Sumo: Fact or Fiction?

Question: Sumo wrestlers wear only loincloths.

Answer: The loincloth is called a mawashi.

Question: The sumo grand champion is called the Shiganosuke.

Answer: The sumo grand champion is the Yokozuna. Akashi Shiganosuke was a famous (and possibly legendary) wrestler of the 17th century, whose name is recorded as the first Yokozuna.

Question: Sumo wrestlers throw handfuls of sugar into the ring before a match.

Answer: Sumo wrestlers (rikishi) throw salt, which is said to purify the ring.

Question: There are six major sumo tournaments in a year.

Answer: The six major tournaments (hon-basho) are held in Tokyo (January, May, and September), Osaka (March), Nagoya (July), and Fukuoka (November).

Question: Wrestlers eat a special diet.

Answer: The staple of the sumo wrestler’s diet is a high-calorie stew called chanko-nabe.

Question: Sumo bouts often last hours.

Answer: One of the longest matches in sumo history was in 2001 between Kotomitsuki and Musoyama, and it lasted about 15 minutes.

Question: A Mongolian holds the record for most tournament wins.

Answer: As of 2015, Hakuho, born in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar, had won 35 tournaments. In 11 of them, he was undefeated (zensho-yusho), another sumo record.

Question: Sumo matches are officiated by an umpire called the Akebono.

Answer: Sumo matches are officiated by a referee (gyoji) and five judges (shinpan). Akebono was an American wrestler who became the first non-Japanese grand champion (Yokozuna) in 1993.