Photo/Illutration Stablemaster Shibatayama, the former yokozuna Onokuni, shows off his uniform jacket in September 2019. The number 200 on the white tag on the back refers to his serial number as a stablemaster and will not be subject to change until his retirement. (Noriyasu Nukui)

Former ozeki great Kaio, now stablemaster Asakayama, continued his wrestling career until he was nearly 40 because he could still dominate junior wrestlers in the dohyo. 

Seeing that, stablemaster Otowayama, the former ozeki Takanonami, lamented it was time for those around Kaio to allow “him to don the jacket.”

Otowayama was referring to the dark blue jacket worn by not only stablemasters but also clerical and other staff members of the Japan Sumo Association.

He implied that younger wrestlers should improve their abilities to overtake Kaio, so he could retire and proceed to the next stage as a stablemaster.

The attire is worn throughout the year, including midsummer and midwinter. The dark blue jackets are a common and unforgettable sight throughout sumo arenas and command respect.

FIRES FROM QUAKES, AIR RAID

Comfort cannot be the reason for the jacket, given that a young stablemaster muttered, “I feel hot in the summer and cold in the winter wearing this. I feel I am under pressure not to take it off.”

A veteran stablemaster, who hastily took exception to the comment, appeared to know why, because he called the complaint “not good” and stated that an “explanation must be provided for education.”

A little-known fact is that the sumo association’s uniform was introduced following various historical developments.

The former Ryogoku Kokugikan had sat in the precincts of Ekoin temple in the Ryogoku 2-chome district of Tokyo’s Sumida Ward, before it was utilized by Nihon University as an auditorium.

The arena had been damaged by fires on many occasions, such as blazes during the Meiji Era (1868-1912), the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the 1945 Great Tokyo Air Raid.

With that in mind, the current Ryogoku Kokugikan was designed with a top priority placed on countermeasures against fire.

The square-shaped building has openings in all directions at intervals of several meters on the first and second floors.

Spectators in the arena, which accommodates 10,000 people, can evacuate within five minutes if they stay on the second and third floors. If on the first floor, they are expected to be able to flee to safety in 10 minutes.

The jacket was put in place to supplement the new facility’s anti-fire capability.

The windbreaker is made of noncombustible material and can reportedly protect wearers from smoke. Holding the attire will make one realize that it is surprisingly heavier than it looks.

The idea is since “stablemasters and other staff members are the last to escape, so they should help those struggling to flee by putting the jackets on them.”

The clothing embodies the sumo association’s responsibility for safety.

Stablemaster Oguruma, the former ozeki Kotokaze, who reached the association’s standard retirement age as executives last spring, explained a jacket costs “tens of thousands of yen” (hundreds of dollars), while he served in the association’s No. 2 position of the general business department head.

Stablemaster Shibatayama, director of the association’s publicity department who was the former yokozuna Onokuni, fondly recalled he “initially wore one used by Mr. Takamiyama” (former stablemaster Azumazeki).

Some spectators have noticed that recently retired wrestlers, such as former yokozuna Kisenosato and Hakuho, attired in the blue jackets in grand sumo tournaments aired on TV.

That's because new stablemasters are supposed to work as security guards along the paths to the dohyo on both sides immediately following their retirement from competition.

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