The other day, I noticed something interesting in an ordinary conversation. My wife apologized to our neighbor, saying, “I’m sorry, it’s sumo time,” but in Japanese she used the word osumo with the respectful prefix “o.” We do not say “obaseball” or “osoccer.” Why does sumo receive this special treatment? Perhaps the answer lies in the unique history of sumo—not only as a sport, but also as a traditional ceremony connected with Japanese culture and spirituality.
The other day, I visited a neighbor in the evening while taking my dog Anne for a walk.
When my wife greeted our neighbor, she said, “I’m sorry, it’s osumo time.”
Our neighbor replied, “No problem. I don’t watch sumo.”
I actually wanted to watch the sumo broadcast, but since the rain had stopped for only a short while, I decided to give up watching the later matches and go outside.
Listening to their conversation, I suddenly realized something.
In Japanese, we say osumo.
We do not add “o” to other sports such as baseball, soccer, or basketball.
In English, sumo is simply called “sumo,” just like other sports. But in Japanese, many people naturally say osumo, with a feeling of respect and familiarity.
Of course, this may be because sumo is not only a sport. It is also connected with traditional Japanese religious ceremonies.
The origins of sumo are believed to include rituals in which people prayed for good harvests and peace in the country, showing their strength before the gods.
In ancient Japan, sumo was also performed as a court ceremony called Sumai no Sechie, where wrestlers from different regions competed in front of the emperor. Over many centuries, it developed into both a competition and a professional entertainment event, but its connection with tradition and ritual has remained.
Even today, many aspects of sumo reflect this history.
Wrestlers do not appear with dyed hair or visible tattoos. The topknot hairstyle, the ring-entering ceremony, and the traditional clothing of the referee all preserve a style that comes from the past.
Perhaps because sumo still carries this sense of ceremony, many Japanese people naturally add the respectful “o” when they say osumo.
Major League Baseball does not carry the same cultural meaning, and neither do words such as “Premier” or “Super” used in other sports.
The official name used by NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, is Ozumo (Grand Sumo), which also reflects the special status of professional sumo.
I also remember that Yokozuna Onosato, who recently won a championship after returning from difficulties, said in an interview, “I want to become a strong osumosan.”
An osumosan is not simply an athlete. A sumo wrestler is someone who carries a tradition that once represented offering strength to the gods.
Perhaps that is why sumo wrestlers have a responsibility to protect this tradition.
And perhaps that is why, even in the future, Japanese people will continue to say osumo, with that small but meaningful “o.”
Still, there is one thing I cannot help wondering: why is it so difficult to get tickets to see sumo live?
A single “o” may seem small, but it carries centuries of respect, tradition, and cultural memory.
・・・respectful prefix
A word added at the beginning of a word to show respect or politeness.
（敬意や丁寧さを表す接頭語）
good harvest
A large amount of crops produced from farming.
（豊作）
ritual
A traditional ceremony performed in a special way.
（儀式、儀礼）
court ceremony
An official event held in a royal or imperial court.
（宮廷行事）
preserve
To protect something and keep it unchanged.
（保存する、守る）
cultural memory
Ideas and traditions that are passed from one generation to another.
（文化的記憶）
#Sumo
#JapaneseCulture
#TraditionalJapan
#JapaneseHistory
#SportsAndCulture
#Kamakura
#JapanesePathologist
No comments:
Post a Comment