Have you ever heard this word ? It means young women who love watching grand Sumo tournament. Why do we call them like that ? Because in generally we think Sumo is dislike by them; the wrestlers are so fat and they fight almost naked. The game rule is very simple, but it is complicated about ranks : Yokozuna ( 横綱 ), Ozeki ( 大関 ), Sekiwake ( 関脇 ), Komusubi ( 小結 ) and Maegashira ( 前頭  )…

However, this sport has a very long history, and the games are so powerful ! Once you watch a live game, you can not help being interested in the Sumo world.

Now, I tell you some about its history.

We can find a description of Sumo for the first time in Nihonshoki ( 日本書紀 ) in 8th century. Until 16th century, the games had been showed for successive emperors. And then, in the Edo period ( 17th century ), this sport was held to ordinary people. When Ryogkoku stadium ( 両国国技館 ) was opened in 1909, each tournament was held for 10 days, but since 1939 it became for 15 days, also tournaments are performed 6 times a year since 1958.

Do you know any expressions about Sumo used also in our daily life ?

For example, “Jo-no-kuchi ( 序の口 ) ” which means the lowest division on the official listing of rank. In our daly life, we say this word as meaning “ the beginning of things ”. So you can say, “ This is the just begging ” in Japanese, “こんなの序の口だよ ( Konnano-jonokuchi-dayo ).”

In 2011, the Sumo society gave involved in a gambling scandal and it hanged low for several years. So that now, all of wrestlers and the association work very hard. That is why Sumo became very popular in these days with all of people. Please enjoy watching the sumo games !