[sumo] New Exhibit at Sumo Museum in the Ryogoku Kokugikan

[Joe Kuroda <joe_kuroda@yahoo.com>]

A new exhibition has started yesterday at the Sumo
Museum in the Ryogoku Kokugikan. The theme of this one
is called "Ozumo's First" as they are exhibiting a
variety of "the first" of its kind.

Unfortunately the Kyokai does not have an English page
for this on their website so you need to check over at
their Japanese page at
http://www.sumo.or.jp/museum/tenji/index.html

Here are more or less what's on the page for those
Japanese challenged and without a translation
software.

1. Origin of Sumo 

The first drawing you see depicts a mythical sumo bout
between "Nomi No Sukune" and "Taima No Kehaya" based
on a classic Japanese literature "Nihon Shoki". The
story itself is considered to be a legend. (We
discussed it in this SumoForum thread if you are
interested,
http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4261

The "Nihon Shoki" also documents what is believed to
be the first ever sumo competition occurring on July
22, 642 when an event was staged for the messengers
arriving from the land of Kudara (currently Korean
Peninsula) by assembling "healthy" soldiers from all
across Japan. 

Additionally sumo relics dating from the sixth century
have been discovered from old tombs in Japan so sumo
is generally considered to have started at least by
that period. 

* The painting of the bout between "Nomi No Sukune"
and "Taima No Kehaya" was drawn in 1885.


2. Banzuke 

The earliest date the Banzuke was printed on paper was
believed to be around 1711 to 1716. It is not clear
when the banzuke actually started but it is generally
assumed that by 1688-1704 it was already in existence.
Initially the East and West side was printed
separately and the banzuke consisted of the pair. In
October 1757 the first Banzuke with both East and West
rikishis listed was created. 

* The picture shows Edo Sumo Banzuke printed in
October 1757.


3. Yokozuna 

The origin of Yokozuna is not clear but it may have
stemmed from a Shinto religious ceremony when a rope
was used for a ground breaking ceremony. 

The number of Yokozuna is based on the Yokozuna
Memorial Monument erected by Kyugoro Jinmaku in 1900
at Tomioka Hachimangu located in Tokyo's Edogawa-ward.
We've had 68 Yokozunas up to now (there is one
addiotional named etched on the monument as one
"exceptional" rikishi, Raiden as discussed in an issue
of Le Monde du Sumo at http://www.lemondedusumo.com/
).