C. Viewing Japanese Society through Sumo

What are the characteristics Japanese society is known (notorious?) for? Meritocracy, seniority-based hierachy, relativism, groupism, lifetime employment, group loyalty, exam hell, textbook education, chauvinism and xenophobia, among others. Sumo more than any other traditional sport or art reflects these characteristics. And, perhaps more importantly, it also reflects the changes that post-bubble economy Japan has undergone and continues to undergo. Not all the above-mentioned characteristics will be examined, but a few of the most obvious ones will be presented here.

1. Sumo Rankings and Meritocracy

Japanese society is generally viewed as a meritocracy. The ones who succeed are said to be those who win due to their intellectual, athletic or artistic abilities, not their family name or economic standing. Nothing relfects this stereotype more than the ranking system in sumo.

2. Hierarchy and Age Inside the Sumo-beya

Meritocracy aside, let us say, for example, that two men are both graduates of Nagoya University School of Law. Who takes precedence? The older one, of course. This is the Japanese system of senpai-kohai (senior-junior). If both are equal in terms of credentials, the older one--and by older we do not necessarily mean age but year of entrance to the organization-- gets the deeper bow. In a sumo-beya, likewise, even if both rikishi are in the jonidan division, the one who has entered the heya first is given senpai status, even if he happens to be younger than the latecomer.

3. Sumo, Women and Japanese Chauvinism

Reischauer writes in his famous book's chapter on Japanese women that "the wife may be the dominant member of the family, but women still have an overwhelmingly subservient position in the broader society" (The Japanese Today: Change and Continuity. Tokyo: Tuttle, 1988). This is also the case in the sumo world. While the okamisan (stable owner's wife) in a sumo-beya plays a major role in the lives of the rikishi, all other women are merely spectators. Hall says that "sumo is a traditional, male sport", and thus women should keep this in mind when visiting a sumo-beya (Hall, p. 24).

With the exception of royalty, women have been allowed to attend a tournament only in the 20th century. Women's sumo was banned in the 19th century as being "harmful to public morals" (quoted in Sharnoff, p. 172), and although a version of it is still performed in Kyushu, it is quite unpopular.

D. The Sumo World and the Foreign Rikishi

How did the traditionally closed, exclusivist world of sumo react to the entrance of the foreign rikishi? This phenomenon was bound to happen sooner or later, as it was fated that Commodore Perry and his crew would one day come knocking on Tokugawa's door.

1. Takamiyama: First Foreigner to Win a Championship

The man known as the "father of foreign rikishi" is, not surprisingly, an American who went by the name "Takamiyama". Originally from Hawaii, Takamiyama took the sumo world by storm by taking the 1974 Nagoya Basho championship, the first time a foreigner actually won a tournament. Preceeding Takamiyama were several rikishi from Asian countries, but none of them went as far as Takamiyama did. Given his bright personality and winning techniques, Takamiyama developed a strong following among Japanese sumo fans and reached as high as sekiwake level. Not all Japanese, however, were pleased with the American's astounding success. When Takamiyama was set to retire, the sumo association announced a new rule wherein non-Japanese would not be allowed to buy the precious toshiyori kabu (elders' stock), that all-important property needed by a rikishi to be able to continue working for the sumo association as an oyakata. Most of Takamiyama's fans thought that he should be exempted from this rule since he was married to a Japanese and had gone so far in terms of achievement, but it was out of the question. Takamiyama, who wanted to keep his American citizenship but also wished to become an oyakata, finally decided to give up his American passport.

2. Konishiki: Troubles with the Sumo Association

Probably the most beloved--as well as most notorious--among the Hawaiian wave or rikishi is the indomitable Konishiki. Lively, very intelligent, outspoken, multi-talented, Konishiki literally changed the face of sumo, and is known as the epitome of the oogata rikishi (rikishi of gigantic size), the ultimate picture of an anko-gata (rounded) rikishi. Despite his great following and the fact that he won three--albeit non-consecutive--championships, Konishiki never got past the ozeki position. In a widely-publicized scandal, Konishiki had supposedly complained to a newspaper that the reason he continued to be denied promotion to yokozuna was the mere fact of his being a foreigner. This enraged the sumo association, and Konishiki had to hold a press conference wherein he tearfully denied ever complaining about his non-promotion. Needless to say, Konishiki had to take all the backlash against foreign rikishi in general, as he was the first-ever foreign ozeki and a frank and outspoken one at that. There were rumors that the rijicho (sumo association chairman) himself had remarked of Konishiki as being "hin ga nai" (rude, no class).

3. Akebono: A Foreigner Makes it to Yokozuna

Akebono was the first ever foreigner to be promoted to yokozuna. Of course, his promotion was a world-wide cause for celebration. An interesting point noted by some Konishiki fans was the fact that Akebono, compared to Konishiki, was much more Nihonjin-rashii ("Japanese-like"). Softspoken, polite, hardworking, quiet and extremely fluent in Japanese, Akebono was the ideal poster boy for the sumo association, already stung by criticisms that they were limiting the number of foreign rikishi entering sumo by promoting the unspoken, unwritten rule of a sumo-beya not having more than two foreign rikishi. Akebono did not disappoint any of his fans, winning a total of nine championships with the chances for a few more, despite his frequent injuries.

4. Musashimaru: Another Climbs to the Top

Musashimaru, the second foreign yokozuna, broke a whispered accusation that only Nihonjin-rashii rikishi could ever become yokozuna. Maru, who speaks only intermediate-level Japanese and is known for not liking Japanese food or music, was promoted to yokozuna, but there's a but here, of course. His fans wonder why it took him so long to be promoted, and question the fact that he was only allowed promotion after winning a total of five championships, a record for an ozeki. Maru is a record holder for having continuously attained kachi-koshi (majority wins) for every tournament he has entered since being promoted to the top makuuchi division. Indeed, Maru's consistent performance raised eyebrows on why he had to have to be made to win two consecutive championships before receiving his long-awaited tsuna (lit. "rope", the thick, white, braided rope that the yokozuna wears during the ring ceremony).