The traditional crafts that support sumo

The origins of sumo can be traced back to the legends chronicled in Japan’s earliest books, such as the “Kojiki,” but its significance as a religious ritual, a prayer for peace and security and abundant harvests, continues to this day. At every tournament, the “god of sumo” is ceremoniously invited into the ring, and at places like the Grand Shrines of Ise, sumo matches are held as a form of offering.

Sumo as entertainment took hold during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Alongside kabuki, it became one of the two major types of entertainment, and popular wrestlers were capable of drawing large crowds. The Japan Sumo Association was born from this tradition, and it developed detailed rules, including the wrestlers’ appearance, that sought to combine the dignity of a religious ritual with Edo style.

They include the requirement that wrestlers grow their hair long and tie it in a topknot, and the use of kimono in daily life. There are also detailed regulations regarding rank, with wrestlers in the jūryō and top makuuchi divisions permitted to tie their hair into more decorative topknots, wear formal haori jackets and hakama trousers as well as kimono bearing their ring names, and use traditional umbrellas with their names on them as well. All of these things are depicted in sumo-e, a type of ukiyo-e print dating back to the Edo Period.

Sumo runs under a stable system, with all the wrestlers, oyakata (coaches), gyōji (referees), yobidashi (ring attendants) and tokoyama (hairdressers) belonging to one of the 45 stables. All members of a stable live together in the same building like a large family.

Gyōji are responsible for judging sumo bouts, but they also make announcements in the arena and perform various other duties.

Yobidashi build the ring by laying down clay and straw bales for each tournament. They call out the names of wrestlers before matches, sweep the ring and replenish the salt that wrestlers scatter. Another task is drumming to signal the start and end of the tournament.

Though they remain behind the scenes, the tokoyama are also indispensable. The topknot is a symbol of the wrestler, and until they retire and have their hair cut, they have it styled daily. During matches, the top-ranked wrestlers’ topknots are styled into the shape of a ginkgo leaf.

Sumo’s other unsung heroes are the craftsmen who make the traditional accessories and tools worn by the wrestlers or used around the ring. For example, styling wrestlers’ hair requires special combs, hair oil and hair ties. The brooms for sweeping the ring and the baskets for salt are all made from natural materials and crafted with great care and attention to detail.

For generations, the skills needed to produce these objects were passed down from father to son, or master to apprentice. Inexpensive imported goods and plastic products are making it increasingly difficult for these crafts to remain viable. Many elderly craftsmen fear their generation may be the last that upholds these traditions. Even securing the high-quality natural materials needed for the crafts is becoming difficult. And while many of these aging craftsmen still receive inquiries from prospective apprentices, both Japanese and foreign, they all say that taking on new apprentices is a burden both economically and physically.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Japan Sumo Association. The fact that sumo’s traditions have survived and evolved over such a long period of time is a credit to the systematic framework the association provides. It is also due to the fact that the association has come to accept wrestlers from overseas.

Yet the traditional crafts integral to sumo are now clearly in a state of crisis. There is a need for more active support of traditional craftsmanship, perhaps even through establishing a system for accommodating apprentices from diverse backgrounds.

The four types of wooden combs used for tying wrestlers’ topknots are all manufactured by Kushitome, founded in Nagoya in 1903. Third-generation owner Shingo Mori and his son Hideaki Mori skillfully make the combs in their home workshop.

The boxwood used in the combs has been air-dried for about a year, then alternately smoked in a kiln and dried in a room for three to five years, allowing the smoke to penetrate deeply. The wood is then cut into combs. Each tooth is polished about 1,000 times with dried horsetail rushes.

Two types of brooms are used in sumo wrestling: a large bamboo broom and a so-called Tokyo-style tatami broom.

The tatami brooms are manufactured by Araki Tokizo Shoten in Tochigi Prefecture. In the past, broom-making was a popular side job for farmers in the Tsuga area, but nowadays Araki Tokizo Shoten is the only manufacturer left there. As the area’s population rapidly ages, few farmers remain to grow the broomcorn.

Making a broom involves boiling and drying the broomcorn, soaking it in water and then weaving it over a period of one week.

During training, the makuuchi and jūryō division wrestlers wear mawashi loincloths made from cotton. Wrestlers in the makushita lower divisions also wear mawashi during actual bouts, but when the wrestlers in the top divisions compete, they wear shiny silk mawashi called shimekomi.

Currently, the only craftsman who makes shimekomi by hand is Kazunobu Ishii of the Obihiro Yamakado Factory in Shiga Prefecture, and he has no successor. Using 15,000 warp threads arranged in pairs and five types of weft threads, he meticulously weaves a single shimekomi measuring up to 10 meters long. The one worn by Aonishiki is made by Ishii.

The hair oil used by wrestlers is made by Shimada Shoten in Tokyo, founded in 1965. Currently, the founder’s son Yoji Shimada leads the production process alongside his parents and wife.

Production starts by melting castor oil, rapeseed oil and mokurō (sumac wax) in an iron pot. After cooling it to the right temperature, fragrance is added and the mixture is kneaded with a wooden stick. Once solidified, it is transferred to a table, molded, cut into pieces and packaged in one continuous process.

The unique fragrance is a blend of vanilla and secret ingredients. The finished product is an indispensable part of sumo culture.

When sumo wrestlers step onto the ring, they are given ritual water, and they also grab a handful of salt to scatter on the ring. This purifies the ring as well as the wrestlers’ minds and bodies. It is also a prayer for safety. The baskets used to hold the salt are currently made by a single craftsman in Ibaraki Prefecture.

The baskets are made of mōsō bamboo, with fine braid for the body and thicker bamboo reinforcing the bottom. The rim is wrapped with a rattan strand for additional strength. During a tournament, some 40 to 50 kilograms of salt are used each day.

土俵作りに始まり、力士が身に付けるものまで、江戸の粋を今に伝える大相撲の伝統に欠かせない縁の下の力持ちが、ものづくりに関わる職人である。五穀豊穣を願う意味もある大相撲。土、水、米、塩など、天のめぐみへの感謝を奉納する意味もあり、ものづくりに関しても、天然素材を使いながら丁寧に作られてきた。

大相撲は土と俵で土俵を作り、そこに水や塩を撒いて清めながら進行される。土俵を掃き清める箒、塩を入れる籠なども、天然素材を使い手作りされるものだが、栃木で箒を作る職人も、茨城で塩籠を作る職人も後継者はいない。力士の髷（まげ）に不可欠な鬢付け油やつげ櫛も家族経営の工房で制作されるが後継ぎの課題はある。

手仕事によるものづくりは、人が地球で生き抜くための知恵でもある。かつては、親から子へ、師から弟子へと継承されてきた。安価な輸入品やプラスチック製品により、こうした手仕事の伝承は危機的状況にある。国籍にこだわらず後継者を育てる制度など、ものづくりへのより積極的な支援は、待ったなしの状態に映る。

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