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Sumo: A Closer Look into Japan’s National Sport

Sumo 相撲　 A Closer Look into Japan’s National Sport

Sumo is Japan’s traditional sport in which two naked men with only a mawashi or silk belt tackle, push, budge, and throw each other on the wrestling ring known as the dohyo. A wrestler is declared the winner if he manages to force his opponent out the ring or make any part of the body other than the soles of his feet touch the ground.

-History of Sumo-

Sumo has deep-rooted origins dating back to the prehistoric times. Yet it has only evolved into the form known today a mere four centuries ago, during the Edo period (1603 to 1867).  As a result, the wrestlers pull their hair into a mage or top-knot, which was the common hairstyle during that era.

On the other hand the attire of the gyoji or referees has evolved slightly further than the hairstyle of wrestlers, but has been the same ever since the Meiji period (1868 to 1912).  The salt that is tossed by the wrestlers before each match is also a remnant of traditional Japanese customs, serving the purpose of purifying the sacred grounds. Ryogoku Kokugikan (Ryogoku Sumo Hall)

Sumo is oftentimes referred to as the national sport of Japan with its rich history laced with distinct tradition.  While there are currently many professional sports such as baseball and soccer, the oldest dating sport to exist in Japan is without a doubt, sumo.

– Honbasho –

Grand sumo tournaments known as Honbasho are held six times annually. These 15-day tournaments are held three times in Tokyo (January, May and September), and once in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July), and Fukuoka (November).Colorful nobori (banner) to cheer sumo wrestlers up

The rankings within the wrestlers are determined by their performance in each tournament. A wrestler must win more than 8 of the 15 total matches in order to ascend the ranking list, known as the banzuke. The banzuke is announced before the start of the each tournament, reflecting the scores from the tournament before.

The division classified as the makuuchi dominate the top of the hierarchical pyramid, consisting of the highest ranking yokozuna followed by ozeki, sekiwake, komusubi, and maegashira.  Directly below is the division classified as juryo, consisting of sekitori. Only after becoming a sekitori is one considered to be full-fledged sumo wrestler.

– Modern-day Sumo Wrestlers-

In recent years sumo wrestling has become a tradition exclusive not only to the Japanese. Foreign wrestlers have made their way into the realm achieving great heights, with the current yokozuna being from Mongolia and ozeki from Bulgaria and Estonia.  Other foreign wrestlers include those from Russia, Georgia, Czech Republic, and Egypt. 

Today sumo wrestlers from all different cultures and backgrounds clash skin-to-skin with their average weight of 150 kg (330 lb) to deliver powerful, dynamic matches to the audience unmatched by any other era.

–Chanko Nabe–

The chanko nabe refers to the meal mainly consumed by sumo wrestlers. Wrestlers often eat generous amounts of stew prepared in big pots in order to reach their fighting weight. Out of all of the different types of stews consumed by wrestlers, the chanko nabe consisting of various vegetables, tofu, and chunks of meat came to be widely acknowledged across Japan.

The chanko nabe is prepared in turns mostly by the wrestlers of the makushita division, who are still one division away from becoming full-fledged sumo wrestlers. Those who have longer experience in preparing the chanko nabe step up to the plate of chanko-cho, or chanko chief. The chanko-cho take on the crucial responsibility of directing their juniors with the mastery of chanko, ensuring the techniques be passed down to future generations as well. Because of this tradition, it is often said that those who cook well will not succeed as a sumo wrestler. This saying is not far-fetched, for in fact there have been some wrestlers who have decided to put their cooking skills to use and open their own restaurants after retiring.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

What is Tentsuki in Japan?

Tentsuki is a device to make tokoroten noodle. Tokoroten is a summer snack which looks transparent and made from kanten (agar) extracted from seaweeds such as tengusa (agar weed) by boiling. Pressed against this device, tokoroten is shaped into noodles. Flavorings vary from region to region. But usually they are mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, hot pepper, or sesame.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

All About Shrines in Japan

Kono Jinja, Kyoto, which enshrines the same god as Ise Jingu

Types of Gods and “Komainu” Guardian Dogs

 

