Japanese Sumo Wrestling

Among the activities associated with this country, also called the land of the rising sun, there is perhaps none which is as iconic of Japan as is Sumo wrestling. Steeped in thirteen centuries of history and tradition, Sumo originally served a religious and cultural purpose as a means of entertaining the deities to ensure a good harvest for the season. Over time, as Japan became embroiled in wars, Sumo was transformed into a form of military training, exclusively practiced by samurais and beyond the sight of the common man. Feudal lords, with their share of warriors, also conducted their own tournaments in their castles, which was aimed at increasing the one on one mortal combat skills of their warriors. Towards the sixteenth century, with Japan in a period of lastin View the rest of this article