TAMANO’OYA JINJA NO UTATEZUMOU

(2017 / 32 minutes / DVD / in Japanese)

Uratezumo is a traditional divine ritual that has long been conducted at Tamano’oya Shrine in Houfu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. It originates with a legend that Emperor Chuai, during a battle against a tribe called the Kumaso, held a ceremony at this shrine to predict whether his army would win in battle. The ceremony looks like a sumo bout, but there is no actual fighting. It is an original form of ritualistic sumo which is conducted in dedication to the god of the shrine.