By K. Nishimura

According to Shinto belief, there are many kinds of gods in Japan such as those of work, love, marriage or health.  In addition, shrines are constructed in various styles depending on the types of gods.  Passing through the torii or gate of a shrine, there are two stone-carved guardian dogs called “komainu,” one on each side of the path up to the shrine.  These guardian dogs are placed there as gatekeepers to prevent evil from intruding into the shrine from the outside world.  This does not mean, however, that all shrines have these guardian dogs.  Depending on the god, oxen, wolves, monkeys, foxes or other animals are placed at the shrine as gatekeepers sometimes together with komainu or messengers of the god.  Moreover, because the gods of Japan are not omnipotent, it might be an idea to choose and visit the shrine where the god related to what you are praying for has been enshrined.  For example, the god of learning is Sugawara no Michizane.  Therefore, it is believed that praying to this god will improve one’s calligraphy or learning.  Nowadays, this god is said to be helpful in successfully passing the entrance exam to the desired college or high school.  This god is, for example, enshrined at Dazaifu Tenmangu in Fukuoka Prefecture or Kitano Tenmangu in Kyoto.  These shrines have the statues of oxen as messengers of the god in addition to the komainu guardian dogs.  This comes from some anecdotes regarding Michizane and oxen.  Hiyoshi Taisha shine located at the foot of Mt. Hiei in Shiga Prefecture enshrines a mountain god.  Because monkeys live on this mountain, there are several statues of monkeys as messengers of the god within the shrine premises.

Construction Styles of Shrines

The construction styles of shrines also vary.  There are primitive-style shrines like Omiwa Shrine in Nara Prefecture that worships Mt. Miwa and has no shrine buildings.  There are also taisha-zukuri style shrines like Izumo Taisha in Shimane Prefecture where a gracefully curved roof covers even the stairs ascending up to the main shrine building.  On the other hand, shinmei-zukuri style shrines like Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture has straight-line roofs with no curves.  With the passage of time, people no longer worship at the Parthenon in Greece.  However, there is an endless line of prayers at Ise Shrine even today, which is said to have a history of more than 2,000 years.  From ancient times, the Ise Shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years performing an event called shikinen sengu (installing the deity in a new shrine).  In this event, the shrine buildings and all of the items used by the god (sun goddess Amaterasu-omikami) from the clothes and accessories up to the harness for the horse are remade every 20 years.  This is a culture transmission event, which is rare to find in the world, for handing down the building and decoration technologies to the next generation like a relay.  This also shows the wonderful wisdom of the ancient people that set 20 years as the limit for passing down these traditional technologies.  Since the previous shikinen sengu was in 1993, this important event will be held again next year.

How to Worship at Shrines

There is a dress code for properly worshipping at a shrine.  Men must wear a jacket and necktie while women must wear corresponding appropriate attire.  First, you bow before passing through the torii.  Then, when walking up to the shrine, you must walk on the edge of the path because the center of the path is where the gods walk.  Before the shrine, there is usually a place called the temizuya (washing-water spot) where you cleanse your hands and mouth. 


 This is done as follows:

① Holding the ladle in your right hand, take some water with the ladle and wash your left hand.  

② Hold the ladle with your left hand and wash your right hand. 

③ Hold the ladle with your right hand again and pour some water into the palm of your left hand and use that water to cleanse your mouth. 

④ Wash your left hand again. 

⑤ Stand the ladle up and wash the handle of the ladle. 

⑥ Return the ladle to its original position.  (※ If possible, all of these actions should be performed using one ladle of water.)

When you arrive at the shrine, you put money based on the value of your prayer in the offering box.  You quietly place or drop the money in the box without throwing it in.  For paper money, it is appropriate to first place it in an envelope.  Generally, most offerings are from 100 to 500 yen.  If you go inside the shrine building for a special prayer, you’ll need an offering of at least 5,000 yen (there is no upper limit).  When you make a prayer before the shrine building, the order is as follows:

① Put a monetary offering in the box (when praying before the box) or hand an offering to the shrine (for special prayers).

② Bow your head twice.

③ Clap your hands twice and make your prayer.  (Say your name and address before making your prayer.)

④ Finally, bow your head once in reverence.

These are the general procedures of worshipping at a shrine.  After praying to the god of the shrine, people usually make an offering to the shrine again if their prayer was answered or they actually received the god’s help.  In this way, the relationship between the Japanese and their gods has been cultivated during their long history, which is a relationship of “give and take” where people pray to a god, the god gives them power, and people visit the god again to offer their thanks.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Public-sponsored Gambling in Japan

Public-sponsored Gambling in Japan

Certain professional sports in Japan, such as horse racing, bicycle racing, motorboat racing, and auto racing, are operated by public organizations for the benefit of the public. Currently some 100 such facilities exist around the country, of which 26 are horse tracks, 44 are bicycle tracks, 24 are man-made lakes for motorboat racing and six tracks for auto racing. In 1992, the income from bets placed at such facilities reached a peak of 8.932 trillion yen ($111.6 billion), but by 2010 the figure had declined to half that amount. The main reason for the decline was the economic recession. But even if spectators chose not to bet, they can enter to watch races for as little as 100 or 200 yen in admission fees — making it an affordable form of leisure. While minors are permitted entry when accompanied by a parent or guardian, a person must be at least 20 in order to engage in betting.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Japan’s Largest Self Publication Market (Comiket In Tokyo)

