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Sumo (pron. su-moh) wrestling originated in Japan as a ritual ceremony to the gods of good harvest. It is said that the Japanese people came about through the outcome of a Sumo contest between the gods. Sumo gained the patronage of the Imperial Court in the 8th century and never lost popularity.
Sumo in Japan dates back nearly 500 years and since 1958 has been contested at the top level with six annual tournaments (three in Tokyo, with one each in Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka) featuring professional rikishi (wrestlers). In the early 1990s, foreign rikishi began to become more prominent in the sport. Hawaiian-born Chad Rowan, who was a massive figure at 6-foot-8 and more than 500 pounds, was the first foreigner to be promoted to sumo's highest rank of yokozuna (grand champion) in 1993.