A is a hairdresser employed by the

Japan Sumo Association The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). ''Rikishi'' (active ...

to cut and prepare

sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...

wrestlers' hair, which is done in the style. The Sumo Association ranks them according to experience and ability and only the most senior are entitled to prepare the more ornate , or

ginkgo ''Ginkgo'' is a genus of non-flowering seed plants. The scientific name is also used as the English name. The order to which it belongs, Ginkgoales, first appeared in the Permian, 270 million years ago, and is now the only living genus within ...

leaf form of topknot, which -ranked wrestlers wear in their bouts and on other formal occasions. employ similar hairstyling techniques to those found in the construction of , and are expected to be on hand to fix the of sumo wrestlers during bouts. The term can also be used in its original form, which was for specialists who worked in hairstyling in

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought to ...

Ranks and training

There are a total of about 50 employed by the Sumo Association, and as in sumo and most other Japanese disciplines, they are divided into ranks. Just as with , and most any other sumo-related job, each is attached to a

sumo stable In sumo wrestling, a is an organization of sumo wrestlers where they train and live. It can also be termed ''sumo-beya''. All wrestlers in professional sumo must belong to one. There are currently 43 ''heya'' (as of 2022), each of which belo ...

and has his own . All of the start with the

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...

in their names, pronounced . This kanji is also used for , a more traditional word for hairdresser in Japan. The training for a is lengthy, taking about 10 years. Beginners start at and are promoted along with their years of experience until they reach . When they have reached level 1 and have demonstrated exceptional skill, can ascend to , a special rank of . There are normally only two at this rank at any given time, and they are the only ones allowed to style the top knot of a , the top rank in sumo.

Tools

The tools of a include a special kind of wooden comb, (special pomade or wax), and waxed strips of paper for tying the knot. The wooden combs have been handmade for centuries by the Shingō Mori family. Each comb can take up to eight years to create. The size (length) of the comb is determined by the age of the bush the wood is taken from. A short comb is from a 50-year-old bush and the long comb can be from a 150-year-old bush.

References

External links

Sumo people Hairdressing Sumo terminology Japanese words and phrases {{Sumo-stub