The Washington Post, Sunday 30th September 1894 (Page 20)

A HOLIDAY IN JAPAN

How the Merry Little Orientals Enjoy Themselves
From the Chicago Record

(only part of article related to sumo included)

Famous Wrestling Bouts.

    The Japanese are famous wrestlers, and the performance of two champions is accounted a great treat and thoroughly enjoyed. A ring of about fifteen feet diameter is marked on the ground, and within its circumference the rivals must struggle for the prize. The onlookers are kept back a good distance from the center and there is no pressing forward to crowd around the ring, an arrangement with which all hands seemed quite satisfied. Outside the circle, on its borders, a bucket of cold water stands with a wooden ladle at hand, and close by it a large basin of salt. Two or three men enter the ring and the audience is at once all attention. These man are the umpires, and f gravity of aspect and a sort of serene dignity are qualifications they well become their office.
    The wrestlers soon put in an appearance, being perfectly naked, with the exception of a cloth about their loins. Each competitor rinses his mouth with the water from the bucket and then takes a pinch of salt, a few grains of which he places on his tongue and tosses the remainder over his shoulder. Then, with a few more preliminary movements by the way of stretching and bracing the arms and legs, the combatants squat opposite to each other, resting their bodies on their toes, looking not unlike a pair of huge frogs. Now they rub their hands on the ground, take up a bit of dirt or throw aside an intrusive pebble, pretending all the while to look as if an attack on the part of the adversary wa just the very last thing to be thought of. While so crouched down each man makes a quick movement of the legs, at the same time smartly slapping his thigh with his open hand, a sort of challenge to his antagonist. At last one suddenly makes a shove at the other with his hands, which, being skillfully avoided, both arise and go through the preliminaries of rinsing the mouth with water and salt tossing as before.

Wrestling in a Ring.

    The object in Japanese wrestling is not always to throw the opponent, but if one succeeds in pushing the other out of the ring he wins. The introductory pushing is for this purpose, but it seldom accomplishes the object desired, the wrestlers being too skillful to suffer such an easy defeat. Now the work must start in real earnest, and at this juncture the umpires take a more active part, each shouting a caution to the combatants that the rules be not infringed. The wrestlers fiercely strike heavy blows, making a peculiar hissing noise the while, and when all kinds of feint and skillful maneuvers have failed, they close, each trying to grab the other about the loins, that he may by lifting and main strength, force his adversary outside the boundary. But they are evenly matched in strength and cunning; their almost naked bodies and limbs twist and turn and so rapidly do they move at times that it is with difficulty one man can be distinguished from the other. Meanwhile only the excited cautions of the umpires are heard as they move round and round the struggling men. At last the writhing bodies suddenly become stationary, and equally quick, by a rapid movement one of the men is hurled bodily out of the ring and the tough bout is ended.
    One feature must not be overlooked, and that is the remarkable good temper which prevails throughout. The wrestlers began the combat smilingly; they play good-naturedly, and, although the struggle is long and fierce, yet the moment one is thrown or vanquished the victor goes to the bucket and hands him a ladle of water, never thinking to help himself until the other has been served. Other combatants replace the pair whose struggles have just terminated and the same preliminaries and skillful maneuvering follow until the remaining two victors are brought face to face for the championship.