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