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Japanese Sport
SUMO
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What is sumo?
In sumo, two people who are wearing nothing but a mawashi (loincloth), face
each other in a dohyo (circular ring) and push, grapple, and try to throw each
other. The one who forces his opponent to the ground or pushes him out of the
ring is the winner. Rikishi (sumo wrestlers), hair is styled like that of ancient
warriors, must weigh between 100 and 200 kilograms. They fight in the
4.5-meter wide dohyo (ring). While the rules are simple, the techniques are not,
and there are more than 80 ways to win. Professional sumo tournaments take
place six times a year and last 15 days each.
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History
Sumo began many centuries ago and
developed into its present form in the Edo
period (1603-1868). Rikishi (wrestlers) wear their
hair in a topknot, which was a normal hairstyle
in the Edo period. The referee, meanwhile,
wears the same kind of clothes as a samurai of
600 years ago. Many aspects of Japan's
traditional culture can be seen in sumo. For
example, the wrestlers throw salt into the ring to
purify it before they begin their match, as the
dohyo ( ring) is considered a sacred place.
Sumo has a long history, and it has been called
Japan's national sport. Although many
professional sports are played in Japan, such
as baseball and soccer, sumo is the nation's
oldest professional sport
AzDay in the Life: Sumo Wrestler
Wrestlers wake up early in the morning and train
hard in the hope of moving up the ranks. Sumo is
a world in which results are everything, and there
is a great difference between how wrestlers of
different ranks are treated and how much money
they receive. Every sumo wrestler belongs to a
stable, which is where they live while they are
young. Each stable has a ring for practice. They
train every day, doing many exercises. Sumo
wrestlers eat two meals a day, having breakfast
at around 11:00 am and dinner at about 6:00 pm.
They eat breakfast after fixing their hair in a
topknot. And of course when they eat, the
higher-ranked wrestlers go first.
Sumo: A Game
Children’s Day
Kodomo no Hi
•Originally known as boy’s day.
•Changed to children’s day in 1948.
•Celebrates the happiness of
children, the unique personalities
of each child, and gratitude
towards the parents.
Koinobori flags Mochi Kintarō dolls
•A Japanese folklore
•Made to represent each family Delicious rice cake served
•A child with superhuman strength
member. traditionally on this day.
•The carps are used to represent the •Symbolizes of vitality and strength.
strength and growth as the carp are •Families display the doll riding on a
said to swim up stream and become
dragons. large carp.
Kimono
sodetsuke - armhole seam fuki - hem guard sode - sleeve okumi - front panel below the collar
miyatsukuchi - opening below sodeguchi - sleeve opening tamoto - sleeve pouch maemigoro - front main section
armhole
furi - sleeve below armhole tomoeri - overcollar eri - collar susomawashi - lower lining