21.09.07
Woman breaches ancient Japanese tradition
- Sumo -
By Agence France-Presse
TOKYO–Sumo’s centuries-old tradition of barring women from entering the ring was momentarily breached Thursday after a woman suddenly threw herself onto the mound where the wrestlers fight.
Television footage showed a middle-aged woman in blue jeans and a green T-shirt abruptly climbing onto the elevated mound between matches Wednesday at the autumn grand tournament in Tokyo.
The mound encompasses the circle in which sumo wrestlers fight but the woman — whose motive was unclear — was dragged down by a stunned wrestler and others before she could reach the fighting circle.
