Tradition

The origins of Sumo are in mythology and religion. Legend has the first sumo match as having been the battle between a god and a rival tribe for the rights to the island chain known today as Japan.

During the next millenium-and-a-half, sumo wrestling evolved from a ritual to ask the gods for a good harvest to a national pass-time.

Today, the popularity of sumo is spreading to other places around the world, including the United States, which produced the first non-Japanese Yokozuna (top-ranking champion). In January 1993, Chad Rowan, a Hawaiian who appeared in the ring as Akebono, achieved that honor.