The Sumo Scene / Summer Children’s Holiday event can bring more to the ring

The long summer holiday in Japan is in full swing. Despite the heat, the energetic voices of children playing outside probably echo through the neighborhoods.

The Japan Sumo Association (JSA) captures some of that energy by hosting an annual summer event called “open sumo stable,” giving elementary and middle school students the chance to get acquainted with the sport.

The main aim of this event is to show the positive aspects of sumo wrestling, not only to the children who participate in the sport through school club activities, but also to those who have no experience with it at all.

Kasugano, the penultimate stablemaster and someone who left his mark on the sport as the legendary Yokozuna Tochinishiki of the Showa era (1926-1989), came up with the idea for this event while he was president of the JSA.

The event, which has been running for more than 40 years, was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned for the first time in four years in 2023. This year, children wearing mawashi belts will compete in the event at four stables.

At the Kasugano Stables in Ryogoku, Tokyo, it is tradition for elementary school students from Keio Yochisha Elementary School in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward to participate in the annual event.

Former sekiwake Tochiozan, now master Kiyomigata, and two wrestlers from the stable act as instructors, giving the children tips on the basics of sumo training. This includes the “shiko” ritual, which involves rocking to each side and alternately lifting and stamping the right and left feet, and “suriashi”, the sliding of the feet.

The event includes a tournament with the young participants. The children can also feel with their own eyes how big real sumo wrestlers are by bumping into them.

On the last day of the event, the children are given chanko stew, a special dish from the stable. Many of the young participants are usually so energetic that they go back for a second or third helping, according to the stable.

The number of young people who want to become sumo wrestlers has decreased rapidly in recent years. However, the event is mainly intended to improve the physical condition of children and to recruit new fans, rather than to attract wrestlers.

Some elementary school students who participated said they now felt like cheering on the wrestlers at an official sumo tournament. Many of them went to Ryogoku Kokugikan to watch matches.

“The experience of donning the mawashi will be a fond memory of their summer vacation,” said an official from Kasugano’s stable.

A summer full of unforgettable experiences will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on them.

— Kamimura is a sumo expert.