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Sumo Has Religious Origin
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The traditional Autumn Sumo tournament opened ceremoniously
September 19 at the Kokugikan Amphitheater in Tokyo. The tournament will
continue for 15 days.
The conclusion of the autumn tournament will officially
close this year's sumo season. There are three tourneys annually … the
spring tournament in January, Tokyo; the summer tournament in May, Osaka;
and the autumn tournament in September and October, Tokyo.
The official size of the circular sumo arena is
15 feet in diameter. The floor of the ring is covered with sand, and the
edge is marked by 20 sandbags.
Wrestlers of high rank are permitted four minutes
before toeing the mark, while junior grades are allowed only three minutes
before they must make bodily contact.
He time limit formerly was 10, seven and five minutes
for the different grades, but this was recently shortened because of complaints
from the fans.
The site of the matches has undergone an extensive
renovation for this season's tournament.
Special ring-side tatami boxes for a 15-day tournament
cost ¥50,000 for the Special A class, ¥42,000 for the Special B’s
and ¥20,000 for Class C.
One of Japan's ancient sports, reported to have
originated about 1,500 years ago, sumo was first a part of a religious
ceremony offering prayers for good harvests or for the people's well-being.
Even today there are religious rites accompanying the sumo match.
Pillars Removed