Japanese to Sumo Recruiters: Yawn
Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 07.03.07 | 4:16 PM ET
For the first time since modern sumo standards were established in 1936, not a single person has applied to become a sumo wrestler in the lead-up to a key recruitment test in Japan. According to The Asahi Shinbum, sumo’s popularity has been on the decline, but the cancellation of the July test seems to be a new low. It prompted the newspaper to crack: “The Nihon Sumo Kyokai (Japan sumo association) is desperately looking for a few fat men.” Adding insult to injury, the BBC notes, “The two reigning grand champions, Asashoryu and Hakuho, are both Mongolian.” The widely reported death of a 17-year-old newly minted professional wrestler last month can’t help matters.
Related on World Hum:
* Japan’s Big Fat Sumo Controversy
* The Hot New Trend in Japanese Cuisine: 500-Year-Old Kaiseki
* R.I.P. Momofuku Ando, Inventor of Instant Ramen Noodles