NEWSWORTHY
One of sumo's most distinctive sights is its ringside judges. Clad in black, the five men are all sumo elders as well as former wrestlers. They are the ultimate authority when it comes to wins and losses. If one disagrees with the referee's decision he will raise ...
Sumo 101: College graduates in sumo
New entrants into the world of sumo generally fall into three groups. Most are recent junior high school graduates with little to no previous sumo experience. That category has a fairly high washout rate, as the reality of sumo's harsh lifestyle normally comes as a shock ...
All sumo wrestlers have a shikona (ring name). A few, like Endo or Takayasu, use their family name. Most, however, have ring names with elements referring to their stable or place of origin. Anyone with the prefix 琴 (Koto), for example, belongs to Sadogatake Stable or its ...
There are currently 46 heya (stables) in sumo. All bear the name of their stablemaster. Every wrestler, referee, ring announcer, hairdresser, etc., belongs to a heya. The vast majority live in the building that houses that stable. Some like Nishiiwa Beya have been around for just over ...
Sumo 101: Sword bearers and dew sweepers
Every time a yokozuna performs the traditional ring-entering ceremony, he is flanked by two attendants. They are the tachimochi (sword bearer) and tsuyuharai (dew sweeper). The tachimochi is normally the higher ranked of the two, but both must be makuuchi-division wrestlers, and if possible, from the ...
Sumo 101: Wakaimonogashira and Sewanin
The world of sumo has many behind-the-scenes characters that help keep the sport running smoothly. Some like gyoji (referees) and yobidashi (ring announcers) also have an on-dohyo presence that grants them a measure of visibility while others such as tokoyama (hair dressers) toil away out ...
When many people think of sumo, they imagine two large men locked in a vice-like grip straining to force each other out of a ring. The common English-language naming of the sport as "sumo wrestling" also reinforces that grappling image. Go to almost any stable and ...
The lion's share of media attention in sumo goes to the top (makuuchi) division. Its bouts are shown live on domestic television, its wrestlers are discussed endlessly online and in print and its winner is given a parade, ¥10 million and a giant silver trophy ...
The Emperor's Cup isn't the only prize awarded on the final day of a sumo tournament. The new champion receives an array of trophies and gifts from various organizations and locales around Japan as well as prizes from several foreign governments. Two to four men normally ...
Ryogoku is the center of the sumo world. The district on the east bank of the Sumida River is home to Ryogoku Kokugikan and several stables. There are also numerous sumo specific- stores, shrines and museums in the area. Despite all that, Ryogoku can't claim to be ...
With a sport as ancient as sumo, trading cards aren't the first things that spring to mind when you think of memorabilia. A person could be forgiven for assuming that if such cards existed, they must be just a recent concession to western tastes. The reality ...
One of the first orders of business for a rikishi promoted to sumo's second-highest division (jūryō) is getting a keshō-mawashi (ceremonial apron-style belt). Large and heavy, keshō-mawashi are only worn during ring-entering ceremonies and special events. The starched cords attached to a wrestler's regular mawashi during ...
