Entrance Ceremony

A day before the Grand Tournament, a special religious ceremony is held in order to remind wrestlers of their religious duties and to purify the ring in accordance with Shinto custom. This ritual is known as the Dohyo Matsuri and involves the offering of prayers for divine blessing. The ceremony consists of a senior ranking Gyoji (referee) dressed in the traditional white robes of a Shinto priest, to officiate over the ceremony. Offerings consisting of kelp, cuttlefish and chestnuts are placed within the ring for the deities of heaven, earth and the four seasons, and various prayers are offered for the safety of the wrestlers competing in the tournament.

The ring entering ceremony is one of the oldest ceremonies which up to now are being practised. On the day of the tournament, all the wrestlers, in their respective ranks, file into the ring and participate in a ceremony to purify their bodies and spirits. The ceremony is also said to "signify a pledge to the deities that the wrestlers will fight fairly and with the proper spirit".

The Yokozuna, or Grand Champion, has his own separate ring-entering ceremony, in which he wears a special Mawashi (apron) from which hang the five white zig-zag folded paper strips, found at the entrance to Shinto shrines, and used in Shinto ritual.

Another tradition is the act of throwing salt across the ring immediately preceding a bout. The amount thrown depends on the wrestler, and can range from merely a pinch to a large handful, but the basic function is that of purification. This refers back to the time when salt "was believed to have a purifying power over evil spirits and against defilement."The sumo match today is still viewed as being of religious importance, with the wrestlers themselves constantly reminded of their spiritual and religious duties and obligations when practicing the game.

Through the various ceremonies, they are constantly reminded that gaining victory is only of secondary importance, and that "the greatest significance of Japanese wrestling is the harmonious blending of the profound religious sense of courtesy with the whole-hearted struggle of contestants mobilizing all their mental and physical resources."

Professional Sumo can trace its roots back to the Edo Period in Japan as a form of sporting entertainment. The original wrestlers were probably samurai, often ronin, who needed to find an alternative form of income.