As we approach the end of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament this month, the competition for the winner's trophy is heating up.
The trophy, much coveted by sumo wrestlers, is also called the Emperor's Cup. I reckon not many Japanese people know in which emperor's era the trophy was made.
The story goes back to 1925, when Emperor Showa was serving as regent to Emperor Taisho. A sumo event was held in the presence of the Imperial regent at his residence on April 29, his birthday. On that occasion, the event organizer received an Imperial donation, which was subsequently used to make a silver trophy. At that time, it was named "Sessho shihai" (The regent's trophy) and was supposed to be handed to the champion of each basho from the 1926 Spring basho onward.
However, the Imperial crest of the chrysanthemum on the trophy's surface caused a problem. It was deemed a violation of an existing regulation on the handling of the Imperial crest, leaving the organizer unable to use it.
The trophy was melted down and remolded into another trophy, bearing an image of a chrysanthemum that looked different from the Imperial crest. This apparently helped the new trophy receive the Imperial household ministry's approval for use.
It was from the Summer basho in 1927 that the champion wrestler started receiving the trophy. The first champion to appreciate the honor was yokozuna Tsunenohana. I can imagine how relieved he must have been because he was also the champion in the 1926 Spring basho when he was originally supposed to receive the earlier silver trophy.
The new trophy, which is still in use today, is 1 meter tall, 33 centimeters in diameter, and weighs 29 kilograms. The names of the champions are engraved on a plate at its base. These days, on the final day of each tournament, the announcement during the trophy ceremony still includes the phrase, "[The champion's] name has been engraved on this trophy."
-- Miki is a sumo expert.
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