Sumo and Shinto
Shinto has historically been used as a means to express Japanese nationalism and ethnic identity, especially prior to the end of World War II. It has served to symbolize and provide a sense of belonging, to identify and unify the Japanese people culturally, and to serve as a barrier demarcating the Japanese from other peoples, providing them with a sense of cultural uniqueness. In its association with Shinto, sumo has also been seen as a bulwark of Japanese tradition.
Shinto pervades Japanese life in many ways. For example, Origin of Sumo, Japanese national sport can be traced back to the ancient Shinto ritual to pray for a bountiful harvest and honor the Kami. The canopy over the ring is reminiscent of a Shinto shrine, the referee is dressed in garb very similar to that of a Shinto priest, and the throwing of salt before a bout is believed to purify the ring.
Shinto ritual pervades every aspect of sumo. Before a tournament, two of the gyōji functioning as Shinto priests enact a ritual to consecrate the newly constructed dohyō, and various Shinto rituals are associated even with the practice dohyō at heya. Both the dohyō-iri, or ring-entering ceremonies performed by the top two divisions before the start of their wrestling day, and in the rituals performed by both combatants immediately before a bout, are derived from Shinto. It retains other Shinto associations as well. The yokozuna's ring-entering ceremony is regarded as a purification ritual in its own right, and is occasionally performed at Shinto shrines for this purpose. Every newly-promoted yokozuna performs his first ring-entering ceremony at the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.
Evidence of sumo’s association with Shinto goes beyond the real world, as stories of kami fighting for the lands of Japan feature in the world of myth. Prior to becoming a professional sport in the Tokugawa period, sumo was originally performed on the grounds of a shrine or temple. The present dohyō, which is still considered sacred, is in honor of the days when matches were held on the sacred grounds of shrines and temples. The roof over the dohyō called yakata originally represented the sky for the purpose of emphasizing the sacred nature of dohyō, which symbolizes the earth. On the day before the beginning of each tournament, the dohyō-matsuri, a ring-blessing ceremony, is performed by sumo officials called gyoji. Gyoji are the referees on the dohyō, who judge each sumo match. Their elaborate, colorful costumes are based on ceremonial court robes of the Heian period (AD 794 – 1185). Also their black hats are exact copies of the hats worn by Shinto priests depicted in various Heian art. Dressed in the white robes of a Shinto priest gyoji purify and bless the dohyou in a solemn ceremony during which salt, konbu(kelp), surume(dried squid) and chestnuts are buried in the center of the dohyō. Observing officials and invited guests drink sake, Japanese traditional alcoholic drink as it is offered to each one in turn. The remaining sake is poured over the straw boundary of the dohyō, like an offering to the gods. The whole purpose of the dohyō-matsuri is to appease the kami and ask for their protection of the rikishi, sumo wrestlers participating in the upcoming match.The dohyō-iri is a brief ceremony in which rikishi are introduced to the audience just before the start of the each tournament. When their names are called, the match participants ascend on the dohyō, walk around the edge and face the audience. After last name is announced, they turn and face inwards, clap their hands, raise one hand, slightly lift the ceremonial aprons called kesho-mawashi, and raise both hands, then continue walking around the as they leave the same way they came in. This clapping ritual is an important Shinto element and symbolizes the clapping in Shinto shrines designed to attract the attention of the gods.
Read more about this topic: Sumo Wrestlers