The oldest sport in Japan is dying out.

According to DW, critics argue that sumo has lost its appeal because many current wrestlers have poor technique, weak physical fitness, and a large number of top wrestlers have withdrawn from major tournaments due to injuries. An editorial in the Sankei Shimbun even predicted that audiences would soon turn their backs on the long-standing sport unless the tournaments and wrestlers change.

"The decline in quality in sumo matches cannot continue," the article emphasizes.

The newspaper pointed out that almost all wrestlers in the two highest ranks – "yokozuna" and "ozeki" – lost early matches, preventing them from competing for the cup. "The poor performance of ozeki-ranked wrestlers is nothing to brag about, but it needs to be taken seriously."

Sumo is in freefall.

The situation became more complicated when the highest-ranked wrestler in the tournament, Terunofuji, withdrew on day 10 due to injuries to both knees. Terunofuji required surgery and is likely to miss at least two more tournaments. The commentary also pointed out problems in the training regimen.

Sankei warned: "The abandonment of these rankings will be inevitable. Unless the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) takes urgent measures, sumo fans will express their dissatisfaction by no longer watching tournaments."

Sports journalist Yoichi Igawa, who specializes in reporting on the sport with a history of over 1,300 years, echoed that view and warned that sumo seems hesitant to change.

"I fear that this sport is becoming outdated. We say sumo is the sport that represents Japan, but the crowds of spectators and players have thinned considerably compared to the past, and most of the wrestlers are getting old. It's not a sport that appeals to young people, so what will happen when the older fans pass away?", Mr. Igawa said.

Conservative sport

However, there are too many people in the sumo world who resist change, Igawa continued. "It's a very small, conservative world where all decisions are made by the older wrestlers within a strict hierarchy. They don't like to see changes, they don't like outside criticism, and they don't like to see foreign wrestlers being the best in a 'Japanese sport'."

Fred Varcoe, a British journalist who has written about sumo for publications around the world, agrees that sumo "is stuck in its traditional sense to the point that those in the profession are simply unable to adapt, update, or improve the sport."

Many successful wrestlers who retired and joined the JSA have attempted to introduce changes to make sumo more accessible and appealing, Varcoe points out. But the "elders," who are often numerous and wield considerable power within the association, remain very conservative. One of the leading wrestlers in this reform program was Takanohana, who won 22 titles in 19 years. He joined the JSA board of directors in 2010 but resigned in 2018.

Furthermore, sumo is associated with a history of scandals, including allegations of assault, illegal gambling in matches, drug use by wrestlers, and links to certain organized crime groups.

Most sumo wrestlers live in communal "cages," where their lives are strictly monitored. In 2007, sumo master Junichi Yamamoto was arrested for the death of a rookie wrestler, 17-year-old Takashi Saito. Yamamoto struck Saito with a beer bottle after the young wrestler tried to run away due to bullying.

"The quality of the wrestlers will fluctuate, just like in any sport. But the bigger problem sumo faces today is that Japan has a rapidly aging population and not enough children to take up the sport. Young Japanese people don't want to wake up early and train for a physically demanding sport like sumo," Varcoe observed.

In the past, an effective solution was to bring in more wrestlers from abroad. Varcoe said, "There have been people from Hawaii and Mongolia who have risen to the top in the sport. But many remain reluctant because they want to keep sumo exclusively for Japan."

Anh Thi