Sumo, written with the kanji for "mutual bruising", is Japan's national sport. Its origin dates back to ancient times, nearly two thousand years ago. Originally, sumo wrestling was an oracular ritual connected with prayers for the harvest. It gradually evolved into a spectator sport and first became a professional sport during the Edo period (1600~1868). The first official sumo arena, the Kokugikan, was built in 1909 in Tokyo. The Japan Sumo Association was formed in 1925. Sumo became popular to the general public first with the radio broadcast in 1928, and then with the television coverage beginning in 1953. Sumo's popularity soared when a new, 11,000-seat sumo arena facility was built in 1985.

RULES OF THE GAME

Sumo wrestling has a unique set of objectives, rules, and traditional practices. Two wrestlers face off in the middle of a ringed platform (dohyo) that is 4.55 meters in diameter. The wrestlers, wearing only a belly band (mawashi), spend several minutes engaging in a few ritualistic practices. They include stomping the feet, clapping the hands, and throwing handfuls of salt to purify the ring. These pre-match rituals have a historical value in that it preserves traditions, and also in that it builds up the anticipation and excitement of the actual match itself. The actual wrestling match often lasts only a few seconds, although sometimes it can continue for several minutes. The simple object of a sumo wrestler is to either force his opponent out of the ringed platform, or to make him touch the surface with any port of his body other than the soles of his feet. But, there are 70 different ways to win a match including pushing or lifting the opponent out of the ring, gripping the belly band to throw the opponent down, leg trips, and slapping the opponent off balance. Most sumo wrestlers weigh between 250 and 350 pounds, as this gives the wrestlers an advantage in generating power for pushing. Agility, strength, speed, and balance are key part of becoming a good sumo wrestler, too.

PROFESSIONAL SUMO

As a professional spectator sport, six 15-day tournaments a year are held in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. The sumo wrestlers are assigned a rank according to their division, and then designated as a member of the East or West side. The highest rank is the yokozuna, the only permanent rank in sumo. They are expected to retire when they can no longer uphold their position. Since the ranking system was established, only 65 men have reached the status of yokozuna. During the 15-day tournaments, wrestlers from the top two divisions compete once a day , while the lower four divisions only compete seven days of the fifteen. For a sumo wrestler to maintain his current ranking, he must win the majority of the matches. The winner of the tournament, called the makunouchi, receives cash prizes, trophies, rice, and sake. Although sumo is regarded exclusively as a spectator sport to most, for the aspiring sumo-wrestler, the road to becoming professional begins at an early age. Young boys, usually in junior high school, are scouted and "adopted" into sumo training camps known as stables. There, he trains, eats, and sleeps with other aspiring professional sumo wrestlers. Of the more than 900 wrestlers in these stables, only about a handful (presently 66) qualify as professional wrestlers who receive a salary.