Yokozuna Akebono retirement ceremony

Yokozuna Akebono Retirement Ceremony: Final Dohyo-iri

Akebono now enters the arena to perform his final dohyo-iri (ring-entering ceremony). He is flanked by Musoyama the dew sweeper and fellow Hawaiian Yokozuna Musashimaru as the sword bearer behind him. And he also carried his infant son Cody dressed as a baby yokozuna.

Unfortunately, Yokozuna Takanohana could not participate in this dohyo-iri as the dew sweeper or sword bearer because of an injury. He did attend the ceremony to snip off the topknot.

As they got ready to step up to the sumo ring, the audience clapped and cheered.

Yokozuna Akebono to perform his final dohyo-iri. — Yokozuna Akebono on the sumo ring to perform his final *dohyo-iri* ring entering ceremony.

Before starting, Akebono passes his son to the referee.

Luckily Akebono had a son because he would not have been allowed to do it with a daughter. Females are prohibited from entering the sumo ring, even at sumo stables. This is one of the things I disapprove of sumo.

Barring women from stepping onto the sumo ring, even to give an award to a wrestler, is one of the most blatant and preposterous forms of sexual discrimination in Japan. It was devised centuries ago, and for the sake of tradition, traditionalists and officials in the sumo world have maintained this absurd custom and belief that women are considered to be impure (due to menstruation).

Up to 1909, women were actually not allowed enter a sumo arena to view sumo matches. And once upon a time, women were prohibited from setting foot on sacred Mt. Fuji. Can you imagine if these traditions were still being practiced today?

Such discriminatory practices were abolished long ago, and here we are in the 21st century with women still unable to step into the sumo ring. The Japan Sumo Association has constantly rejected requests from important female ministers in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet (and women governors and mayors) to give an award to the tournament winner in the sumo ring.

Fusae Ohta, the current governor of Osaka and Japan’s first woman governor, has also requested to be allowed to give the Emperor’s Cup to the winner of the grand sumo tournament in Osaka held every March. But as of this writing, she has not yet succeeded in entering the sumo ring. (Read a news article about it here.)

It only makes the sumo association look silly. It’s a matter of time before the sumo association will have to acquiesce. After all, you can’t produce sumo wrestlers without women. And women (wives of stablemasters) play a major role at sumo stables in raising young sumo aspirants.

What would finally make them abolish this rule? Probably a female Japanese Prime Minister. The sumo association would look really bad if they even refuse a female Prime Minister from entering the sumo ring to give the Emperor’s Cup to the tourney winner. (Note that legitimate female sumo wrestling also exists in Japan, but they are not under the jurisdiction of the Japan Sumo Association who ironically give its blessings to female sumo wrestling.)

Update: In April 2018, a politician giving a speech in the sumo ring collapsed and a few women went in the sumo ring to provide medical assistance. A sumo referee then shouted to the women to get out of the sumo ring. This was heavily criticized and the Japan Sumo Association Chairman apologized, but nothing has changed.

Akebono gets ready to clap his hands to attract the attention of the gods as his son looks on. Cody did not squirm nor cry. He performed very well like his big daddy.

Akebono gets ready to clap his hands to attract the attention of the gods as his son looks on. Cody was well behaved and did not squirm nor cry. He did very well like his big daddy. I wonder if he remembers this event.