It would be hard to call it a love affair or even a fascination, but the American exposure to Sumo began when the ship of Commodore Matthew Perry anchored in Edo Bay in the summer of 1852.
Perry was not the first Westerner to put his anchor down off the coast of Japan. From the 16th century the Dutch, Spanish and Portugese had engaged in trade with the islands along with missionary attempts to convert the population to Catholicism. These attempts were largely met with resistance and eventually led to the expulsion of foreigners in 1639. Many who had converted to Catholicism were martyred for their trouble and in some parts of Japan the descendants of those Christians carried on a muddied memory of the traditions that’s been handed down, known today as Japans “Hidden Christians”.
Opening Japan in the 19th century had several factors. America had expanded all the way to the coast of California, and in doing so trade with China was booming. Japan was a logical location for a stop off port. It was also understood that Japan had a lot of coal, coal that was needed for the steam ships that were beginning to take over. Whaling in the North Pacific was growing. There was also, and maybe most importantly the belief of Manifest Destiny. This belief drove the Americans to think that they should modernize the world and convert indigenous peoples of foreign lands to Christianity. Japan was not exempt. One thing the Americans would never modernize is the spirit of Japan or its National Pastime.
Sumos Origins
Sumos origins in Japan are shrouded in the mists of time. Many books have been written on this subject, so I will spare the reader here but for a brief overview. There is evidence from antiquity that sumo began as a sort of ritual dance performed for the gods to ensure a good and bountiful harvest. The first reference we have to sumo is a match between the gods in which Takeminakata-no-kami challenged Takemiyazuchi-no-kami to decide the ownership of the land. Takemiyazuchi accepted this challenged and eventually defeated his opponent. The Japanese Imperial family is said to have descended from Takemiyazuchi.
During it’s early years, Sumo was extremely popular in the Imperial Court. It was in the 8th century that the first tournaments were held under Emperor Shomu (724-749). Wrestlers were recruited from all around the land and were summoned to the court where on the 7th day of the 7th month, a tournament was held. These early sumo bouts were rough and kicking and punching were not out of bounds. Sumos popularity would begin to fade in the 12th century but would come back to life during the Edo Period.
During the 15th and 16th centuries Japan was ravaged with war and this left many Samurai disenfranchised. Without the patronage of their Daimyo and with Samurai being forbidden to join the lower classes learning a trade, there were few opportunities for these Ronin. It is during this time that we see the popularity of Street or Corner Sumo and it was in this time that sumo became a sport not just reserved for the nobility, but a sport for the common man. But in this environment and with entertainment districts within the city, violence became a problem for the local authorities as corner sumo spilled into the street where clashes between the unemployed warriors and rough tumble commoners became a daily occurrence. In 1648, laws were introduced to ban on corner sumo.
Sumo was reintroduced but began to take the shape of the sumo we know today. The ring became more standardized and Sumo began to organize benefits for shrines. The first Tournament that bares a resemblance to what we now know as sumo was held in 1699. A seven day benefit sumo tournament held in Kyoto at the Okazaki Tenno Shrine. The first “banzuke” was posted on wooden boards listing the referees and wrestlers. From here on, modern sumo would grow into what we know today.
Commodore Perry
In the following account, you will see Americans first encounter with Sumo. You will also see other things. An inflated sense of American superiority. The true goal of our encounter with Japan, that of manifest destiny and our mission to convert the heathen to Christianity.
17th—-After the exhibition of the presents, the commissioners invited Perry out in front, and soon ninety naked rikozhi, or athletae, paraded in front to show their brawn by carrying the bundles of rice in various ways ; some, two on their heads, others, one in their teeth, at the end of their arms, or on their backs. These fellows are trained to such feats and were all stout-limbed men ; the biggest stripped to let Perry punch him in his paunch. They were brought to this village from Yedo, and we regarded it as a good sign that the commissioners should take some pains to amuse us. From this spot the company repaired to the railroad, where the locomotive was soon ready to run its race around the ring, a spectacle which interested the natives greatly. On returning to the house, the; company was seated facing the inner yard, where the strongest of the athletae were brought forward to exhibit their prowess. First, the whole body of them stood in a circle and went through a sort of drill, or manual, slapping their breasts, rubbing their hands, arm-pits, and knees, with other motions, after which they marched off. A second company, dressed a little with long fancy aprons, then circled the ring, going through with similar motions. The match then began, two and two coming into the ring. First, squatting on their feet, opposite each other, the two began to rub themselves with dirt on the palms and arm pits, and then advanced to the centre in a steady step. Here, each stretched out one leg after the other, holding his knee with a close grip and planting his foot in the earth with a heavy groan, or grunt, several times, again rubbing his hands in the gravel like a bull pawing the earth. All this took up a minute or more, and then each, seizing the other's shoulders, endeavored to push his antagonist over ; one butted his head with all his force against the other's breast, while that one only tried to throw him by turning his body, and generally succeeded in doing so, he coming to the ground with a thump that showed the force exerted. In only one case was there anything like wrestling. All the men were heavy, and seemed strong too ; the biggest remained victor. Some of them rushed up screaming like mad, but these generally proved to be weaklings. It was a curious, barbaric spectacle, reminding one of the old gladiators. Indeed, there was a curious melange to-day here, a junction of the east and west, railroads and telegraph, boxers and educated athletae, epaulettes and uniforms, shaven pates and night-gowns, soldiers with muskets and drilling in close array, soldiers with petticoats, sandals, two swords, and all in disorder, like a crowd — all these things, and many other things, exhibiting the difference between our civilization and usages and those of this secluded, pagan people. : The interview lasted two or three hours ; at the close of it, Commissioner Lin gave Perry two swords, three matchlocks and two sets of coins. All the high officers seemed in good spirits, and everybody left for the ships much amused with the day's show. Oh ! how desirable that our opening intercourse may produce different results, calculated to elevate and purify the Japanese, so that they may learn the real source of our supeiiority in the momentous truths of the Bible.
These momentous truths of the Bible would never really take hold as Japan remains very much like they were when we found them. Buddhist thought and Shinto practice still dominate the landscape of Japan. Sumo, while being impressive to the foreigners, was just another example of the “barbaric” nature of the Japanese and just one more reason why they needed our civilizing hand to guide them towards true enlightenment.
Ballou's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion, 1857
The first published piece on sumo in America as far as I can find is in Ballou’s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion. Published in 1857, we find a brief article on sumo in which they recount Commodore Perry’s encounter with these “monstrous fellows”. The article paints again a fairly barbaric picture of the wrestlers, these sort of naked savages with fairly overblown descriptions of their “fat”. The beauty though is this : Sumo has been introduced to the west and very soon it would come to our shores.
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