Women on the dohyo.

[Mark Buckton 1]

I see nothing wrong with women on the dohyo but with Osaka's election for govenor yesterday reelecting the woman who always finds something else to do when the 15th day comes around (sending her 'pure' male deputy) nothing will change this March now will it.

She'll request. NSK will 'consider'. Will take time and before we know it the basho is passed. Just before the end something will come up requiring her imediate attention. Cat stuck in a prefectural tree or something like that.

Till next year.

Story here http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getart...n20040202a2.htm

[Zuikakuyama 1]

Isn't there already women's sumo in the form of "Shinzumo", or "New Sumo"?

[Takanobaka 0]

Isn't there already women's sumo in the form of "Shinzumo", or "New Sumo"?

This has more to do with the fact that women aren't supposed to touch the dohyo at all, and as the governor of Osaka, one of the duties is presentation on the 15th day of the tournaments down there. Since they don't allow women on, she can't make the presentation herself which has become much more of an issue lately.

On a similar note, I read that Japan was considering changing the law to allow Female succession to Emperor once again. It's possible that if the lawmakers decide to allow female succession to the throne, that the kyokai might change their tune about letting women on the dohyo. However, I still somehow doubt it. It's just one of those anachronisms that remains because of the religious element, somewhat similar to the fact that a woman can't be a priest in Catholocism (despite the fact that it wasn't always that way, and that there's still a dispute as to whether one of the early popes was actually female...)