Sumo

Sumo is a style of competitive full-contact wrestling in which a rikishi (wrestler) seeks to drive his opponent out of a circular ring (dohy) or into touching the ground with any part of his body other than the soles of his feet by using his own body weight as leverage (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down).

Sumo began in Japan, which is the only country in the world where it is professionally performed and where it is regarded as the national sport. Although it is classified as a gendai budo, which relates to current Japanese martial arts, the sport has a long and illustrious history that dates back hundreds of years. Sumo has kept many historical traditions, and even now the sport incorporates numerous ceremonial components from other religions, such as the practise of salt cleansing, which is derived from Shinto.

The life of a wrestler is extremely controlled, with regulations set by the Japan Sumo Association that must be followed. The vast majority of sumo wrestlers are compelled to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as heya, where every element of their daily lives—from their meals to their way of dress—is regulated by rigorous traditional rules and regulations.

There have been a number of high-profile issues and scandals in the sumo world in the years 2008 to 2016, which have had an adverse influence on the sport's image and ticket sales. These have also had an impact on the sport's capacity to recruit new players. Although sumo has suffered a setback, its popularity and general attendance have revived as a result of the return of several yokozuna (or grand champions) for the first time in a period of years, as well as the presence of other high-profile wrestlers who have captured the public's imagination.