What do foreigners not understand about Japanese sumo?

If there are any impressive sports in Japan, sumo will definitely be mentioned. This sport has a very high status in Japan and is loved by many people. Actually, sumo originated in ancient China, and later developed in Japan. For many foreigners, sumo is actually unknown. It's interesting to watch some games on TV. In fact, this sport also has its own cultural traditions. So according to this aspect, let's share it today.

1, sumo is a religious ceremony.

Compared with most sports in the world today, sumo originated a long time ago, and at the same time, sumo is closely related to its religious origin. It is understood that Shinto doctrine continues to dominate the daily life of today's sumo wrestlers, and every entrance ceremony is a purification ceremony for Shinto. Every newly promoted sumo wrestlers will hold the first ceremony of entering the ring in Meiji Jingu, Tokyo, and the crown hanging on the ring is modeled after the roof of the Shinto shrine, indicating that the ring itself is a sacred place.

2. Life training is very hard

Perhaps many people can't imagine how hard the life of a sumo wrestler is. For example, low-level sumo wrestlers have the hardest life. They get up early, cook, clean and provide food, and usually wait for high-level sumo wrestlers. They even have to take a bath after training and get the final choice at dinner time.

At the same time, sumo is also a matter of seniority. If you are young and inexperienced, you will be systematically bullied and punished to motivate yourself. Besides, everyone lives together every day, unless they get married, they will get the opportunity to live independently, otherwise they will basically lose a lot of freedom like militarized management, which is an integral part of sumo culture!

3. Sumo wrestlers are not always fat.

Sumo wrestlers didn't need to be so fat before. According to some records, we can see that wrestlers were the same size as normal people at that time. Why did everyone gain weight later? In fact, the main reason is that professional sumo wrestlers don't have any classification, so every wrestler basically just wants to be as heavy as possible, which can bring great help to himself. Of course, gaining weight is not so easy. In terms of diet, it is necessary to change, exercise on an empty stomach and sleep after meals to help them convert the calories they consume (said to be as high as 65,438+00,000 per day) into a lot of calories, but the consequences are still very harmful to health.

4. No driving.

It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. After the sumo wrestlers had a serious car accident, the sumo association banned them from driving their own cars. After all, because they are overweight, it does have a great impact on driving safety, so the trips of these athletes are generally public transportation, which also gives ordinary people the opportunity to get close to these burly sports stars!

5. Sumo referees are also graded.

Sumo referees are actually like athletes. They entered the sumo world when they were young (about 16 years old) and kept their careers until they retired. The traditional clothes they wear are graded strictly according to their grades. With the improvement of their grades, they won a reputation, so they are widely known. Although it seems that the sumo referee is relaxed, it is not. At the same time, they face the risk of survival of the fittest.

You must wear traditional clothes.

According to strict rules of life, sumo wrestlers are not even allowed to choose their own clothes, including hairstyles. Similar to the samurai hairstyle in the Edo era, not only traditional clothing should be worn, but also the details of clothing should be strictly controlled. Inexperienced wrestlers must wear low-quality thin bathrobes and clogs, even in winter, while high-level wrestlers can wear fashionable robes.

7. They are not allowed to show their favorite behaviors.

In addition to strictly controlling the training schedule, sumo wrestlers also control their manners and personalities even in public. The rules stipulate that these people must keep a low profile and speak softly when they go out. In the competition, they should avoid expressing their feelings of being happy with victory or disappointed with failure. In short, the requirements are very strict, so although these sumo wrestlers are five big and three thick, they are actually very polite.

8. Women cannot participate in professional sumo competitions.

Although girls have been seen practicing sumo in some videos, there are no women in professional sumo competitions. Not only that, even female staff members are not allowed to board the sumo venue. Of course, this seems a bit sexist.

However, sumo is not always so hostile to women, but as early as the18th century, a form of female sumo was widespread in some areas of Japan. In most cases, this is just a form of entertainment, but in some parts of Japan, female sumo wrestling does play an important role in Shinto rituals. It's a pity that women's official competitions are completely banned now!