Japan’s Prime Minister Avoids Challenging Sumo’s Gendered Ring Ban

6 min read

1 hour ago

Takaichi Sanae sidestepped an issue that would likely have caused a row amongst her right-wing supporters.

By Marin Akasaka

Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae will not step onto the sumo ring to present the Prime Minister’s Cup on the final day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on January 25, 2026. Government officials say she has decided to follow existing practice rather than enter the ring herself, a choice that has drawn attention both at home and abroad.

Politics runs up against tradition

The decision matters because Takaichi is Japan’s first female prime minister. For decades, it has been customary for the prime minister, or a senior government representative, to climb onto the dohyo on the final day of major tournaments and hand the Prime Minister’s Cup to the champion wrestler. That custom dates back to 1968, when the trophy was created. Every person who has carried out that role has been a man.

The sumo ring, however, has long been regarded as a space closed to women. The practice, known in Japanese as nyonin kinsei (女人禁制), is…