The Ban on Women in the Sumo Ring Calls for a Closer Look at “Tradition”
CHINO Keiko / Journalist
May 29, 2018
A mayor delivering his speech suddenly collapses on the sumo ring. Seeing this, several women in the audience, including a nurse, rushes to his side. As the nurse performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the Japan Sumo Association repeatedly announces over the loudspeaker: “Ladies, please leave the ring.” It was this incident that prompted the latest discussion concerning sumo’s ban on women entering the “dohyo” ring.
It is not exactly news. In well-known incidents from the past, Moriyama Mayumi, the first female Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Ota Fusae, the first female governor of Osaka, were both denied permission to step inside the ring. Now, at long last, it seems the Sumo Association has been spurred to action. Chairman Hakkaku Nobuyoshi – the former yokozuna Hokutoumi – said the association will review the issue by consulting experts and by conducting surveys on “the dohyo and women.” This time around, it’s “matta nashi (time’s up),” and delaying tactics will not be tolerated.
Which is more important, the tradition of banning women from the ring, or human life? The answer is obvious – lives are more valuable. Some may hold the minority view of defending tradition to the death, but such a view would be an absolute minority. After all, you do need to be alive to preserve tradition.
As a woman and a sumo fan, I’m not about to condemn the ban on women as gender discrimination. Even in the world today, where democracy, human rights, liberty and equality are respected as universal values, I don’t believe that such a custom should be completely denied. Rather, the problem lies in the ambiguity of the “tradition” cited by the Sumo Association and those who support the ban.
What does “tradition” mean? The Meikyo Japanese Dictionary defines it as “things such as ideas, skills, customs and conventions that have been passed down in tangible and intangible forms by a group, society or ethnic group. Also, to inherit such things.” Other dictionaries offer more or less the same definition, and I basically agree. However, once we begin to question the when, how and why, we find that the circumstances surrounding each tradition are varied and distinct, making matters more complicated.
In the case of the ban on women entering the dohyo, while it may indeed be a tradition, it isn’t quite as old as is widely perceived, or as vague as to be simply described as ancient. It is reasonable to believe that the convention is closely associated with the Meiji Restoration, which took place 150 years ago. That was when the shogunate of the Edo period collapsed and gave way to reforms that led to the establishment of the Meiji government. Sumo was not spared from the wave of reforms; it faced an existential crisis.
Until the Meiji Restoration – in other words, throughout the Edo Period – sumo enjoyed great popularity as a form of entertainment. Far from being banned from the ring, female wrestlers were part of a popular show. Incredibly, even bouts against visually impaired male wrestlers were organized, which was an obvious infringement on the latter’s human rights. Moreover, these shows frequently took place at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.
It is a well-known fact that the Meiji Restoration accelerated Japan’s modernization, and since that was equivalent to Westernization, the Western-style Rokumeikan guesthouse was built and everything Western became all the rage. From the standpoint of such values, women’s sumo was out of the question, while men’s sumo – fought between scantily clad men – was also frowned upon. Yet, crisis also presented an opportunity, and sumo survived by staging a brilliant turnaround.
The sumo world began by emphasizing sumo’s historical ties with Shinto ritual, and while maintaining some elements of entertainment, the sport was formalized in a bid to enhance its status. Fortunately, sumo was helped by objections to excessive Westernization and its popularity among the public. In my personal opinion, if not for the public mood at the time and its popularity, sumo could well have become extinct amid the momentous changes that took place during the Meiji Period.
And so in the 17th year of Meiji, or 1884, a sumo tournament was held in the presence of the Emperor, while the Kokugikan – the Hall of National Sport – was built in 1909. Sumo had become worthy of being called the national sport of Japan. Thus, the ban on women could be described as a tradition that was intimately connected to the Meiji Restoration.
In its original form, Japanese sumo had a particularly close association with women. The first record of sumo appears in the “Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan)” compiled in the early 8th century, as a wrestling match between “unume” court ladies, according to a paper titled “The Tradition of Banning Women in Sumo” by Yoshizaki Shoji and Inano Kazuhiko. Meanwhile, women’s sumo continued to be held in some places until 1956. In that sense, we could also describe women’s sumo as a tradition, even though – strictly speaking – it had now become an “obsolete tradition.”
Indeed, some traditions are handed down over generations, while others fade out. Much depends on the trends of the times. But it will not do to simply ride the current, and it is even more dangerous to rest on the status of a tradition without heeding the changing trends. To improve with each new day. That is precisely how tradition maintains its contemporary relevance.
“Ladies, please leave the ring” – this announcement, which triggered the latest discussion, is a negative example of resting on tradition. I don’t think the person who made the announcement meant to disregard life. Faced with an unexpected situation he had panicked, and without even thinking, equated the dohyo with the ban on women in a conditioned response. To me, the problem lies in the way people cease to think and instead act with self-righteous conviction, which is truly deplorable.
