I. Introduction

Utchari. Katasukashi. Isamiashi. These words are commonly used to describe events in the world of Japanese politics. However, these are actually terms that originated from sumo. Sumo is not only Japan's national sport, it is also the most ancient and can be said to be truly, originally Japanese. This paper is written under the assumption that analyzing the development and characteristics of sumo is one way of analyzing the development and characterisitcs of Japanese society in general and its internationalization (or the lack thereof) in particular. A look at the foreign rikishi (lit. "strong man", a sumo practioner) who have entered the world of sumo and how they were treated may serve as a window to understanding how foreign workers in Japan are regarded as a whole.

A. Background of this Paper

There are probably literally a million and one ways to analyze Japanese society through the study of one of her ancient traditional arts. It seems that the most commonly used framework of analysis used by non-Japanese is Zen Buddhism. A visit to any library would yield book upon book of Japanese cultural studies that parallel Zen with the present traits of the Japanese people. Japanese psychology in particular is seldom studied without some reference to Zen. Another commonly used standpoint is Shinto, the "way of the gods." Not surprisingly, Bushido ("way of the warrior") is also used quite often, especially by the Japanese themselves. The Japanese penchant for suicide is sometimes explained as a remnant of the practice of seppuku (ritual disembowelment or "harakiri") done by dishonored warriors of centuries back. In a book titled Bushido: The Soul of Japan by Nitobe Inazo (Tokyo: Tuttle, 1969), the author claims that understanding bushido is a must for understanding the Japanese mind and heart. Bushido is said here to be the unwritten code of laws governing the lives of the Japanese and is the key to the answers as to why certain feudalistic ideas and customs prevail in Japan, economically modernized as it is. Westerners, for their part, have shown such a fascination with bushido that in the bubble years of the 80s, when the Japanese economy seemed invincible, many Westerners seemed unable to help themselves from writing books on management, economic strategy, business techniques etc supposedly based on the ways of the samurai.

B. Objectives

Given the above background, this research aims to
1. Draw a parallel study of Japanese history and sumo history as the basis for certain assumptions regarding the viability of using sumo as a framework of analysis of Japanese society;
2. Categorize certain Japanese social traits and characteristics and compare them with that of sumo;
3. Take a look at several foreign rikishi who revolutionized sumo, and study their impact on the sumo world, how they were treated by this world, and their failures and successes. These will then be used to draw a general sketch of Japan's road to internationalization and the Japanese's response to the foreign migrants and their success/failure and acceptance/rejection in Japanese society.
4. Draw a conclusion from the above and include an analysis of the future prospects of sumo as an international sport, and in parallel, the prospects of Japan as a nation more receptive (for better or for worse) to foreign migrants.

C. Scope and Limitation

Unfortunately, this paper is entirely library-based. There are no interviews with rikishi or people involved with sumo, since my schedule as well as my shyness did not allow me to meet with these people. Not only that, it is extremely difficult for foreigners who are not members of the press to hold interviews with rikishi or oyakata (stable master), and given my lowly status and lack of press credentials, I found it impossible to get in contact with the right people.

Furthermore, while this paper treats the section on internationalization in considerable detail, only generalities are used in the section paralleling Japanese societal traits with that of sumo, since a detailed presentation would result in an unacceptably long paper.

D. Assumptions

This paper assumes that analyzing the development and characteristics of sumo is one way of analyzing the development and characteristics of Japanese politics and society in general, and postwar diplomacy and internationalization in particular. This assumption rests under the claim that sumo, more than any other Japanese traditional art or sport, represents what is and is not Japanese.