Nakizumo
Nakizumō ( Japanese 泣 き 相撲 , dt. "Weeping Sumo"), also Konaki Sumo / Konakizumō ( 子 泣 き 相撲 , dt. "Kinderweinen-Sumo"), is an annual festival ( matsuri ) in some areas of Japan, in the Sumo wrestlers make babies cry. The festival serves to bless the children so that they can stay healthy and become strong.
The most famous festival is the Nakizumō from the Ikiko Shrine ( 生子 神社 の 泣 き 相撲 ) in Momiyama-machi, Kanuma , Tochigi Prefecture , which was declared a national intangible cultural asset on November 28, 1996. This takes place every year on the first Sunday on or after September 19 and includes children from six months to three years. Another well-known is the Konaki Sumo at the Saikyō-ji Buddhist temple in Hirado , Nagasaki Prefecture , which takes place in Setsubun on February 3rd.
Individual evidence
- ↑ 生子 神社 の 泣 き 相撲 . In: 国 指定 文化 財 デ ー タ ベ ー ス (German "Database for Nationally Recognized Cultural Assets"). Cultural Affairs Bureau, accessed December 13, 2013 (Japanese).
- ↑ 泣 き 相撲 . In: 鹿 沼 観 光 だ よ り 四季 彩 の ま ち か ぬ ま . Kanuma Tourism Association, accessed April 25, 2010 (Japanese).
- ↑ a b Herbert Plutschow: Matsuri. The Festivals of Japan . Curzon Press, Richmond 1996, ISBN 1-873410-63-8 , pp. 149 ( digitized from Google Books ).
- ↑ January - February - March. (No longer available online.) In: Hirado City Official Web Site. Hirado City, archived from the original on January 19, 2010 ; Retrieved April 25, 2010 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Konaki Sumo (baby-crying bout). (No longer available online.) In: Japan Event Calendar. Japan National Tourist Organization, formerly the original ; Retrieved April 25, 2010 (English). ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