It so happens that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration. As we contemplate the ban on women, we should also take this opportunity to reflect on the significance of the Meiji Restoration as well.
Keiko Chino is a freelance journalist and Guest Columnist of the Sankei Shimbun.
It is not exactly news. In well-known incidents from the past, Moriyama Mayumi, the first female Chief Cabinet Secretary, and Ota Fusae, the first female governor of Osaka, were both denied permission to step inside the ring. Now, at long last, it seems the Sumo Association has been spurred to action. Chairman Hakkaku Nobuyoshi – the former yokozuna Hokutoumi – said the association will review the issue by consulting experts and by conducting surveys on “the dohyo and women.” This time around, it’s “matta nashi (time’s up),” and delaying tactics will not be tolerated.
Which is more important, the tradition of banning women from the ring, or human life? The answer is obvious – lives are more valuable. Some may hold the minority view of defending tradition to the death, but such a view would be an absolute minority. After all, you do need to be alive to preserve tradition.
As a woman and a sumo fan, I’m not about to condemn the ban on women as gender discrimination. Even in the world today, where democracy, human rights, liberty and equality are respected as universal values, I don’t believe that such a custom should be completely denied. Rather, the problem lies in the ambiguity of the “tradition” cited by the Sumo Association and those who support the ban.
What does “tradition” mean? The Meikyo Japanese Dictionary defines it as “things such as ideas, skills, customs and conventions that have been passed down in tangible and intangible forms by a group, society or ethnic group. Also, to inherit such things.” Other dictionaries offer more or less the same definition, and I basically agree. However, once we begin to question the when, how and why, we find that the circumstances surrounding each tradition are varied and distinct, making matters more complicated.
In the case of the ban on women entering the dohyo, while it may indeed be a tradition, it isn’t quite as old as is widely perceived, or as vague as to be simply described as ancient. It is reasonable to believe that the convention is closely associated with the Meiji Restoration, which took place 150 years ago. That was when the shogunate of the Edo period collapsed and gave way to reforms that led to the establishment of the Meiji government. Sumo was not spared from the wave of reforms; it faced an existential crisis.
Until the Meiji Restoration – in other words, throughout the Edo Period – sumo enjoyed great popularity as a form of entertainment. Far from being banned from the ring, female wrestlers were part of a popular show. Incredibly, even bouts against visually impaired male wrestlers were organized, which was an obvious infringement on the latter’s human rights. Moreover, these shows frequently took place at Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.
It is a well-known fact that the Meiji Restoration accelerated Japan’s modernization, and since that was equivalent to Westernization, the Western-style Rokumeikan guesthouse was built and everything Western became all the rage. From the standpoint of such values, women’s sumo was out of the question, while men’s sumo – fought between scantily clad men – was also frowned upon. Yet, crisis also presented an opportunity, and sumo survived by staging a brilliant turnaround.
The sumo world began by emphasizing sumo’s historical ties with Shinto ritual, and while maintaining some elements of entertainment, the sport was formalized in a bid to enhance its status. Fortunately, sumo was helped by objections to excessive Westernization and its popularity among the public. In my personal opinion, if not for the public mood at the time and its popularity, sumo could well have become extinct amid the momentous changes that took place during the Meiji Period.
And so in the 17th year of Meiji, or 1884, a sumo tournament was held in the presence of the Emperor, while the Kokugikan – the Hall of National Sport – was built in 1909. Sumo had become worthy of being called the national sport of Japan. Thus, the ban on women could be described as a tradition that was intimately connected to the Meiji Restoration.
In its original form, Japanese sumo had a particularly close association with women. The first record of sumo appears in the “Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan)” compiled in the early 8th century, as a wrestling match between “unume” court ladies, according to a paper titled “The Tradition of Banning Women in Sumo” by Yoshizaki Shoji and Inano Kazuhiko. Meanwhile, women’s sumo continued to be held in some places until 1956. In that sense, we could also describe women’s sumo as a tradition, even though – strictly speaking – it had now become an “obsolete tradition.”
Indeed, some traditions are handed down over generations, while others fade out. Much depends on the trends of the times. But it will not do to simply ride the current, and it is even more dangerous to rest on the status of a tradition without heeding the changing trends. To improve with each new day. That is precisely how tradition maintains its contemporary relevance.
“Ladies, please leave the ring” – this announcement, which triggered the latest discussion, is a negative example of resting on tradition. I don’t think the person who made the announcement meant to disregard life. Faced with an unexpected situation he had panicked, and without even thinking, equated the dohyo with the ban on women in a conditioned response. To me, the problem lies in the way people cease to think and instead act with self-righteous conviction, which is truly deplorable.
