Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-10-26

Hitachiyama, Japsn's Great Wrestler.
Interesting forms Of athletics in the
world.
Hitachiyama IS tho idol OF the sport
lovers. young and old. of Dai Nippon.
His immense size. his great strength.
his perfect skin have made him cham
pion OF champions. while the fact that
be comes OF a samurai family. and
therefore ranks in the social order
above 90 per cent OF the people. doubt
less adds materially 90 the size OF his
halo. Ordinary wrcsuers are held in
high esteem I'm Japan; wrcsuers ex-
traordinary taste the sweets OF adula-
tion. Hitachiyama holds about the
same place iu the body polite that
John l.. Sullivan held Ga his palmiest
days.
The outward and visible signs of the
wrestler in Japan. aside from his size.
which marks him a slant in a nation
whore the average man IS understood.
IS the peculiar topknot of hair that
adorus his head and the inevitable
crowd OF admiring small boys follow
ing his heels. I'm the wrestling sea
son the contests form the principal II
not the only topic OF general converse
tion. The progress OF the contests IS
spread upon the bulletin boards in
front OF the newspaper onices. where
crowds arc 10 be found az day long
Special sporting extras appear every
hour. Every boy In Japan, and appar-
entity every man. knows the record Of
eos Cd rNa a. 81
little women in the shops join in the
general discussion. and have even been
known 20 cast furtive and admiring
glances at the men Of might and fat
as they pass by.
The great wrestling meet OF the en-
pire occurs each year az Toxic. There
for a season OF daily contests. cover.
ing about two weeks. assemble all the
noted wrestIers CT the country.
Wresuers usually take fantastic
stage names. Hitachiyama, for in
stance. IS Mountain OF Hitachi-IIit-
achi being his home province. In pri-
waite life he IS Mr.. Taniyemon Ichige,
the son of an old samurai warrior
When a boy at the Mito Middle school
his proves IN athletics attracted gen
eral attention and led 10 his casting
his lot with the wrestlers. He stands
five shalxu eight sun high. which is
about I'VE feet ten inches. and weighs
81 lxwamme. or 800 pounds. His ad-
mirers point 20 him as literally a
mountain OF fat and muscle"
In the size Of some OF these wres-
tiers is found one OF the many con-
tradictions which Japan furnishes at
every turn. 1t is easy enough 20 &C
count for the squat fat ones: but how
IS It that a race which merits. 10y COM
parisou with other races. even II Il
does resent, the classification "dwarfs'
given IL by the Chinese. is able to pro-
duce some men who run six feet four
inches slxyward? Yet these men are
pure japanese.
The explanation is probably a very
simple one. In all races some men are
naturally taller than their fellows.
When a Japanese boy gives promise
Of being either very fat or very large
and strong he is turned over to the
wrestIers-this being regarded as a
highly honorable vocation. Plenty OF
muscle making and fat producing food
does the rest.
Hitachiyama says his Is not 10 be in
the nature OF professional tour. It
is not his purpose TO give perform
ances, but he and his subOrdlnates Will
carry with them all the necessary
wrestling articles 20 enable them to
furnish a complete exhibition OF their
art should they by any chance be in
vited by distinguished persons to give
practical demonstration of sumo.
1t viii be a very easy matter to con-
vert the White House tennis court
into a sumo ring.