Tokoyama

Tokoyama ( Japanese 床 山 ) are hairdressers who specialize in traditional chonmage hairstyles, which are now only worn in professional Japanese sumo . The term originally only referred to the make-up artists of the Kabuki theater responsible for the hairstyles .

The Tokoyama profession may seem absurd to an outsider, but the sensitivity of the elaborate hairstyles makes constant care by experts urgently necessary because of the stress in the battles. The total of around 50 Tokoyama are, as usual in sumo, divided into a ranking system and belong to the stables or heya . If they have entered a heya, they also receive a shikona (stage name) like the wrestler, which is composed of the kanji toko ( 床 ) and another kanji belonging to the heya. The wrestling stable Sadogatake Beya , for example, has the kanji koto ( 琴 , the Japanese zither ) as a distinguishing feature in the shikona of its fighters, one of the tokoyama of the heya is called accordingly tokokoto ( 床 琴 ). The position of a Tokoyama in the heya is to be equated with that of Toriteki (wrestler under Juryo ), since Tokoyama must also fulfill their duties such as cleaning etc.

The training is lengthy and takes about 10 years. Beginners are in Godō ( 五 等 , dt. Level 5 ) and rise with the years of experience up to Ittō ( 一等 , dt. Level 1 ). If you are then in Ittō and have demonstrated extraordinary ability, you can move up to Tokutō ( 特等 ), a tokoyama of the special class, of which there are only two rankings , which alone are reserved to do a yokozuna (highest rank in sumō) .

The tools of a tokoyama include wooden combs of various strengths, bintsuke (pomade), a magebo (pointed hairstick) and waxed strips of washi paper to tie the knot.