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IN THE QUIRKS continued


15-feet in diameter) or force them down on to the ground. The mystique of sumo wrestling does lay in its attention to ritual.


Matches may last only seconds, but the lead up to the match takes time. Rikishi enter the doyho by tossing salt into the ring, purifying the competition area, and driving away evil spirits. Legs are raised, and rikishi clap to show their opponent that they possess no weapons. Wrestlers intimidate each other in a number of pre-bout rituals – including shiko leg stomps. There is dramatic posturing – stretching, stomping, and salt-tossing. A sumo match does not start until both  commences the match. This can lead to an extended session of pos- turing, as each wrestler works to psyche out his opponent, pretending  The matches are fervent – bodies locking, twisting, rippling, pound-


ing, and dropping. Despite the brevity of actual wrestling, the matches are intense and emotional – both for wrestlers and spectators – espe- cially if a yokozuna is competing. A yokozuna is a sumo wrestler who has reached the highest ranking,


and if a yokozuna is defeated by a lower-ranked wrestler, it is expected and common for fans to toss their seat cushions at the wrestlers and into the doyho – although this action is technically forbidden. The world’s most important facility to house sumo tournaments is


 Built in 1985, it houses 11,098 people. Within the facility, the canopy that hangs over the doyho is modelled after the roof of a Shinto shrine,


30 Facility Manager Magazine


indicating to all that the ring itself is a holy place. Annually, there are three main tournaments (honbasho). These in-


clude January’s Hatsu (new year) Honbasho, May’s Natsu (summer) Honbasho, and the Aki (autumn) Honbasho in September. Each tour- nament begins on a Sunday, and runs for 15 days, also ending on a   translates to, “the pleasure of a thousand autumns.” 


Japan’s 2020 Summer Olympics. The largest Honbasho in the U.S. – the U.S. Sumo Open, occurs


each May at the Walter Pyramid, at Cal State Long Beach. Billed as the largest, longest-running sumo competition in North America, it features 60 international sumo wrestlers from Japan, Mongolia, India,     and USA. With its mixture of tradition, religion, culture, and sport, sumo


wrestling does continue to represent an unequivocally unique aspect of Japan. As it grapples with issues of unyielding traditions and chang- ing perspectives of gender and culture, it may need to yield to new expectations. For now, sumo wrestling continues to champion an im- posing aspect of Japan’s remarkable identity. FM


Glen Mikkelsen, CVE, is general manager of the CN Centre in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.


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