Why Women Cannot Enter the Sumo Ring #Sumo #Japan #JapaneseCulture #Shinto #japantravel
Women are not allowed on the sumo ring.
The reason is ritual.
Sumo originated as a ceremony to pray to the gods for a good harvest.
The ring is where the gods descend.
In Shinto tradition, women were considered to carry "kegare" — a state of spiritual depletion — associated with childbirth and menstruation.
But kegare does not mean impurity in a moral sense.
As discussed in the temizu video, it refers to a depletion of spiritual energy.
In 1990, Osaka's governor became a woman.
When she attempted to step onto the ring to present an award, she was refused.
The same issue arose again in 2018.
Ancient ritual and modern values of equality are in direct conflict.
That debate continues today.
The reason is ritual.
Sumo originated as a ceremony to pray to the gods for a good harvest.
The ring is where the gods descend.
In Shinto tradition, women were considered to carry "kegare" — a state of spiritual depletion — associated with childbirth and menstruation.
But kegare does not mean impurity in a moral sense.
As discussed in the temizu video, it refers to a depletion of spiritual energy.
In 1990, Osaka's governor became a woman.
When she attempted to step onto the ring to present an award, she was refused.
The same issue arose again in 2018.
Ancient ritual and modern values of equality are in direct conflict.
That debate continues today.
