Women who rushed to the aid of a man suffering a stroke while giving a speech at a sumo event in Japan were ordered off the raised ring due to rules banning females from the sacred space.
The 66-year-old mayor of Maizuru city, Ryozo Tatami, collapsed on the dohyo sumo ring in Kyoto on Wednesday. The ring is traditionally regarded as a sacred place in the ancient sport and purified with rituals by shinto priests before sumo bouts.
Women are banned from participating in sumo tournaments or ceremonies, as well as touching or stepping on to the ring, because it is seen as defiling its purity.
A number of women ran on to the ring to give emergency treatment, but the sumo judge at the event repeatedly called over the PA system for them to step off the arena. Two of the women could be seen starting to dismount, but then returning to help, in a video broadcast on multiple television networks.
The actions of the judge drew criticism from television commentators and on social media in Japan.
Nobuyoshi Hokutoumi, the chairman of the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) and a former grand champion, later apologised for the incident and expressed his appreciation for the women’s help.
“In a situation that could have been life-threatening it was an inappropriate response. We offer a sincere apology,” said Hokutoumi, who is also known as Hakkaku, the name of the sumo stable he heads.
The mayor suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage and was in a stable condition in hospital, according to city officials.
This is not the first time that sumo’s ban on women has caused controversy. Fusae Ohta, the female governor of Osaka from 2000 to 2008, was forced to present the governor’s prize to the champion of the annual Osaka tournament on a walkway next to the ring. The JSA rejected her repeated requests to be allowed to enter the ring, claiming it would dishonour sumo’s ancient traditions.