42 Sumo Wrestlers’ Visit
42 Sumo wrestlers came to Taiwan yesterday. Their combined weight is said to be 6288 kgs. Each wrestler’s huge body shape needs special accomodations and that would make many very busy as it should. The visit is the first time since the end of the WW II in 1945. Their visit has arosed great interest and warm welcome here. Those who were born in the Japanese Era have fond memories of the sport which was played all over the island then. As the national sport, Sumo wrestlers of the Japanese Sumo Association making visit is an indication of gradual warming up of Japanese people toward Taiwan. In the past, it might be due to their feeling of shame for the country’s imperialistic acts and nasty reminders of the history kept harped up by China and the like, Japan simply tried to forget about Taiwan.
Sumo is the Japanese sport, as already mentioned above. Actually, Japanese and Korean are closely related to Mongolian people. Wrestling is also a very Mongolian sport, as also for the Korean. Only in Japan, the sport has linked up with Shintoism and ritualized and formalized. After the War and independence, Koreans abandoned Japanese style sumo and reclaimed their own style of wrestling. However, in Taiwan, any residues of Japanese culture from the colonial era were to be purged under the Chinese Regime which took over Taiwan after the WW II, and so, sumo no longer is played. But this visit to Taiwan which would have three exhibitional games will kindle keen sentiment and interest for the sport. It is reported that many here in Taiwan enthusiastically follow NHK’s telecasts each sumo season. In passing, I should mention that Japan has lifted visa requirement for Taiwanese visiting Japan since last year, ignoring Chinese protest.