Girls excluded from sumo event

You can't be a "tradition" and a sport at the same time. Pick one.

Poor treatment of women is still sadly common here in Japan.

Now here is a prime opportunity for these folks to tell the sumo association to not even bother coming

The following is BS and everyone with half a brain knows this!

The decision was made in consideration of the safety (of the girls), as we have received opinions from parents and organizers claiming they have been frequently injured," a sumo association official said.

..this is a stupid reason, I suspect a hidden agenda behind the poor excuse they've come up with (giving in to the girls' parents complaining, perhaps). Also, the "uncleanliness" reasoning for not allowing adult females in the dohyo should not apply to children...

Sounds like 'news' flashback to 1958...

Cities and venues should stop inviting them, the men that run sumo belong in a museum with the other dinosaurs.

It's because females menstruate . That is seen as unclean. These boys seem to forget where they came from.

The Japanese womens rugby team could show these idiots about rough and tumble.

I don't know why any girl would want to be a part of this remnant of savagery, but hey, culture and money walk hand in hand...

I think many places that has sumo fan businessmen who invite sumou kougyo will decline sumou Jungyou. Sponsors are called kanjinmoto. They usually invite sumo that are not profittablee. They will be hiding this as excuse to stop money losing event. Sponsooors usually have duuughtersm tooo.

The last 20 years since I've been following sumo has been one disappointment after another.

From the chagrin of having too many Mongolian yokozunas and ozekis, ousting by pressure one of the most exciting yokozunas - Asashoryu, hazing death of a young rikishi and countless beating accusations, the blackballing of having women allowed in the dojo for any reason, and now this, not allowing any little girl sumo wrestlers to join their boy counterparts in this sumo event.

If this isn't shooting yourself in the foot in promoting the future of sumo, then I don't know what is. This sport needs a huge makeover. People should demand the excuses for abuse and sexism no longer be waved under the banner of tradition.

Sponsooors usually have duuughtersm tooo.

Less Dutch, more English please toshiko. But I do enjoy your posts, when I can understand them

everyone knows girls are dirty and impure, that's why they're banned from the sacred dohyou

it does not matter if people are facing a medical emergency, dirty impure beings must be prevented from entering the sacred space of the dohyou.

that's how it's always been.

for the sarcasm impaired, sarcasm has been integrated into this post

When sumo operate as routing entertainment to make money, they may start to prohibit female viewers.

It is dieing sport anyway.

The decision was made in consideration of the safety (of the girls), as we have received opinions from parents and organizers claiming they have been frequently injured," a sumo association official said.

So the boys can be quietly hurt?

An irrelevant 'sport' these days if there ever was one.

Folks, conveniently left out in the article is the fact that last year, at this very same event, GIRLS participated!

The sumo association's "concern" is first and foremost, the safety of the "girls", hence their making this demand, excuse me, request! (I wrote that beating my head against the wall at the stupidity of the comment!)

It's because females menstruate . That is seen as unclean.

And how does that affect elementary school aged GIRLS!

And how does that affect elementary school aged GIRLS!

It's a slippery slope?

of course the reason for banning the little girls is ridiculous.

the "uncleanliness" reasoning for not allowing adult females in the dohyo should not apply to children

The "uncleanliness" 'reasoning' should not apply to adult females, either. There is nothing unclean about a healthy, fully-functioning woman of child-bearing age. I'd say in the general run of things, it's as sacred as you can get. Certainly much more sacred than sweaty old men embroiled in bribery scandals, bullying and drunken brawls.

we have received opinions from parents and organizers claiming they have been frequently injured

If that were the case, it's surely up to the parents of girls to decide whether they want their delicate little darlings to participate. Boys of course never get injured. (rolls eyes)

If that were the case, it's surely up to the parents of girls to decide whether they want their delicate little darlings to participate. Boys of course never get injured. (rolls eyes)

It's the "nadeshiko" (flower syndrome) here, of making girls out be be strong in will yet delicate and fragile!

I threw up in my mouth writing that!

This dying sport should be shut down and left as a footnote in the history books already. Seriously! People who argue it is "tradition" only argue that Japan is a dinosaur that will never change, and is sexist, and I don't think the nation as a whole is. If girls/women are not allowed to participate, the even should be shut down. Period.

Wonder what It-girl Kozue Akimoto, daughter of Mitsugu Chiyonofuji, one of the greatest champions of recent times thinks about it :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYbKz1x3IIs

https://www.wikifeet.com/Kozue_Akimoto#&gid=1&pid=7