Lecture: Sumo in Global Spaces: The Politics of Representation
March 9, 2004
Lecture: Sumo in Global Spaces: The Politics of Representation
R. Kenji Tierney (Postdoctoral Fellow, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University)
403 Kent Hall, Columbia University (116th St. and Amsterdam Ave.)
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
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1856 lithograph from the Perry Expedition
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Has the age of the American-born sumo wrestler come to an end? The January Tournament (Hatsu Basho) was the first in decades without an American-born wrestler in the ring and an end to the Japan-US rivalry that had defined the globalization of sumo. With many of the most popular wrestlers having retired, an unruly Mongolian wrestler at the top, and a sharp decline in overall popularity, the Japan Sumo Association is struggling to make sumo relevant in contemporary Japan and reformulate its cultural role in the 21st century. Seeking to explain the present situation, this talk examines the ways in which 20th century historical actors, international discourses and events – such as the “physical culture movement,” international tourism, Olympics, and the World Wars – transformed sumo into both a nationalized sport and a tradition. Examining the cultural categories of sport and tradition, this talk will discuss the present state of professional sumo along with recent attempts by the amateur association to internationalize sumo as a participation sport, a movement that is now producing amateur American wrestlers.
Co-sponsored by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute
