 - 1. Sumo wrestling is a traditional Japanese sport that dates back centuries. It is a unique form of full-contact wrestling where two competitors, also known as rikishi, face off in a circular ring called a dohyo. The objective of the match is for one wrestler to force the other out of the ring or to touch the ground with any part of their body other than the soles of their feet. Sumo wrestlers are known for their large and impressive physiques, as well as their strict training regimens and rituals. Matches are often fast-paced and intense, with bouts lasting only a few seconds. Sumo wrestling embodies a rich cultural history and continues to captivate audiences around the world with its combination of tradition, skill, and sheer physical power.
What is the traditional ring in which sumo matches are held called?
A) Yokozuna
B) Dohyo
C) Mawashi
D) Tokudawara
- 2. What is the attire worn by sumo wrestlers during matches?
A) Hakama
B) Mawashi
C) Kimono
D) Obi
- 3. Who are the highest-ranked sumo wrestlers in the sport?
A) Sekitori
B) Makuuchi
C) Ozeki
D) Yokozuna
- 4. What is the name of the top division of professional sumo wrestling in Japan?
A) Makuuchi
B) Sandanme
C) Juryo
D) Makushita
- 5. What term is used to refer to a sumo wrestler's stable or training center?
A) Heya
B) Oyakata
C) Sumitomo
D) Dojo
- 6. In sumo, how long is a standard tournament usually held for?
A) 10 days
B) 20 days
C) 7 days
D) 15 days
- 7. What is the highest rank a wrestler can hold without being eligible to become a Yokozuna?
A) Maegashira
B) Ozeki
C) Komusubi
D) Sekiwake
- 8. Which of the following is a specialized sumo referee responsible for guiding matches and enforcing rules?
A) Kankyo
B) Riji
C) Shimpan
D) Gyoji
- 9. What is the name of the sumo association that oversees professional sumo in Japan?
A) World Sumo Council
B) International Sumo Federation
C) Global Sumo League
D) Japan Sumo Association
- 10. What is the term for a Sumo wrestler's training session?
A) Keiko
B) Hoshitori
C) Ozeki
D) Makushita
- 11. How many divisions are there in professional Sumo wrestling?
A) 5
B) 6
C) 8
D) 7
- 12. Who is the highest-ranking official in a Sumo stable?
A) Gyoji
B) Yobidashi
C) Sekitori
D) Oyakata
- 13. What is the length of a regulation Sumo ring?
A) 5.5 meters
B) 4.55 meters
C) 6.7 meters
D) 3 meters
- 14. Which is the winning technique in Sumo Wrestling where a wrestler lifts and throws their opponent to the ground?
A) Tsuri-dashi
B) Yorikiri
C) Uwatenage
D) Ashitori
- 15. What is the name of the ring-entering ceremony performed by a Yokozuna before a Sumo match?
A) Dohyo-iri
B) Ikioi
C) Hatsubasho
D) Matta
- 16. What does the term 'sumō' literally mean in Japanese?
A) 'striking one another'
B) 'ancient sport'
C) 'ritual combat'
D) 'wrestling match'
- 17. In sumo, how can a rikishi win the match?
A) 'By making his opponent submit verbally.
B) By forcing his opponent out of the ring or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet.
C) 'By knocking his opponent unconscious.
D) By pinning both shoulders to the ground for three seconds.
- 18. What type of martial art classification does sumo fall under in Japan?
A) 'gendai budō'
B) 'koryu bujutsu'
C) 'iaido'
D) 'ninjutsu'
- 19. Which religious tradition influences the rituals of sumo?
A) Shinto
B) Buddhism
C) Islam
D) Christianity
- 20. What is the communal living arrangement for sumo wrestlers called in Japanese?
A) 'dojo'
B) 'ryokan'
C) 'heya'
D) 'onsen'
- 21. How has life expectancy of sumo wrestlers compared to the average Japanese man?
A) About the same
B) Higher
C) Much lower
D) Unchanged
- 22. During which years did high-profile controversies and scandals affect sumo's reputation?
A) 2000 to 2008
B) 2008 to 2016
C) 1995 to 2003
D) 2010 to 2020
- 23. What term is used for the professional sumo observed by the Japan Sumo Association?
A) 'Joshi-zumō'
B) 'Shin-zumō'
C) 'Ōzumō'
D) 'Kyu-zumō'
- 24. What is 'udezumō' in Japanese?