It so happens that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration. As we contemplate the ban on women, we should also take this opportunity to reflect on the significance of the Meiji Restoration as well.
Keiko Chino is a freelance journalist and Guest Columnist of the Sankei Shimbun.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
土俵の女人禁制問題に改めて考えたい「伝統」とは
千野 境子 / ジャーナリスト
2018年 5月 29日
土俵の上で挨拶をしていた市長が倒れ、会場にいた看護師の女性が駆け付け、土俵の上で心臓マッサージを懸命に施す最中、日本相撲協会が「女性は土俵から降りて下さい」と繰り返しアナウンスしたところから、今回の土俵の女人禁制論議は始まった。
この問題は古くて新しい。かつて、女性初の内閣官房長官・森山真弓氏や同じく大阪府知事・太田房江氏が土俵に上がることを協会に申し入れて断られたのは有名だ。しかし協会もようやく重い腰を上げたようである。今後、有識者に話を聞き、「土俵と女性」についてアンケート調査なども行い検討することを元横綱北勝海の八角理事長が発表した。今度こそ待ったなし、問題先送りの一手もダメだ。
伝統（土俵の女人禁制）と、命とどちらが大事か。そんなことは聞くまでもない。命の方が大事に決まっている。伝統死守の少数意見はあり得るが、あくまで少数中の少数意見だろう。そもそも命がなければ伝統だって守れないではないか。
女性で相撲ファンの1人でもある筆者は、女人禁制イコール男女差別だと糾弾する気はない。民主主義、人権、自由平等が普遍的価値として尊重される今日、そうした仕来りが絶対許されないとも思わない。むしろ問題は協会や女人禁制賛成派が根拠とする「伝統」の曖昧さにあると考える。
伝統とは何か。明鏡国語辞典には「ある集団・社会・民族の中で有形・無形の遺産として受け継がれてきた思想・技術・風習・しきたりなどの事柄。またそれらを受け継ぐこと。」とある。他もほぼ同じで、筆者も大筋その通りと思うが、では伝統は何時から、どのように、どうしてとなると、事は様々で個別的であり、それほど単純ではなくなる。
土俵の女人禁制の場合、伝統は伝統でも巷間言われるほど大昔でも、また古来と言った漠然としたものでもなく、150年前の明治維新と密接な関わりがあると見るのが妥当だ。江戸幕府が倒れ、明治政府を成立させた変革が明治維新である。御一新は相撲にも及び、一言で言うならば相撲は存亡の危機に立たされたのである。
明治維新前まで、つまり江戸時代に相撲はエンターテインメントとして大いに人気があった。女性は土俵に上がれないどころか、女相撲は見世物として人気もあり、男性視覚障害者との相撲まで組まれていたというから驚く。明らかにこれは人権蹂躙だ。しかもこうした見世物は寺社境内で盛んに行われていた。
明治維新が日本に近代化を急がせ、当時の近代化とはイコール西洋化だったから鹿鳴館が建てられ洋風が大流行したのはご存知の通り。そしてその価値観から言えば、女相撲は論外だし、男性でも半裸にまわし一つの相撲は問題あり、だった。しかしピンチはチャンス、相撲は見事にサバイバルを図る。
歴史的に関係が深かった神事との関りを強化したのをはじめ、相撲界は相撲に興行的要素を残しつつ格式化し地位向上を図ったのである。欧風化の行き過ぎへの社会の反発や人気も幸いした。筆者の独断だが、社会の風潮や人気が後押ししなければ明治の大変革の中で相撲の淘汰もあり得たと思う。
かくて明治17（1884）年、天覧相撲が行われ、同42年には国技館が出来、晴れて相撲は国技と呼ばれるようになった。つまり「女人禁制」は明治維新に深く関係する伝統と言ってよいのである。
本来の日本の相撲は、むしろ女性と縁が深い。相撲が史書に初登場するのは「日本書紀」で采女による女相撲という（論文『相撲における「女人禁制の伝統」について』吉崎祥司、稲野一彦）。また女相撲も一部で昭和31年まで行われていた。その意味では女相撲だって伝統と呼び得る。厳密には「廃れた伝統」だが。
そう、伝統には連綿と受け継がれて行くものもあれば、廃れてしまうものもある。時代の潮流が大きく影響するが、潮流に乗ればよいというものではないし、潮流を意に介さず伝統に安住するだけではもっと危うい。日々新たなり。それでこそ現代に生きる伝統だ。
