Female mayor battles sumo rule allowing only men in the ring

The officials told her the ban on women entering the ring was "tradition but not discrimination"

Me thinks that these sumo officials need to get a new dictionary! This is such an ignorant response!

After a tie match don't the judges convene in the ring with a cell phone or some form of access to video replay in order to determine a winner?

How old is that tradition?

If it is a Shinto shrine, then why are Muslim and other wrestlers that follow other religions allowed in the confines of the ring.

There is pretty much still a similar attitude in the room where women give birth. Quite often, the father and other males except for the doctor which is like a god, are not allowed in the room to encourage and watch the birth of their own son or grandson, brother or sister. Shameful.

Good to see that the Mayor still have hope to change the beliefs of Japanese society.

So, women are ritually unclean.

Last time I checked, men came from women, so doesn't that make men unclean as well?

I am sympathetic to the Sumo Association in a sense. I guess they are afraid of sumo to become the same with other sports. Sumo is a serious man's fight on the ring. They are fighting, if not exaggerated, staking their lives in a few minutes or seconds battle. Femininity does not fit to the atmosphere. It will soften the air.

Yeah I think they should open sumo up to women. I’d say they’d find the market would be quite small though

"Tradition"...what nonsense!

It's just another example of institutionalised misogyny that is instilled in little emperors from a very young age.

It will change. See

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vpf_Q2Qrxfk

The officials told her the ban on women entering the ring was "tradition but not discrimination"

In some way I'm glad to see that this horse manure of an excuse is not exclusively flung at foreigners.

but promised to discuss the issue at a meeting of executive officials,

Shall we change it? hmmm (close eyes, tilt head, fold arms) Muzukashii ne

That's it. Discussed.

Nakagawa told reporters after the closed-door meeting.

Always a closed-door meeting

If it is a Shinto shrine, then why are Muslim and other wrestlers that follow other religions allowed in the confines of the ring.

Haruka, the real question we should be asking is If it is a Shinto shrine, then why are women not allowed in the confines of the ring? Especially when Shinto espouses the belief that the most powerful diety is a GODDESS NOT a GOD- Amaterasu.

I guess they are afraid of sumo to become the same with other sports. Sumo is a serious man's fight on the ring. They are fighting, if not exaggerated, staking their lives in a few minutes or seconds battle. Femininity does not fit to the atmosphere. It will soften the air.

Schopenhauer- I guess you have never heard of Tomoe Gozen?

Tomoe Gozen 1157 – 1247) was a late twelfth-century female samurai warrior (**onna-bugeisha), known for her bravery and strength.[1] She married Minamoto no Yoshinaka and served him in the Genpei War[2] and was a part of the conflict that led to the first shogunate in Japan.[**

Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair, and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoe_Gozen

Also, my advice is don't let the likes of Rhonda Roussey or Gina Carano hear you say that.

After a tie match don't the judges convene in the ring with a cell phone or some form of access to video replay in order to determine a winner?

Exactly. Anytime the status-quo is rightfully challenged or questioned in Japan the goal posts are always moved and the word 'tradition' is rolled out. It's so childish.

They are fighting, if not exaggerated, staking their lives in a few minutes or seconds battle.

How many sumo have died 'fighting' as you put it? Not counting the young ones who were abused in their stable of course... I think we have vastly differing opinions what a fight is. Sumo is a professional sport with clearly defined rules.

So what's stopping her from starting her own Sumo ring? Why does she have to force men to allow women in? Why not start she or women sumo officials start their own?

It is just a man thing. Men need their own safe spaces.

Does anyone seriously believe women to be ritually unclean nowadays? Are people ever going to look back and say "remember the good old days before our tradition changed and women weren't allowed in here, even for medical emergencies?* I think not.

And as for Shinto, how many shrines would fall into decay without the neighborhood women looking after them, geez.

I've been an avid sumo fan for almost 20 years now, but this issue has made me decide to throw in the towel. This is just plain discrimination. Its mean, its ugly and I want to have no part of it.

The only argument they can muster in favor of continuing this nonsense is "tradition", which is just another way of admitting that they have no valid arguments to make in defense of it.

So no more of me attending tournaments, watching the sport on NHK, buying souvenirs, commenting on news articles here or any of that stuff.

I’m trying to find it but a while ago I read an article by a Sumo Historical Researcher who said “traditionally” non-sumo people, be they male or female, were not allowed in the dohyo.

Also, “traditionally” sumo wrestlers were all amateurs. No money involved. Hmm, I wonder why that tradition was tossed to the wind.

Schopenhauer -

Death in the Ring! Fight! Battle it Out! Except, of course, when the matches are fixed.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/05/20/news/sumo-panel-concedes-match-fixing-deep-rooted/#.Wtlf8oqRWhA

Plus:

as early as the 18th century a form of female sumo or onnazumo was performed

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_in_professional_sumo

Finally, does anyone know of any sumo wrestlers who died in the dohyo? (Not through hazing in their stables)? Was sumo ever ‘to the death’? Just wondering.

Was sumo ever ‘to the death’?

I know of no specific cases, but you can infer the possibility that it historically did happen from the rituals they perform. They raise their hands to show that they are not carrying any weapons before each bout. This suggests that early in the sports development it was a lot more violent than it is now and wrestlers would sometimes sneak weapons in which may have inflicted serious or fatal injuries in some cases. Not sure though.

Just to explain my previous post, I didn't mean to suggest that Sumo was ever "to the death", but rather that it is possible that someone may have died in the ring at some point over its more than thousand year history.

considers women to be ritually unclean

Unclean is only a speculation.  The tradition is so old that nobody knows what was the original reason.

Schpenhauer, Tina, I agree with you on this one.

Sumo should be left alone. Women are not being harmed. If people have serious issues with sumo they can choose not to watch or support it.

Sumo should be left alone. Women are not being harmed. If people have serious issues with sumo they can choose not to watch or support it.

IF Sumo was totally privately run and privately funded, I MIGHT agree with you, but it is taxpayer funded, so, blatantly discriminatory practices based upon sex, which is technically against the constitution of Japan, you know equal rights and all that, so they probably could make a court case against the discrimination, but seeing as how this is Japan, they do it their way.

So what's stopping her from starting her own Sumo ring? 

You really don't understand the problem if you are asking this question. It's got nothing to do with women participating in sumo, it's about the "tradition" of not letting women in the ring, which is BS as their are amateur women wrestlers, so the women in the ring BS is just that, BS.

Japanese used to have a tradition of slitting their bellies for atonement for real or perceived misdeeds, if the Sumo association is all so worried about tradition, I suggest they start lining up and bearing their guts with a short sword...you know tradition and all, with all the scandals and what not.....

"Tomoko Nakagawa told AFP before taking her case to the sumo authorities in Tokyo."

The "sumo authorities"... that in itself means she will never, ever change their minds. They are the authority on sexism, that's for sure.

tinawatanabe: " The tradition is so old that nobody knows what was the original reason."

All the more reason to change it, since you can't justify it existing if you have no reason for the sexism. Sexism is not "tradition", or at least not one you should be proud of at all. Time to change the sport, or make it a black mark in cultural history. Sumo has a chance to move forward, or else it deserves to die in the past.

Yubaru: "if the Sumo association is all so worried about tradition, I suggest they start lining up and bearing their guts with a short sword...you know tradition and all, with all the scandals and what not....."

What... and ask them to actually be honorable instead of just claiming to honor things? Never! TIJ.