As part of a purification ritual, what do sumo wrestlers traditionally throw into the ring prior to a bout?
Sumo Sumo The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. It is considered a "gendai budō", which refers to modern Japanese martial art, but the sport has a history spanning many centuries. Many ancient traditions have been preserved in sumo, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt purification, from Shinto. Life as a wrestler is highly regimented, with rules regulated by the Japan Sumo Association. Most sumo wrestlers are required to live in communal sumo training stables, known in Japanese as "heya", where all aspects of their daily
Sumo bales on top of a platform made of clay mixed with sand. A new "dohyō" is built for each tournament by the bout callers (or "yobidashi"). At the center are two white lines, the "shikiri-sen", behind which the wrestlers position themselves at the start of the bout. A roof resembling that of a Shinto shrine may be suspended over the "dohyō". Women are traditionally forbidden from entering or touching the ring. Professional sumo is organized by the Japan Sumo Association. The members of the association, called "oyakata", are all former wrestlers, and are the only people entitled to train new