A) 'Leg wrestling'
B) 'Arm wrestling'
C) 'Back wrestling'
D) 'Shoulder wrestling'
- 25. Which period featured a sumo competition at the imperial court known as 'sumai no sechi'?
A) Heian period
B) Taishō period
C) Edo period
D) Meiji period
- 26. What is an alternative kanji writing for 'sumo' that appears in the Nihon Shoki?
A) '角力'
B) '腕相撲'
C) '大相撲'
D) '相撲'
- 27. What does the first character of the alternative kanji for 'sumo' mean?
A) 'Power'
B) 'Fight'
C) 'Corner', serving as a phonetic element.
D) 'Circle'
- 28. What was the original purpose of sumo according to prehistoric wall paintings?
A) A form of entertainment for the royal court
B) A martial art developed for self-defense
C) An agricultural ritual dance performed in prayer for a good harvest
D) A competitive sport between different villages
- 29. What did Takemikazuchi crush during his match with Takeminakata?
A) Takeminakata's head
B) Takeminakata's arm like a reed
C) Takeminakata's torso
D) Takeminakata's leg
- 30. Who was the first mortal to participate in a sumo match according to Nihon Shoki?
A) Nomi no Sukune
B) Emperor Suinin
C) Taima no Kuehaya
D) A samurai warrior
- 31. Until when was sumo often fought to the death?
A) The Heian period
B) The Japanese Middle Ages
C) The Kofun period
D) The Edo period
- 32. What increased sumo's ceremonial and religious significance?
A) The establishment of professional sumo leagues
B) The introduction of new wrestling techniques
C) The influence of foreign wrestlers
D) Its popularity within the court
- 33. What were regular events at the Emperor's court called?
A) Nara gatherings
B) Heian tournaments
C) Kofun matches
D) Sumai no sechie
- 34. What new purpose did sumo serve during the Kamakura period?
A) A method to resolve disputes
B) Military combat training among samurai
C) A form of entertainment for children
D) A religious ceremony
- 35. Who held a tournament with 1,500 wrestlers in February 1578?
A) Oda Nobunaga
B) Toyotomi Hideyoshi
C) Minamoto no Yoritomo
D) Tokugawa Ieyasu
- 36. In what year was sumo permitted for charity events at Shinto shrines in Edo?
A) 1750
B) 1684
C) 1700
D) 1603
- 37. Where did the first sanctioned tournament take place during the Edo period?
A) Tomioka Hachiman Shrine
B) Fushimi Inari-taisha
C) Itsukushima Shrine
D) Meiji Shrine
- 38. Which of the following elements in sumo dates from the Edo period?
A) Introduction of electronic scoring
B) Use of a referee's whistle
C) Implementation of weight classes
D) The dohyō-iri
- 39. Who was one of the notable wrestlers in the 18th century?
A) Masahiko Kimura
B) Gichin Funakoshi
C) Raiden Tameemon
D) Kazushi Sakuraba
- 40. What was Matthew C. Perry's reaction to sumo wrestling during his 1853 expedition?
A) He found it distasteful and arranged a military showcase
B) He praised its discipline and organization
C) He was indifferent and showed no particular reaction
D) He decided to adopt it in the United States
- 41. Who presents the Emperor's Cup to the winner of the top-division makuuchi championship?
A) The Prime Minister
B) A sumo elder
C) The Japan Sumo Association President
D) The Emperor
- 42. What is the term used for wrestlers in the top two divisions?
A) maegashira
B) san'yaku
C) rikishi
D) sekitori
- 43. How many wrestlers are there at most in the makuuchi division?
A) 120
B) 180
C) 28
D) 42
- 44. How many wrestlers are there in the jonokuchi division?
A) Around 50
B) 180
C) 120
D) 28
- 45. What type of fat do active sumo wrestlers typically carry unusually low levels of?
A) White fat
B) Subcutaneous fat
C) Visceral fat
D) Brown fat
- 46. What year did the Sumo Association loosen its height and weight requirements for new recruits?
A) 2023
B) 2020
C) 2018
D) 2015
- 47. Which country has the only purpose-built sumo training facility outside Japan?
A) Brazil
B) United Kingdom
C) Japan
D) Bulgaria
- 48. Who was fundamental to the initial growth of sumo in the UK, including taking a British team to Japan for the first time?
