Japan’s first female PM faces Sumo dilemma: Defy tradition or respect it?

Japan's first female Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, is facing a major dilemma over whether to attend the closing ceremony of a 15-day Sumo tournament in Fukuoka to present the winner’s trophy.

For centuries, women have been banned from entering into the Sumo ring and it remains unclear if Takaichi plans to defy the tradition.

The Guardian reports that women are barred from entering or even touching the “sacred” arena because they are considered impure due to menstrual blood, a belief found in Japanese indigenous religion, Shinto.

For context, Sumo wrestling is a traditional Japanese full-contact sport in which a rikishi (sumo wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring known as dohyo.

When asked if the prime minister would present the trophy to the winner, the chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said, “The prime minister wishes to respect sumo tradition and culture.”

He added that the government has not yet made a decision on the matter and an appropriate decision will be taken as per Takaichi’s will.

In 1990, the Japan’s first female chief cabinet secretary, Mayumi Moriyama, wished to present the trophy on prime minister’s behalf but her request was rejected by the Sumo association.

Japan’s Sumo association has long barred women from entering the ring. In 2000, it did not allow Osaka’s governor, Fuse Ohta, to present the trophy inside the dohyo and she had to present the trophy on a walkway beside the ring.

A panel formed in 2019 to review the ban on women from entering the ring hasn’t yet reached any conclusion.