Word: sumo
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...Sumo Facts...
...confirmed and thorough reader of TIME, I want to congratulate you on your well-written article on Japanese sumo [TIME, Feb. 10]. For Americans not acquainted with Japanese sports and customs you did an admirable job of writing the article including the proper spelling and usage of the Japanese words...
However, you have omitted a few facts about sumo. You speak about the liberality in allowing the contenders to delay the starting of matches. The actual fact is that ancient custom holds that all preliminary ceremonies even including breathing must be performed in absolute rhythm to prevent one participant from obtaining any undue advantage over the other in the start...
...foreigner, who has witnessed all the matches to which he could get tickets, sumo is very much the opposite of being dull. The preparatory ceremonies, consisting of certain prescribed movements of the arms and legs and purification of the ring, are even more interesting than the actual matches. Moreover, between championship bouts a modern innovation is to hold comedy bouts. The sumo men participating are specially trained comedians and acrobats. The antics they go through and the arguments they hold over the decision, when there is one, are far more amusing than the antics of U. S. wrestlers...
...Tokyo fortnight ago 10.000 sumo addicts, including nobility, geisha, schoolboys, government officials, watched the matches on each of the ten days of the Kokugi-kan tournament. Outside the arena, thousands more bet on the matches, followed the results on score boards. Of the money spent for tickets, the performers got a trifling share. As stupid as they are immense, sumo performers are content with a maximum pay of $100 a month augmented only by gifts of swords, bottles of sake, new aprons from generous admirers. Four years ago, a sumo strike for better pay, shorter hours, cheaper seats, a mutual...