今回の論議の発端となった「女性の方は土俵から降りて下さい」のアナウンスは、伝統への安住の悪しき見本である。私はアナウンスした彼が人命を軽視したとは思わない。突発事態に動転して思慮することなく、土俵＝女人禁制と条件反射したのだ。私にはこのような思考停止と独善こそ問題であり、真に憂うべきことに思える。
折しも今年は明治維新150年である。女人禁制問題を考えながら、明治維新再考の機会ともしたい。
（筆者はフリーランスジャーナリスト、産経新聞客員論説委員）
この問題は古くて新しい。かつて、女性初の内閣官房長官・森山真弓氏や同じく大阪府知事・太田房江氏が土俵に上がることを協会に申し入れて断られたのは有名だ。しかし協会もようやく重い腰を上げたようである。今後、有識者に話を聞き、「土俵と女性」についてアンケート調査なども行い検討することを元横綱北勝海の八角理事長が発表した。今度こそ待ったなし、問題先送りの一手もダメだ。
伝統（土俵の女人禁制）と、命とどちらが大事か。そんなことは聞くまでもない。命の方が大事に決まっている。伝統死守の少数意見はあり得るが、あくまで少数中の少数意見だろう。そもそも命がなければ伝統だって守れないではないか。
女性で相撲ファンの1人でもある筆者は、女人禁制イコール男女差別だと糾弾する気はない。民主主義、人権、自由平等が普遍的価値として尊重される今日、そうした仕来りが絶対許されないとも思わない。むしろ問題は協会や女人禁制賛成派が根拠とする「伝統」の曖昧さにあると考える。
伝統とは何か。明鏡国語辞典には「ある集団・社会・民族の中で有形・無形の遺産として受け継がれてきた思想・技術・風習・しきたりなどの事柄。またそれらを受け継ぐこと。」とある。他もほぼ同じで、筆者も大筋その通りと思うが、では伝統は何時から、どのように、どうしてとなると、事は様々で個別的であり、それほど単純ではなくなる。
土俵の女人禁制の場合、伝統は伝統でも巷間言われるほど大昔でも、また古来と言った漠然としたものでもなく、150年前の明治維新と密接な関わりがあると見るのが妥当だ。江戸幕府が倒れ、明治政府を成立させた変革が明治維新である。御一新は相撲にも及び、一言で言うならば相撲は存亡の危機に立たされたのである。
明治維新前まで、つまり江戸時代に相撲はエンターテインメントとして大いに人気があった。女性は土俵に上がれないどころか、女相撲は見世物として人気もあり、男性視覚障害者との相撲まで組まれていたというから驚く。明らかにこれは人権蹂躙だ。しかもこうした見世物は寺社境内で盛んに行われていた。
明治維新が日本に近代化を急がせ、当時の近代化とはイコール西洋化だったから鹿鳴館が建てられ洋風が大流行したのはご存知の通り。そしてその価値観から言えば、女相撲は論外だし、男性でも半裸にまわし一つの相撲は問題あり、だった。しかしピンチはチャンス、相撲は見事にサバイバルを図る。
歴史的に関係が深かった神事との関りを強化したのをはじめ、相撲界は相撲に興行的要素を残しつつ格式化し地位向上を図ったのである。欧風化の行き過ぎへの社会の反発や人気も幸いした。筆者の独断だが、社会の風潮や人気が後押ししなければ明治の大変革の中で相撲の淘汰もあり得たと思う。
かくて明治17（1884）年、天覧相撲が行われ、同42年には国技館が出来、晴れて相撲は国技と呼ばれるようになった。つまり「女人禁制」は明治維新に深く関係する伝統と言ってよいのである。
本来の日本の相撲は、むしろ女性と縁が深い。相撲が史書に初登場するのは「日本書紀」で采女による女相撲という（論文『相撲における「女人禁制の伝統」について』吉崎祥司、稲野一彦）。また女相撲も一部で昭和31年まで行われていた。その意味では女相撲だって伝統と呼び得る。厳密には「廃れた伝統」だが。
そう、伝統には連綿と受け継がれて行くものもあれば、廃れてしまうものもある。時代の潮流が大きく影響するが、潮流に乗ればよいというものではないし、潮流を意に介さず伝統に安住するだけではもっと危うい。日々新たなり。それでこそ現代に生きる伝統だ。
今回の論議の発端となった「女性の方は土俵から降りて下さい」のアナウンスは、伝統への安住の悪しき見本である。私はアナウンスした彼が人命を軽視したとは思わない。突発事態に動転して思慮することなく、土俵＝女人禁制と条件反射したのだ。私にはこのような思考停止と独善こそ問題であり、真に憂うべきことに思える。
折しも今年は明治維新150年である。女人禁制問題を考えながら、明治維新再考の機会ともしたい。
（筆者はフリーランスジャーナリスト、産経新聞客員論説委員）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