Sumô Wrestler Prints

Sumô is a Japanese style of wrestling and Japan’s national sport. It originated in ancient times as a performance to entertain the Shinto gods. Many rituals with religious background are still followed today. The basic rules of sumô are simple: The wrestler who first touches the floor with something else than the soles of his feet or leaves the ring, loses. The bouts usually last only a few seconds and in rare cases up to one minute or longer. I am grateful to Yasu Takano for identifying many of the wrestlers.

	Wrestler: Mutsugamine Iwanosuke (六ツヶ峰岩之助) Date: 4^th month of 1853 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei
	Wrestler: Inagawa Masanosuke (猪名川 政之助) Date: 1845-1846 Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô
	Wrestler: Koyanagi Tsunekichi (小柳常吉) Date: Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô
	Wrestler: Nioarashi Isogoro in professional attire (Marugame genkai aratame Nioarashi Isogoro) Date: 1845 Publisher: Nishimura Yohachi
	Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke (鬼若 力之助) Date: c. 1850-1852 Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô NOTE: Oniwaka Rikinosuke was an extremely large child who participated in the ring entering ceremony (dohyo-iri) in the early 1850s.
	Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke (鬼若 力之助) Date: c. 1850-1852 Publisher: Musashi-ya Isaburô
	Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke (鬼若 力之助) in sumô attire Date: c. 1850-1852 Publisher: Owari-ya Seishichi
	Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke (鬼若 力之助) in street attire Date: c. 1850-1852 Publisher: Enami
Wrestler: Oniwaka Rikinosuke (鬼若 力之助) at age eight with his giant hand print Date: c. 1850-1852 Publisher: Matsu-ya
Wrestlers: Actors Nakamura Utaemon IV as the sumô wrestler Nuregami Chôgorô (right) and Ichikawa Hazaemon as the wrestler Hanaregoma Chôkichiin (left) in the kabuki play Futatsu Chôchô kuruwa nikki Date: 8^th month of 1841 Publisher: Edo-ya Matsugorô
	Wrestler: Nioarashi Isogorô (?? 磯五郎) in street attire (Marugame Genkai aratame Nioarashi Isogoro) Date: c. 1830 Publisher: Nishimura Yohachi
Actors: Actor Ichimura Uzaemon XII as sumô wrestler Akitsushima Kuniemon (秋津嶋, left) and actor Arashi Kichisaburô III as sumô wrestler Onigadake Horaemon (鬼ヶ嶽, right) in the kabuki play Sekitori Nidai no Shobuzuke Date: 9^th month of 1850 Theater: Ichimura Publisher: Tanba-ya Hanjirô
	Title: Ikezuki Geitazaemon (生月 鯨太左ェ門), the big wrestler Publisher: Hon-ya Genpachi Note: Ikezuki Geitazaemon was not a skilled sumô wrestler, but was a giant who was brought to Edo about 1844 as a special attraction to conduct a ring entering ceremony (dohyo-iri).
	Wrestler: Ikezuki Geitazaemon (生月 鯨太左ェ門) in street attire Date: 1844 Publisher: Sa (phonetic pronunciation of サ)
	Wrestler: Ôzora Buzaemon Date: 1827 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei NOTE: Ôzora Buzaemon had an unusually short sumô career. He appeared only in the 1827 spring season, losing all seven matches, and retired immediately.
	Description: The yearly wrestling meeting (Sumo Nenki), showing Raigen-dayu (??太夫), probably a veteran wrestler or an umpire, in a dark robe, seated with his hands in his lap. The title cartouche is framed with symbols of longevity. Date: 2^nd month of 1858 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei (山口屋藤兵衛)
Wrestlers: Kotôzan Bunemon (湖東山文右エ門, left) and Iwamigata Jôemon (岩見潟丈右エ門, right) Judge: Musashigawa (武蔵川) Date: 1842 winter season or the 1843 spring season Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô
Wrestlers: Shiranui-emon (不知火右衛門, left) and Kagiyama Taniemon (劔山谷右衛門, right) Judge: Shikimori Inosuke (式守伊之助, left) and Miyagino (宮城野, right) Date: Publisher: Fujioka-ya Hikotarô
Subject: The ring-entering ceremony from the 1850 spring season held on the Honjo Ekôin Temple grounds Wrestlers: The wrestlers on the right are on the higashi (east side). From the right, in descending order in ranking: Tsurugizan (ôzeki), Koyanagi (sekiwake), Goyôboku (komusubi), Iôzan, Arakuma, Tomozuna, Kumagatake, Kumosayama, Musashino, Masuizan (stepping into the ring), Kumoudake (already standing in the ring). Exiting to the left are the wrestlers on the nishi (west side), also in a descending order in ranking from the right: Kagamiiwa (sekiwake, still in the ring), Arauma (komusubi, stepping out of the ring), Tsuneyama, Inagawa, Itsukushima, Kaigatake, Kuroiwa, Kimigatake, Ichiriki, Amatsukaze. The ôzeki of the west side, Hidenoyama, is the large figure already off the ring, appearing behind the exiting wrestlers. Date: 1850 Publisher: Tsujioka-ya Bunsuke
A later edition of the same triptych with different wrestlers’ names and generally harsher colors. This triptych represents the 1865 winter season, also held at Honjo Ekôin. The names on the right are for the east side and those on the left for the west side. On the east side, they are from the right in a descending order in ranking: Kimenzan (ôzeki), Jinmaku (sekiwake), Chitosegawa (komusubi), Kajigahama, Arauma, Shiramayumi, Terugatake, Yanasedake, Minatogawa, Tsurugataki. On the west side are, from the right to left also in a descending order in ranking: Shiranui (ôzeki), Onogawa (sekiwake), Washigahama (komusubi), Shushakayama, Chiganoura, Azumazeki, Ayanami, Musashigawa, Ryôgoku, Koshinoumi.
Subject: Ceremonial entry of wrestlers at the great wrestling match to raise funds for pious causes Wrestlers: The umpire seated in the centre is Kimura Shonosuke Date: 1847-1853 Publisher:

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN PAGE