Democracy Dies in Darkness

Japan’s sacred sumo ring is off-limits to women, even its new prime minister

Women aren’t permitted to enter the sumo ring. Sanae Takaichi, Japan’s first female leader, did not present the Prime Minister’s Cup at a major tournament.

5 min
(Video: AP / Royal Albert Hall)
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Japan elected its first female prime minister last month. But, despite becoming the country’s most powerful person, there is one place Sanae Takaichi is not expected to tread — inside a sumo ring.

Professional sumo, the national sport of Japan, is steeped in ritual, tradition and, critics say, gender discrimination — because the sumo ring, a clay platform encircled by rice-straw bales, is considered a sacred space where women are prohibited to enter.

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Naomi Schanen is The Washington Post's breaking news reporter and video producer in London. She previously managed the live video desk at the Associated Press.@naomi_schanen
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Previously worked as a producer for TV Tokyo in New York and NHK in Tokyo, with a focus on economic issues.
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