A) Ichirō
B) Kotoōshū
C) Ryūkō Gō
D) Syd Hoare
- 49. What are sumo wrestling names called?
A) Oyakata
B) Heya
C) Banzuke
D) Shikona (四股名)
- 50. When did the Japan Sumo Association increase the number of annual tournaments from two to four?
A) On 28 December 1925
B) In 1884 after Emperor Meiji's intervention.
C) In 1958 when they increased it further to six.
D) In 1949 when the length of tournaments was extended.
- 51. Which material do top-rated wrestlers wear for their mawashi during tournaments?
A) Cotton
B) Wool
C) Silk
D) Linen
- 52. How much is the prize money for winning the top division championship?
A) ¥100,000
B) ¥10 million
C) ¥70,000
D) ¥2 million
- 53. How many years of compulsory education must a wrestler complete to turn professional?
A) At least nine years
B) Six years
C) Twelve years
D) Five years
- 54. What is 'tachi-ai' in sumo?
A) The synchronized charge that initiates a match.
B) An illegal move involving eye poking.
C) A type of winning technique.
D) The name of the referee's assistant.
- 55. What is the salary for a yokozuna?
A) ¥2.5 million
B) ¥3 million
C) ¥1.8 million
D) ¥1.4 million
- 56. Which weight class for men in amateur sumo includes unrestricted entry?
A) Openweight
B) Heavyweight over 115 kg (254 lb)
C) Lightweight up to 85 kg (187 lb)
D) Middleweight up to 115 kg (254 lb)
- 57. What is published two weeks prior to each sumo tournament?
A) An announcement of new wrestlers
B) The results of previous tournaments
C) A carefully prepared banzuke listing the full hierarchy
D) A list of upcoming exhibition matches
- 58. What is the term for the three champion or titleholder ranks in sumo?
A) maegashira
B) san'yaku
C) rikishi
D) sekitori
- 59. What is 'kesho-mawashi' in sumo?
A) A special match format.
B) Elaborate belts worn during ring-entering ceremonies.
C) The name of a referee's assistant.
D) A type of illegal move.
- 60. What was the average weight of top division wrestlers in 1969?
A) 166 kilograms (366 lb)
B) 200 kilograms (440 lb)
C) 150 kilograms (330 lb)
D) 125 kilograms (276 lb)
- 61. What is one of the controversies in professional sumo?
A) Lack of audience interest
B) Match-fixing
C) Short bout durations
D) Inadequate training facilities
- 62. What historical event is associated with the depiction of female sumo wrestlers in 'The Chrysanthemum and the Guillotine'?
A) The Meiji Restoration
B) The civil unrest following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.
C) World War II
D) The signing of the Treaty of Kanagawa
- 63. When was the first Brazilian sumo tournament held?
A) 2005
B) 1985
C) 1914
D) 1990s
- 64. What does a kachi-koshi score almost always result in for a top-division wrestler?
A) Relegation to a lower division
B) Promotion further up the ladder
C) Immediate retirement
D) No change in rank
- 65. What is a common health issue sumo wrestlers face due to excessive alcohol intake?
A) Pancreatitis
B) Gallbladder issues
C) Kidney stones
D) Liver problems
- 66. When was the International Sumo Federation (IFS) established?
A) 1992
B) 2000
C) 2010
D) 1985
- 67. Which alcoholic beverages are typically consumed with chankonabe to increase caloric intake?
A) Rice wine
B) Wine
C) Beer
D) Sake
- 68. What type of system is used to organize the tournaments?
A) Round-robin system
B) Single-elimination system
C) Swiss-system tournament
D) McMahon system tournament
- 69. Which university produced the first collegiate background wrestler to attain the rank of yokozuna?
A) Waseda University
B) Keio University
C) Tokyo University
D) Nihon University
- 70. What is the term used for bonus income given to sekitori wrestlers based on their performance?
A) tsuna
B) sanshō
C) kenshōkin
D) mochikyūkin
- 71. How much does the winner of a jonokuchi division receive as prize money?
A) ¥2 million
B) ¥10 million
C) ¥70,000
D) ¥100,000
- 72. Which rank is above komusubi and below ōzeki?
A) sekiwake
B) yokozuna
C) maegashira
D) jūryō
- 73. In which division do wrestlers start their sumo career?
