Japan’s first female prime minister confronts long-standing ban on women entering the sumo ring

Sanae Takaichi made history in October when she became Japan's first woman to serve as prime minister. Now she faces another potential milestone: whether to challenge the long-standing prohibition that bars women from entering the sacred sumo ring.

At the close of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, the winner will receive the Prime Minister's Cup. Several past male prime ministers, including Junichiro Koizumi, have stepped into the ring to hand over the prize.

Takaichi — a conservative who champions traditional, male-centered social values—may choose not to break the taboo. In any case, she will not need to decide this time, as she returns from the G20 summit in South Africa a day after the tournament ends.

Her next decision point will come during the New Year's tournament in Tokyo.

Still, the broader debate over whether women should be allowed in the ring is likely to intensify now that a woman leads the country. Critics argue that bans in sumo and in certain religious settings do not reflect the evolving role of women in Japanese society.

Women remain barred from some religious sites and events
The sumo ring is just one example.

For centuries, women in Japan have been excluded from specific sacred mountains, religious training rituals, temples, shrines, and festivals. Similar prohibitions exist in some other cultures, but Japan's traditional restrictions stem from beliefs about female "impurity" connected to menstruation and childbirth, as well as certain misogynistic interpretations of Buddhism, says Naoko Kobayashi, a professor at Aichi Gakuin University.

While many of these bans — including those on Mount Fuji — have been abolished, they persist at some shrines and festivals. Kobayashi notes that many of these taboos date only to the Meiji era in the late 19th century, and have endured partly because women were long prevented from participating in religious and political decision-making.

Sumo is ancient, but the exclusion of women is not. Sumo's origins lie in rituals tied to the Shinto religion, involving prayers for good harvests and performances at shrines. The wrestling area, or dohyo, is made of special clay and encircled with rice straw, symbolizing a sacred space separated from impurities — and, in professional sumo, off limits to women.

Some scholars say the ban reflects Shinto notions of impurity, but the Japan Sumo Association denies that the rule comes from religious doctrine.

In 2018, association chief Nobuyoshi Hakkaku insisted the ban had no sexist intent, saying the dohyo is a "serious battleground for men," and that keeping it male-only preserves tradition.

Historical documents, however, show that women once took part in sumo-style wrestling. A 7th-century text describes female court members performing sumo at an emperor's request, and records from the 16th century mention women wrestlers.

Sumo became more prestigious after Emperor Meiji attended matches in 1884, and it became recognized as a national sport with the building of Tokyo's Ryogoku Arena in 1909.

The ban has drawn criticism for decades.

In 1978, labor ministry official Mayumi Moriyama protested when the sumo association barred a girl who won a regional competition from competing in the finals because they were held in a real dohyo.

In 1990, as a government spokesperson, Moriyama herself asked to enter the ring to present the Prime Minister's Cup but was denied.

A more dramatic incident occurred in 2018 when the mayor of Maizuru collapsed while speaking in a sumo ring. Female medical workers rushed to begin treatment while male officials looked on. Announcers repeatedly ordered the women to leave the ring, and officials purified the area with salt afterward.

Shortly after, the association refused to allow Tomoko Nakagawa — then the mayor of Takarazuka — to step onto the dohyo to give a speech, forcing her to speak from the side. She later said she felt humiliated.

The sumo association apologized for mishandling the medical emergency and for causing discomfort, and convened a panel of experts to study the ban. Seven years later, no decision has been reached.

"Excluding women under the guise of tradition is no longer justifiable," said Professor Kobayashi.

Takaichi's stance aligns with traditional gender norms
Takaichi is not viewed as a feminist figure. She supports conservative family structures, male-only succession to Japan's imperial throne, and opposes reforming a 19th-century law that would allow married couples to keep separate surnames.

She is currently working to win back right-wing voters who have shifted toward newer populist movements. Entering the sumo ring could be seen as defying tradition and risk alienating those supporters.

Though she has not publicly commented on the trophy issue, her chief government spokesperson said she has no intention of entering the ring.

"Prime Minister Takaichi intends to respect the traditions of sumo culture," Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.