Big Fat Foreigners Break Barriers of Japan’s Sumo Culture

Japan’s Ancient Formerly Semi-Sacred
Sumo Sport Invaded by Gaijin!

Boyé Lafayette De Mente

Sumo wrestling in Japan goes back more than two thousand years and for a very long time was a Shinto-oriented ritual whose outcome could be a good omen or a bad omen that was taken seriously.

There was also a time when the bouts were to the death, but they were not viewed as entertainment as were the gladiator bouts of ancient Rome—a dramatic statement as to the seriousness of the role they played in Japan’s early culture.

And then back in 1962, something incredible happened. A Hawaiian named Jesse James Kuhaulua was admitted into the exclusive world of the sumo—breaking with a tradition that was nearly as hidebound as the country’s imperial system.

Renamed Takamiyama, Jesse underwent years of a training regime that is more rigorous, more demanding, than that of a marine boot camp. In his 10th year, by which time had had set numerous records, some of which still stand, Jesse was promoted to the top division of sumodom.

In 1982 a Hawaiian-born Samoan named Saleva’a Fuauli Atisano’e became the second gaijin (guy-jeen), or "foreigner," to be accepted into the ranks of the sumo. A huge blob of muscle and fat, Konishiki (his sumo name) rose to the rank of ozeki (oh-zay-kee), or “champion,” in just three years—one of the fastest advancements in the history of the game.

Then in 1988 along came Chad G. Rowan, another Hawaiian. Renamed Akebono, this giant of a man won tournament after tournament, and in 1993 became the first foreigner to achieve the rank of yokozuna (yoh-koh-zoo-nah), or “grand champion.” He was to reign supreme for the next eight years.

During the early years the appearance of foreigners in the exalted ranks of sumo resulted in a national debate that was often ugly, but the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) stood its guns, gradually lowering the barriers to let other foreign wrestlers into the sport because they brought world-wide attention to the game, and were a major factor in sumo being recognized as an Olympic sport.

In January 2003 the last remaining Japanese yokozuna retired, and since then this equivalent of the emperor in sumo ranks has been monopolized by foreign wrestlers.

In the spring 2007 tournament 13 of the 42 top-ranked sumo were foreigners, and the ranking grand champion was a Mongolian. This prompted Yutaka Matsumura, chairman of the Japan Sumo Association, to say: “Sumo, like Japan itself, is becoming globalized. Not everyone is happy about it, but I would say it is inevitable. I think in the end it will make us more competitive and raise the bar for greatness."

Foreigners now make up 28 percent of the upper division of wrestlers, the sport is practiced in 86 countries around the world, with exhibitions held in Las Vegas, Madison Square Garden, and elsewhere.

Successful sumo become rich and famous. After he retired, Konishiki became a TV star and a pitchman for various products. Akebono was awarded the honor of being named an elder in the JSA.

The world of the sumo is not for the faint-hearted. Sumo wrestlers live and train in a communal environment, with the newcomers doing all of the cleaning, cooking, and laundering, plus serving as slave-like attendants to senior wrestlers.

All of their training in their domestic duties, as well as their training in wrestling is in the Japanese language. They must not only learn to understand and speak Japanese, they must also learn how to read and write the complicated ideograms with which it is written.

A recent book entitled Gaikoku-jin Rikishi wa Naze Nihongo ga Umaino ka? (Why Do Foreign Wrestlers Speak Japanese Fluently?) by Waseda University Professor Satoshi Miyazaki, explains why the foreigners learn the language thoroughly. “They literally live in the language 24 hours a day, and just being a good wrestler is not enough. They must master the language in order to succeed as a sumo.”

Other foreigners wanting to learn a foreign language (and not necessarily wanting to become a sumo wrestler) should take note of a learning system that really works.

Copyright © 2007 by Boyé Lafayette De Mente
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For books on the training of Japan’s famous samurai warriors, and numerous other Japan themes see the author’s personal website at: http://www.phoenixbookspublishers.com/.