost when a wrestler touches the surface of the ring with any other part of his body besides his feet, or when a wrestler get thrown, pushed or lifted by his opponent to the outside the ring.

RYOGOKU KOKUGIKAN

Ryōgoku Kokugikan (両国国技館) in September 2015. Built in 1909l, this is the stadium in Tokyo for Sumo.

SUMO

RING ENTERING CEREMONY

Dohyō-iri (土俵入り) , whereby Dohyō refers to the wrestling ring, is the ring entering ceremony performed only by the wrestlers in the jūryō and makuuchi (top 2) divisions. They wear a special apron call keshō-mawashi, whereby mawashi is the belt that wrestlers wear during practice and competition.

SUMO

SUMO

SUMO

SUMO GYŌJI (行司)

A Gyōji is a referee in professional sumo wrestling in Japan. Gyōji usually enter the sumo world as teenagers and remain employees of the Sumo Association until they retire aged 65. There are currently a little over 40 active gyōji with an average of one in each sumo stable, though some stables have more than one and some have no gyōji.

SUMO

CHIRICHOZU

Chirichozu is the cremony performed by sumo wrestlers before a bout. Wrestlers meet, greet, asked for blessing by clapping, purify the ring with salt, stomp out demons with their feet, professed that they had no weapons, both fist on the ground and finally, start of a bout that is usually very short. This is also a time to prepare a wrestler for the initial charge, which often determines the fate of the game.

Hands clapping to ask for god's attention and not to go to battle alone.

Shiko is also performed ritually to drive away demons before each bout.

Wrestlers throw salt in the air as a purification ritual for the sacred ring.

When both wrestlers put their fists on the ground, after the referee yells “Hakkeyoi” the game starts.

SUMO BOUT

A bout defines a short period of intense activity, and this reflect very much of a Sumo match, characterised by extensive rituals. Sumo wrestling do not have wrestlers’ size classification, so a wrestler must be prepared to take on another wrestler that can be more than twice his size.

SUMO

SUMO

SUMO

SUMO

SUMO

DEFEAT

A battle is lost when a wrestler touches the surface of the ring with any other part of his body besides his feet, or when a wrestler get thrown, pushed or lifted by his opponent to the outside the ring

SUMO

SUMO

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Footnotes

Captured with OLYMPUS digital systems camera, E-systems from 2004, mirrorless PEN from 2009 and the OM-D from 2013

FootNotes

Captured with OLYMPUS digital systems camera, E-systems from 2004, mirrorless PEN from 2009 and the OM-D from 2013

© 2026 Kim Lau

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