Japan’s Largest Self Publication Market (Comiket In Tokyo)

 

Japan has a number of events at which people sell their own publications. The largest of these is Comic Market — Comiket for Short — a comic book fair held twice a year in Tokyo. The Comiket held this past August was the 82nd since it was first held in December 1975. The scale of the fair is enormous, with 35,000 exhibitor booths, which attract more than 550,000 visitors over the three-day event. One surprising aspect is the large number of female visitors. According to the organizer, some 70% of the exhibitors are women, who also make up about 60% of the visitors. The average age of the exhibitors is around 29, with the visitors averaging two to three years younger. Long lines of visitors can be seen snaking around some of the most popular booths, which may sell as many as several thousand comics over the period. The booth fee is 8,500 yen ($106). But the entrance fee is free.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Cycling in Saitama, Japan

Cycling in Saitama, Japan

Rent-a-cycles are commonly regarded as something to be used by tourists, but in June, an unmanned bicycle rental facility was opened adjacent to a rail station in Saitama City, located north of Tokyo. Once registered, people will receive a special IC card that permits them to borrow vacant bicycles at a cost of 100 yen (US$1) per six-hour period. Payment is automatically deducted from users’ credit cards. It is also possible to log on to the Internet and determine availability of bicycles at any given moment. As this station is used by many students who commute to Saitama University which is about three kilometers away from the station, it is certain that they have been targeted as the primary users.

投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

Japan’s Graffiti-resistant Paint Treatment

    Graffiti-resistant Paint Treatment

    In order to eliminate unsightly graffiti on the walls of supports beneath train tracks, East Japan Railway Co. has begun utilizing a “special coating” material on the walls. While applying it entails costs, not only does it make it difficult for spray paint to adhere, but its sheen has the effect of brightening up the area. “By helping to prevent crime, it’s killing two birds with one stone,” the railway claims. Spray paint can also be easily removed with a special solvent, making cleanup easy.

    投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

    What is Shinto and Shitoism?

    People from abroad often ask me, “What is Japan’s original religion?” I answer Shinto, which means the “way of the gods.” From ancient times, the Japanese have lived worshipping multiple gods. The sacred buildings where these gods dwell are called jinja or shrines. 

    Torii at Meiji Jingu, Shinto shrine

    At the entrance of the shrine is a torii or archway. The torii is the gateway to the shrine as well as a symbol that clearly separates the outside and the inside of the shrine. Outside the torii is the place where human beings dwell (general secular world) and inside the torii is the sacred place where the gods dwell. Buddhism reached Japan in the 5th century, after traveling from India through China and Korea. The Japanese at that time built temples to worship the Buddha as a god. You can see the sculptures of the Buddha at the temples, but at shrines there are no such physical forms of gods. From long ago, the Japanese had worshipped unseen gods imagining them existing as powerful forces. Presently, there are about 80,000 shrines throughout Japan. I’ll introduce a brief history and types of these shrines here. To the ancient Japanese, growing rice was an important aspect of their lives. From planting of the rice shoots to harvesting, the people were grateful for the abundance of sunshine and rain, worshipped them as gods, and prayed to them. This is why Japanese Shinto is said to be a religion that worships nature. Shinto has worshipped mountains, rivers, ocean, trees, sky and even the universe itself as gods, and prayed to them. These practices became Japanese events which still continue to be held as festivals. Even today, at the Imperial Palace, the Emperor prays for an abundant harvest for the year (Kinensai or prayer festival held every February) and celebrates the year’s harvest (Niinamesai or harvest festival held every November). These events have continued to this day as important ceremonies entrusted only to the Emperor by his ancestor Amaterasu-omikami (the Sun Goddess). These are both annual events as well as ceremonies for gods. On the same days as these ceremonies at the Imperial Palace, festivals are held at shrines throughout Japan to pray for an abundant harvest of rice and other crops for the year or to celebrate the year’s harvest. It is said that Shinto began around 2600 BC during the period when rice cultivation started and people prayed for the blessings of heaven, earth and nature. When tracing the history of shrines, there were no such shrine buildings as those we see today in ancient times. Shrines started when Shinto priests or priestesses began calling gods onto large sakaki trees (large evergreen trees like laurels), natural stones or rocks. 

    Omiwa Jinja © JNTO

    The Omiwa Jinja in Nara Prefecture believed that a god was dwelling on Mt. Miwa and thus worshiped the mountain as goshintai or an object that contains the spirit of the god. Of the gods of Japan, Amaterasuomikami is at the highest position. That is, Amaterasu-omikami, the goddess of the sun, tops all other gods in Shinto. The Japanese Emperor is said to be a far-distant but direct descendent of Amaterasu-omikami. Japan’s oldest chronicle the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) records the history of shrines. Ordering a search for a holy site to enshrine the mirror that represented Amaterasuomikami, the 10th Emperor Sujin entrusted the mirror to his daughter Toyosukiiribime-no-mikoto. Later, the 11th Emperor Suinin’s daughter Yamatohime-nomikoto carried on the order and continued the search, finally reaching the holy site of present day Ise, Mie Prefecture. 

