New-York tribune., 1901-10-20
WRESTLING IN JAPAN.
A NATIONAL SPORT OF ANCIENT AND
HONORABLE ORIGIN-HOW A
BOUT IS CONDUCTED.

ball is to the American, cricket to the English
man or golf to the Scotch, wrestling is TO the
citizen of the Flowery Kingdom. 1t is, par ex-
cellence, the national sport. Unlike baseball,
cricket golf, it is of most ancient and honor
able origin The first match of which there is
any record took place in the year Cesar s
nephew assumed the imperial crown and more
than twenty years before the founder of Chris
tianity was born. In p b. c. Nomi- no-Sukune
wrestl1d in the palace at Nara with one kehaya,
who prided himself Oh his great strength, and
threw him down with such force that he died
the spot. The Mikado covered the successful
wrestler with honors. and after his death
sukune deifed and to this day is wor-
shipped as the patron Of Japanese wrestlers.
While not enjoying to-day the immunities and
privileges which were his before the restoration
adjusted things In harmony with Western
views OF civilization the wrestler still continues
to be in Japanese community a parsonage OF
some interest and consideration. Boys look up
TO him with and veneration. while bashful
naidens divide their struggling affections be-
tween him and the ever popular actor. The old
folk in him one Of the representatives Of
RnOther order of things now rapidly disappear
ing-the good old times the golden age"
for which every ancient worthy In every land
and cline has sighed since this wicked world
first started on its downward course. He Is an
interesting landmark as ii were. of Japanese
civilization but not, ! am bound TO say. hand
some one. Outside the ring he is easily recog-
nized by his enormous stature-enormous as
compared with that of his average countryman
his extraordinary girth, his waddng gait and
the assumption of superiority his fellow
beings with which his physical proportions
Seem to inspire him.
The European dress craze which In the early
fixtles and for many years thereafter appeared
to have seized upon all classes and both sexes
has left the wrestler untouched. To this day he
is the one man who may he said, alone among
Japanese or distinction. TO have consistently
'iuhg TO the national costume He even goes so
iar as 10 retain his queue and peculiar build
OF clogs not worn nowadays by any one else
Like other sports wrestling has had its ups
Lnd downs in the popular esteem. Jukichi
lnouye, In very instructive article on the sub
Ject recently published, traces the popularity
which wrestling enjoys at the present day 10
matches that were held in 1881 on the occasion
OF the Emperor's visit to the ey-daimvo of Sat
suma Under the Tokugawa dynasty-that is to
bay' curing the period Of the great peace
"restlers enjoyed special privileges because their
Ht was SUN considered of military importance
ana thelr services were likely at any moment to
De required by the State They ranked next 70
ue oafhural. They We're exempted from all tolls
IN public highways. could order post horses ~
permitted to enter theatres and other places Of
pupllc amusement deadheads Their wide
popularity was, however mainly due to tho MT
ronage OF the daimyo other great feudator,es
Every wrestler Of the first grade WAS hacked by
u'iiso win the wiling support of his retain
ers and his honor was jealouslv watched h,, tho
Hhoe clan. When the restoration came tho
"feStlers special privileges were taken avav
from him His position became no higher than
'hat OF any other professional Indeed he ie to
day compelled like the rest to take ont q uca,sa
Tor pursuing his calling. The treatment in fact
''o "hlch ne is now subjected was mart of that
reaction against militarsm which ended j., .bo
retirement 10 private life of the Shogun and Tho
restoration 10 power of the Emperor Ita fo,,1
Is true, among the hitherto despised cIass .,
merchants patrons munificent as eyer ho h.,,
had IN the ranks of the nobility hut bis ,,,
perlty and the high consideration once ,aid hi
are forever gone
Every large town has its wrestling ring Tba
one IN Toxic is a fair sample of most Ip,.ci,
d frame building, about $50 feet long hv 10
ieet WIDE covered by a canvas roof Inside an
the TOUR sides, are tiers of seats and hovas ,b;,
command view of the ring in tb. c.,tra r,
the centre is the ring ITSELF formed as . r,,,a
ny heaplhs hardened earth, about thirty inches
hish, IN a perfect circle of twenty feet in di,,,
eter. The whole suggests except as to sizo tho
circus ring at home, pie on an ENLARGED
scale The whole is surmounted but 60 nc mot
hp 10 of tha