Re: Sumo Sexism

["Da Kine Sumo E-zine & Web site from Kawika" <dakinesumo@hotmail.com>]

I would guess that sumo was banned because the Tokugawa Shogunate was unable 
to tax it, unlike other forms of entertainment.  During that period, it was 
a street brawl event and there was lots of gambling involved.

Some old-fashion women's sumo would be an interesting sight to see, IMHO.

From: "Nashinokawa" <nashinokawa@parbrook.free-online.co.uk>
>To: "sumo mailing list" <sumo@brooks.statgen.ncsu.edu>
>Subject: Sumo Sexism
>Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 23:20:52 +0100
>
>I hope I don't reopen more wounds with this but, like many things around 
>the
>world such rules often come about from all sorts of incidents that happen 
>in
>history.
>
>I have heard that one of the reasons for the rule, was that back in the 
>days
>of the mid-Tokugawa period when sumo was trying to reestablish itself  (it
>was banned for a while -- reasons at the end) as a form of entertainment,
>one of the things that grew up alongside was a form of woman's sumo that 
>was
>less to do with athletic prowess and more to do with sexual entertainment
>(likened in the article I read to the mudwrestling of its day). This form 
>of
>entertainment had various forms of bouts, including blind men wrestling the
>women (plently of groping apparently..) It was a parody of the real thing
>with the woman taking on shikona with sexual innuendo and wearing a form of
>wig with the hair tied in a chon-mage (actually made out of a partially
>split half-coconut with the fronds of the coconut tied up to give the 
>syle.)
>
>Anyway not unnaturally the "association" such as it was at that time did 
>not
>wish to be associated with this form of sumo and so the doyho rules came
>into being, along.  In time these have been codified into cultural rules
>with quasi-religious reasons to support them.
>
>(other examples in history are the banning of woman from power in the RC
>church -- some woman abbots stirred up too much trouble in the eyes of the
>men of the time -- and present no woman emperor rules in Japan -- the last
>woman empress had a lover who weilded too much power and stirred up a lot 
>of
>trouble about 1000 years ago)
>
>Personally, I would like to see the rules changed to allow woman to cut
>retiring rikishi's hair on the dohyo (they can do it for rikishi who do not
>qualify for a kokugikan danpatsu), present prizes etc..  And, my guess is
>that eventually things will change, as culturally Japan becomes more
>tolerant in this regard.  There are cases certainly in the UK of male only
>golf club clubhouses (or bars) and it is only in the past year that MCC
>(Cricket's spiritual home club, with the main UK cricket stadium) voted to
>allow woman members.  Having said that, however, a major aspect that I
>appreciate about "Ozumo"  is the conservatism of the sumo association in
>trying to keep its traditions and distintive culture alive and as an
>outsider, I have to take the parts I like along with those I don't, and
>enjoy the sport for what it is.
>
>Cheers
>
>Peter (Nashinokawa)
>
>Why the Shogunate banned sumo(As promised):
>Sumo was banned in the early part of the Tokugawa period as the bashos that
>were held (usually using displaced (or materless) samurai (Ronin) for the
>wrestlers) often degenerated into sword fights with people getting killed.
>The events were often held to support temples so were a form of charity
>entertainment (Kanjin-Sumo).
>
>After being banned for a while a proposal was made to hold a tournament
>under some strict guidelines about behaviour. The shogun authorities at the
>time accepted this and a charity sumo event went ahead which was very
>successful.  The codes used there are the basis for the present rules and
>form of sumo as we see it today, although obviously things are much more
>formalised now.
>
>The history of sumo in supporting the temples etc is still seen today as
>Ryogoku (sumo's traditional home) was/is a major location for Funerary
>Temples for the Tokyo Metropolis.
>
>
>
>




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Kawika

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