    Amaterasu-omikami (center)

    According to the words of Amaterasu-omikami who was pleased with the site, the mirror was enshrined in a building at Naikuu, the Inner Shrine. In addition, Toyoukenoomikami was enshrined in a building at Gekuu, the Outer Shrine as the god in charge of the food, clothing and shelter for Amaterasu-omikami. This is the history of the Ise Jingu, which is also the top shrine (building) in Japan. Later, Ninigi-no-mikoto, a grandson of Amaterasu-omikami, descended from Heaven. Okuninushi-no-kami who had been presiding over the country handed the country over to Ninigino-mikoto at that time. In exchange, Okuninushi-no-mikoto demanded the largest shrine in the country. Because of this, it is said the Izumo Taisha shrine in Shimane Prefecture was built. In this way, the shrine buildings gradually developed. 

    Types of Shrines 

    In ancient times, the local ruling families that supported the emperor worshiped the shrines to which they were connected as their guardian gods from generation to generation. Representative shrines which famous families worshiped as their guardian gods include the Kasuga Taisha in Nara Prefecture for the Fujiwara family, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine (A) in Kanagawa Prefecture for the Minamoto family, and Itukushima Shrine (B) in Hiroshima Prefecture for the Taira family. Moreover, Shinto shrines branch out from the main shrine to branch shrines by god type. 

    Tsurugaoka Hachimangu © JNTO

    For example, the main shrine that enshrines Susanoono-mikoto is the Hikawa Shrine in Saitama Prefecture and its branch shrines across the country exceed 200. The Suwa Taisha in Nagano Prefecture worshiped as the god of prowess has 5,590 branch shrines all over the country. 

    Itukushima Shrine © JNTO

    The Kumano Hongu Taisha in Wakayama Prefecture revered as a sacred and holy site has 3,000 branch shrines throughout the country. The Usa Hachimangu shrine in Oita Prefecture venerated by the samurai (warrior) class has 24,000 branch shrines. The Kotohira shrine in Shikoku island worshipped as the god of sailing has 700 branch shrines throughout the country. The Inari Shrine dedicated to Ukanomitama-no-kami, the god of grain, is familiarly called Oinari-san and worshiped. Its main shrine is the Fushimi Inari Taisha (C) in Kyoto, and there are more than 32,000 branch shrines across Japan. 

    Fushimi Inari Taisha

    In recent years, the Inari Shrine is worshiped not onlyas the god of grain but also as the god of farming and the god of commerce and industry.

     

    投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前

    Rail Fans’ Paradise, Yokohama, Japan

    Rail Fans’ Paradise, Yokohama, Japan

    Yokohama, the terminal of Japan’s earliest railway line, is now home to one of the world’s largest rail georamas, measuring approximately 310 square meters. In addition to the georamas, the Hara Model Railway Museum (operated by Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.), which opened on July 10, features some 6,000 railway cars from the collection of Nobutaro Hara, a world-renowned collector of model trains. The trains boast authentic details, including self-propelled models (which run on their own power, without electricity, once they reach a certain speed) and models that, like real trains, run with electricity supplied via the electric wires, not through the rail track which is more common for miniatures.

      Japan’s first railway, from Shimbashi station in Tokyo to Yokohama, 29 kilometers to the southwest, began running in 1872, 140 years ago. Presently, according to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, railways in Japan extend to over 27,000 kilometers, and represent one of the most important forms of transport in the country.

      Foreign visitors regularly praise Japan’s railways for their meticulous operation, an attribute that can be found in the Hara Museum’s georamas as well.

    Hara Model Railway Museum

    投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前
    Japanese Calligraphy Girls

    Japanese Calligraphy Girls

    Japanese Calligraphy Girls
    Japanese Calligraphy Girls

    While the number of practitioners of the traditional art of brush calligraphy is in decline, high school clubs that practice the art have been enjoying popularity. From 2007 to 2008, a popular manga series titled “Tomehane! Suzuri Koko Shodobu” attracted many readers, and in 2010 a film called “Shodo Girls: Watashitachi no Koshien” became a hit. This year, a national high school competition for calligraphy called International High School Shodo Exhibition attracted more than 16,000 entries. Some of the really strong schools’ clubs have as many as 50 members. Behind the reason for the popularity are that the “calligraphy performances,” at which teams, writing out large characters to musical accompaniment is so much fun.

    投稿者:Ryoji 投稿日時:前