A Sumo competition in Minamata

Kids sumo, an unexpected ceremony, and the last dinner.

During the two weeks of volunteering in Minamata, in the autumn of 2019, I was invited to a sumo competition. Because of the volunteering work, I became friends with the junior high school students and they invited me to see them competing on a Sunday morning sumo match.

It was a unique opportunity so I couldn’t say no, and I was curious about it. I have to say it was a great experience, and the kids were happy to see me there.

Sumo is a traditional Japanese form of wrestling that dates back centuries, steeped in ritual, ceremony, and cultural significance. It's not just a sport but a symbol of Japanese identity and values. In the sumo ring, or dohyo, wrestlers, or rikishi, clad in traditional loincloths, engage in fierce battles of strength, technique, and strategy. The objective is simple: to force one's opponent out of the ring or make them touch the ground with any part of their body other than the soles of their feet.

A rikishi undergoes rigorous training and adheres to strict lifestyles to maintain their immense size and strength. Matches are preceded by elaborate rituals, including salt throwing to purify the ring and show respect to the gods. Every wrestler to start the match has to clap his hands to attract the attention of the gods, extend his arms to his sides and turn his palms upwards to show he is concealing no weapons.

Sumo tournaments, held six times a year, draw massive crowds and intense media coverage, with fans passionately supporting their favourite wrestlers. Rikishi are admired for their immense size, strength, and stoicism both on and off the dohyo.

Beyond its athletic spectacle, sumo embodies important cultural values such as humility, perseverance, and harmony. Wrestlers live in sumo stables, where they train, eat, and sleep under the guidance of experienced masters. They are expected to display grace and dignity, win or lose, reflecting the principles of bushido, the samurai code of conduct.

Sumo has found its way into Japanese schools as both a physical activity and a cultural practice. While not all schools may incorporate sumo into their curriculum, it's common to find sumo clubs or activities in many schools across Japan.

Sumo in Japanese schools serves several purposes. Firstly, it provides students with an opportunity for physical exercise and development. Additionally, it teaches students about discipline, perseverance, and sportsmanship, as they learn to train rigorously and compete respectfully. Moreover, sumo in schools can be a means of promoting cultural heritage and traditions.

It was interesting to be with all the parents watching the competition, learning about all these traditions and facts about this sport, but also eating very nice food that some parents were selling for the audience (picture at the beginning).

Something I learned during my volunteer days is that in Japanese schools everyone is equal, and the school provides all the necessities to students, I will delve into this in another post. For now, if you see in the first picture, the shoes stroke me: all the same and also in perfect order.

After the competition, I assisted in a particular ceremony or tradition, the Naki Sumo or "Crying Baby Sumo". This ceremony typically takes place at certain Shinto shrines during annual festivals, particularly around the time of the Shichi-Go-San festival, which celebrates the growth of children at ages three, five, and seven.

During the Naki Sumo ceremony, a rikishi holds infants or toddlers and gently tries to make them cry. It's believed that making a baby cry during this ceremony brings good luck and wards off evil spirits, ensuring the child's health and well-being. The louder the cry, the better the luck is believed to be. Parents willingly participate in this event, often bringing their babies dressed in colourful traditional attire.

While the idea of intentionally making babies cry may seem unusual, the Naki Sumo ceremony is deeply rooted in Japanese folklore and cultural beliefs, reflecting the significance of rituals and superstitions in Japanese society.

Honestly, I didn’t know what I was watching, nobody mentioned it before I went there so it was unexpected, I had to ask around and search for it on the internet to understand properly what it was. There were around 10 kids and two Rikishi who tried to make them cry, and all of them did it. It was a beautiful Sunday, a big event for the local community, I enjoyed seeing people hanging together and enjoying this occasion, and being there for me was priceless.

On the last day of the volunteer camp, we had a goodbye dinner with the community. We ate and drank together, there were several bento boxes with every type of Japanese food, beer and sake, we also watched the video of the dance we did in front of the temple for the opening of the local festival.

For this dinner they gave me a sort of badge with my name and Italy written in Japanese, I still have it. I enjoyed drinking with a man who gifted me sake in a Tetra pack, which I couldn’t bring back home with me.

I had a great time in Minamata, a unique opportunity to be in a community and share traditions and culture, I feel lucky for my experience. I think that I learned a lot of things and I underwent others that I will never forget.

From there I had to go back to Tokyo, I did it by on the way I stopped by several cities and the first one was Fukuoka. I will share about my time in this surprising city in the next blog.

See you soon,

Flavio