Sumo history Facts

Sumo, Religion and Ancient Japanese History

Sumo apparently started as a ritual in Shinto ceremonies to host the gods. In accordance with one legend it had been initially practiced by the gods and handed down to folks 2, 000 years back. Based on another legend japan got the right to rule on the islands of Japan after the god Takemikazuchi won a sumo bout because of the frontrunner of a rival tribe.

There are lots of religious practices in sumo: wrestlers sip sacred water and throw purifying sodium in to the ring before a match; the referee clothes like a Shinto priest, a Shinto shrine hangs on the ring. Whenever wrestlers enter the ring they clap their particular hands to summon the gods.

In old times sumo had been performed with sacred dance along with other rituals on the basis of Shinto shrines. Today, sumo continues to have religious overtones. The wrestling location is known as sacred and every time a wrestler enters the ring he must cleanse it with sodium. Top-ranked wrestlers are regarded as acolytes regarding the Shinto faith.

According to Japanese legend the origin regarding the Japanese race depended from the results of a sumo match. In ancient times, one old story goes, Japan ended up being split into two contradictory kingdoms: East and western. One day a messenger through the western proposed the strongest man from each area would dress in rope belts and wrestle, using the champion being the top of a united Japan. This wrestling match is considered initial sumo match.

In accordance with yet another legend the Emperor Seiwa secured the Chrysanthemum Throne in A.D. 858 after a victory in a sumo bout. When you look at the 13th century an imperial succession had been reportedly decided by a sumo match, and Emperors from time to time acted as referees.

another 19th century sumo ukiyo-e

Early Reputation For Sumo

The initial historical files that make reference to wrestling describe an event in which the fifth century Emperor Yuryaku bought two half-naked females to wrestle to distract a carpenter which said he never ever made a mistake. While watching the ladies the carpenter slipped up and spoiled their work and thereupon the Emperor purchased his execution.

when you look at the Nara Period (A.D. 710 to 794), the Imperial Court gathered wrestlers from al across country to put on a Sumo tournament and ceremonial banquet to make sure great harvests and peace. The banquet also showcased music and dance where the victorious wrestlers took part in.

In imperial times sumo was a performing art linked to the Imperial court and community festivals. Ichiro Nitta, a University of Tokyo law teacher and author or Sumo no Himitsu (‘secrets of Sumo), informed the Yomiuri Shimbun, “After the Imperial court’s functions faded away in the closing times of the Heian duration (794-1192), a broader number of men and women stayed to look at sumo seriously, including shoguns and daimyo warlords into the Kamakura (1192-1333) and Muromachi (1336- 1573) duration...the spread of sumo to all the places was a phenomena driven by strong political motivations.”

Early sumo ended up being rough-and-tumble affair that combined elements of boxing and wrestling and had few regulations. Under the patronage of this Imperial legal guidelines had been formulated and practices were developed. Inside Kamakura Period (1185-1333) sumo had been familiar with teach samurai and also to settle conflicts.

When you look at the 14th century, sumo became a specialist recreation plus in the 16th century sumo wrestlers toured the united states. Back many years ago, some wrestlers had been homosexual prostitutes, and also at various times, females had been allowed to contend into the recreation. One popular wrestler throughout the imperial era was a nun. A bloody type of sumo was quickly popular.

wrestlers within the 19th century

Sumo inside 19th Century

Sumo wrestling happens to be a profitable, expert recreation for four hundreds of years. When you look at the Edo Period (1603-1867)-a period of peace and prosperity marked because of the increase of this business class’sumo groups had been arranged to entertain merchants and working people. The game was marketed by the Tokugawa shogunate as a kind of enjoyment.

In the eighteenth century, when sumo ended up being a significant form of enjoyment for males, topless females wrestled blind males. Though this lewd variety fundamentally faded away when you look at the mid-20th century after being banned continuously, a ceremonial kind has actually continued in regional celebrations in radar of news.

Sumo wrestlers performed for Commodore Matthew Perry when he arrived in Japan in 1853 in the “Black Ships” from America. . He described the wrestlers as “overfed monsters.” Japanese, consequently, were unimpressed by a demonstration of boxing by “scrawny US sailors.” The present Japan Sumo Association has its beginnings within era.

The essential company and guidelines of sumo have altered bit considering that the 1680s. In the nineteenth century, when samurai had been obligated to quit their particular career and feudalism had been outlawed, sumo wrestlers had been the only real people allowed to keep putting on top-knots (the original samurai hairstyle). In the 1930s, militarists turned sumo into emblematic of Japanese superiority and purity.

Sumo within the 20th Century

When you look at the Edo period (1603-1867) sumo tournaments in Tokyo were held at Ekpoin temple in Sumida Ward. In 1909, they started being held on Kokugikan arena, which stood four-stories high and may accommodate a crowds of 13, 000. This building had been razed in a 1917 fire and it replacement had been harmed by the 1923 quake. A unique arena built next was used in World War II to help make balloon bombs. A building built after the war had been converted into a roller skating rink in 1954.

A number of the greatest grand champions of present times had been Futabayama (yokozuna, 1937-1945), who attained a fantastic portion of .866, including 69 consecutive victories; Taiho (1961-1971), just who won a complete of 32 tournaments and maintained an absolute streak of 45 successive matches; Kitanoumi (1974- 1985), who, on age 21 many years and 2 months, ended up being the youngest ever before to be promoted into the position of yokozuna; Akebono (1993-2001), whom became yokozuna after only 30 tournaments and set the record for fastest marketing; and Takanohana (1995- 2003), who, at the age 19, became the youngest to win a tournament.

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