Incredibly Ingenious: Japanese Inventions You Can't Find Elsewhere
7. Festival of Tearing Babies
What It Is: A Sumo Wrestler Competition Designed to Make Babies Cry
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The Naki Sumo Crying Baby Festival is a unique and culturally significant event in Japan that has been celebrated for over four centuries. Held annually on May 5, a date symbolizing the peak of spring, this festival features a fascinating competition involving sumo wrestlers.
During the event, two sumo wrestlers compete while holding babies in their arms. The goal is to elicit cries from the infants, as it is believed that a baby's tears bring good health and fortune. The wrestler whose baby cries first is declared the winner, making for an entertaining and heartwarming spectacle.
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In the Naki Sumo Crying Baby Festival, the victor is determined by which child cries first while being held by the wrestler. This tradition is rooted in the belief that a crying infant can ward off evil spirits. According to Japanese customs, a strong, loud-crying baby is thought to grow into a healthy and robust adult.
If both babies happen to cry simultaneously, the winner is judged based on which infant's cry is the loudest. This playful competition not only entertains spectators but also reinforces cultural beliefs about the protective power of a child's cry.
