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"Sumo faces wrath of women
OSAKA -- Activists asked a court on Tuesday to ban the Osaka governor's prize to sumo tournament winners, saying it only "aggravates" sumo's discrimination against women.
Osaka Gov. Fusae Ota has continually asked the Japan Sumo Association to allow her to step onto the dohyo ring to present the winning wrestler an award after each spring tournament held in Osaka.
The sumo authority has refused the governor's request, and male deputy governors have been presenting the award. The sumo association insists that they cannot allow Ota to step onto the dohyo, saying that traditionally only males have been permitted.
An activist group in Osaka, "Kodomo no tame no minkan kyoiku iinkai" (private sector education commission for children), lodged a suit with the Osaka District Court, asking for the ban on the award and the return of 760,000 yen spent on last year's prize.
"The sumo association's ban of women (on the dohyo) is pure discrimination," a member of the group said. "We believe spending public funds for the award is equivalent to the support of an illegal practice, which is also detrimental to children's education."
Gov. Ota didn't make any comment on the suit, but said that the prefecture's deputy governor would award the governor's prize to the winning wrestler as planned during the current Osaka tourney that ends on Sunday.
In the suit, the group says that the Osaka Prefectural Government spent some 760,000 yen last year making a certificate and buying prizes. (Mainichi and wire reports, Japan, March 23, 2004)"
OSAKA -- Activists asked a court on Tuesday to ban the Osaka governor's prize to sumo tournament winners, saying it only "aggravates" sumo's discrimination against women.
Osaka Gov. Fusae Ota has continually asked the Japan Sumo Association to allow her to step onto the dohyo ring to present the winning wrestler an award after each spring tournament held in Osaka.
The sumo authority has refused the governor's request, and male deputy governors have been presenting the award. The sumo association insists that they cannot allow Ota to step onto the dohyo, saying that traditionally only males have been permitted.
An activist group in Osaka, "Kodomo no tame no minkan kyoiku iinkai" (private sector education commission for children), lodged a suit with the Osaka District Court, asking for the ban on the award and the return of 760,000 yen spent on last year's prize.
"The sumo association's ban of women (on the dohyo) is pure discrimination," a member of the group said. "We believe spending public funds for the award is equivalent to the support of an illegal practice, which is also detrimental to children's education."
Gov. Ota didn't make any comment on the suit, but said that the prefecture's deputy governor would award the governor's prize to the winning wrestler as planned during the current Osaka tourney that ends on Sunday.
In the suit, the group says that the Osaka Prefectural Government spent some 760,000 yen last year making a certificate and buying prizes. (Mainichi and wire reports, Japan, March 23, 2004)"
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