A) makuuchi
B) jūryō
C) jonokuchi
D) makushita
- 74. Which sport do many European athletes transition from to amateur sumo?
A) Football
B) Baseball
C) Judo
D) Basketball
- 75. What record weight did top division wrestlers reach by January 2019?
A) 166 kilograms (366 lb)
B) 200 kilograms (440 lb)
C) 150 kilograms (330 lb)
D) 180 kilograms (396 lb)
- 76. What is the term used for a top-division wrestler's score of 8–7 or better?
A) Sansho
B) Kachi-koshi
C) Shikimori-yusho
D) Make-koshi
- 77. What health condition are many former sumo wrestlers prone to developing due to their diet?
A) Type 2 diabetes
B) Hypertension
C) Anemia
D) Osteoporosis
- 78. What is the name given to the last day of a professional sumo tournament?
A) Yokozuna Day
B) Senshūraku
C) Makuuchi
D) Kamigata
- 79. When did the Kokugikan move to its current location at Ryōgoku?
A) 1990
B) 2000
C) 1978
D) 1985
- 80. How many foreign-born ōzeki were promoted in the 10 years since January 2009?
A) Seven
B) Three
C) Nine
D) Five
- 81. What is the term for a victory by forfeit?
A) Mochikyūkin
B) Sanshō
C) Kenshōkin
D) Fusenshō
- 82. Which rank is directly below yokozuna in sumo's hierarchy?
A) komusubi
B) maegashira
C) sekiwake
D) ōzeki
- 83. Where was the US Sumo Open held in 2025?
A) Tokyo Dome
B) Walter Pyramid
C) Madison Square Garden
D) Yoyogi National Stadium
- 84. How many wrestlers are there in the jonidan division?
A) 120
B) 180
C) 50
D) About 200
- 85. In which era did the expectation that all professional wrestlers should be heavy emerge?
A) The Showa era
B) The late Meiji era
C) The Edo period
D) The Taisho era
- 86. Which division has exactly 28 wrestlers?
A) jonidan
B) sandanme
C) jūryō
D) makushita
- 87. How much does a single sponsorship cost as of 2019?
A) ¥10,000
B) ¥100,000
C) ¥60,000
D) ¥70,000
- 88. What is the term for a score of 7–8 or worse in the top division?
A) Make-koshi
B) Sansho
C) Yusho
D) Kachi-koshi
- 89. During which tournaments is chankonabe made exclusively with chicken?
A) Summer tournaments
B) Autumn tournaments
C) Spring tournaments
D) Honbasho tournaments
- 90. What type of fat do active sumo wrestlers primarily store their body fat as?
A) Brown adipose tissue
B) Subcutaneous fat just beneath the skin
C) Intramuscular fat
D) Visceral fat around internal organs
- 91. Which rank in sumo is designated as 'east' and 'west' within each level?
A) rikishi
B) sekitori
C) san'yaku
D) maegashira
- 92. When was the last time a Japanese wrestler was promoted to yokozuna before Kisenosato Yutaka in 2017?
A) 2000
B) 1998
C) 2005
D) 2010
- 93. How many wrestlers are there in the makushita division?
A) 28
B) 180
C) 120
D) 200
- 94. What hairstyle are sumo wrestlers expected to grow?
A) Bald head
B) A topknot called a chonmage
C) Short, spiky hair
D) Long braids
- 95. In which city is the Kokugikan, where three of the annual Grand Sumo tournaments take place?
A) Nagoya
B) Osaka
C) Fukuoka
D) Tokyo
- 96. Who shared a message expressing thanks for the cultural roots of sumo before the 2025 Sumo World Championship in Thailand?
A) World Sumo Federation President
B) Prime Minister of Japan
C) International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry
D) President of Thailand
- 97. What term is used for the four lower divisions in sumo?
A) rikishi
B) maegashira
C) san'yaku
D) sekitori
- 98. How many matches do lower-ranked wrestlers compete in during a tournament?
A) Seven bouts
B) Five bouts
C) Fifteen bouts
D) Ten bouts
- 99. Which event removed sumo from its program due to poor sportsmanship and organization?
A) World Games
B) Olympic Games
C) Pan American Games
D) Asian Games
- 100. What is the term for a perfect top division championship victory with no losses?
A) Mochikyūkin
B) Sanshō
C) Kenshōkin
D) Zenshō-yūshō
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