In This Japanese Ritual, Baby Crying Is Not Cengeng But He Is The Winner

Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash

JAKARTA - Dozens of Japanese babies cry. No one's parents panic. Those who watched it were also even more excited.

These babies cry face-to-face on Saturday 22 April in traditional rituals "cheating sumo" which is believed to bring good health to the baby. This ritual was held for the first time in four years after the pandemic.

A pair of toddlers wearing armayang sumo were carried by their parents and faced each other in the Sumo ring at the Sensoji temple in Tokyo, quoted from Japan Today, Sunday, April 23.

The staff wearing the devil's mask oni tried to make the babies cry. The first crying baby was declared the winner by the sumo referee in a complicated traditional uniform that held the wooden fan used to sign victory.

"We can find out the baby's health condition by listening to the way they cry. Today she may be nervous and not cry a lot, but I want to hear her healthy cry," said Hisae Watanabe, mother of an eight-month-old baby.

"Sumo crying" is held in temples and temples across the country, to please parents and spectators.

Shigemi Fuji, chairman of the Aakusa Tourism Federation that organized the event, said some people might think making a baby cry was terrible.

"But in Japan, we believe babies who cry strongly also grow healthy. This kind of event takes place in many places in Japan," he said.

A total of 64 babies participated in the ritual, according to the organizers.

The rules vary from one area to another -- in some places parents want their children to be the first to cry, in other places the first to cry is a loser.