Foreign Property News | Posted by Aye Myat Thu
The Crying Sumo Festival (泣き相撲) is undoubtedly one of Tokyo’s more unusual events—and one which has attracted the attention of numerous foreign newspapers over the years. It is held at several shrines throughout Japan, but the event at Sensoji in Asakusa is one of the most famous.
Location/Sensoji Temple/ Senso-ji, 2-3-1 Asakusa/Taito, Tokyo 111-0032 Japan
Watch sumo wrestlers make babies cry
In spring Tokyo is at its liveliest. Cherry blossoms fill the streets and parks and cherry blossom paraphernalia fills the shelves of convenience stores. Late April/ 11:00am – 3:00pm/ Entrance- Free
There are two competitions: one held at 11:10 am and one at 2:20 pm so don’t worry if you can’t make the earlier one. Parents pay around 15,000 yen to have their babies participate and it’s quite a privileged opportunity as the tears encourage good health and drive away any evil spirits.
To prevent the spread of COVID-19, many events have been canceled. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
(Novice wrestlers hold babies in an outdoor dohyō at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo/ Photograph: Shizuo Kambayashi/AP)
(Some Japanese parents believe that sumo wrestlers can help make babies cry out a wish to grow up with good health/Photograph: Toru Yamanaka/AFP}
{All of the children taking part were born in 2012/ Photo taken in 2013/Photograph: Shizuo Kambayashi/AP)
{The event is held to celebrate babies' growth and pray for their good health/Photograph: Kiyoshi Ota/EPA}
{A baby in a sumo suit goes head-to-head with another child to determine who can cry the loudest and longest/Photograph: Kiyoshi Ota/EPA}
{A man wearing a mask of an oni, or ogre, tries to scare a baby into crying/Photograph: Kiyoshi Ota /EPA}
{A wrestler goads a child into crying/Photograph: Toru Yamanaka/AFP}
Ref: Nakizumo Crying Baby Festival (japanistry)
