{
  "id": 12290017,
  "title": "In Japan, women’s sumo battles tradition and a male-dominated system for survival",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/in-japan-womens-sumo-battles-tradition-and-a-male-dominated-system",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-06T03:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/in-japan-womens-sumo-battles-tradition-and-a-male-dominated-system-for-survival/articleshow/134721630.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Kyoto, Japan, over 100 women and girls have gathered at the Kyoto City Budo Centre to engage in a traditionally male-dominated sport - women's sumo wrestling. This event, held on a rainy Sunday morning, takes place in a hall built in 1899, with a recently constructed adjoining hall buzzing with activity. The women, dressed in wrestling singlets and the traditional mawashi, gather around a ring that resembles a sumo dohyo, but is not one.\n\nDespite religious beliefs that associate menstruation with impurity, women in Japan are participating in sumo wrestling, breaking tradition. Over 600 women in more than 70 clubs across the country practice this form of wrestling, despite the resistance faced. In the past, women participated in sumo as far back as the fifth century, with periods of popularity between 1603 and 1868 and in the early 20th century. However, women's sumo was banned in 1926 due to moral and traditional grounds.\n\nThe Japan Sumo Association does not recognize women's sumo, leaving private clubs, schools, and universities to keep it alive. Universities and a few clubs allow women to train alongside male counterparts. Even the arrival of Japan's first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has not changed the equation. She stated that she respects tradition and will not step on the dohyo.\n\nOne of the strongest woman sumo wrestlers in Japan, Airi Hisano, began her training in karate and judo before finding her calling in sumo at Nihon University. Despite the challenges, including people making fun of her due to rigid gender spaces, Airi remains determined. She works in the administrative section of Tachihi Holdings and balances her day job with training and security duties.\n\nKatsumasa Kawase, a sumo wrestler, supports his daughters, Momoka and Yuzuki, in their pursuit of the sport by helping them warm up. The physical demands of sumo wrestling are similar to those faced by male competitors, but the biggest hurdle lies in awareness. Morita, who handles public relations for Yoko Sumo Club, notes that the major challenge is the unfamiliarity people have with women's sumo.\n\nDespite the challenges, women continue to believe that women's sumo will eventually be included in the Olympics. Mao Ueda, a women's sumo coach, believes that the biggest challenge lies after university, where girls drop out due to the lack of recognition, money, and future prospects. However, young athletes like Momoka, who is nine years old and wants to become an Olympian, remain undeterred in their pursuit of the sport.",
  "summary": "More than 100 women gathered at the Kyoto City Budo Centre to practice sumo wrestling. Despite historic resistance, female participation in sumo is increasing, with over 600 women involved in various clubs. The Japan Sumo Association does not recognise women's sumo, leaving many to rely on private clubs for training. Coaches and athletes express hope for future Olympic inclusion as they work to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}