List of sumo trophies
List of trophies awarded in professional sumo / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grand Sumo (Ōzumō) is considered the national sport of Japan. Therefore, the winner of the top division championship receives a lot of trophies as tokens of recognition from the highest public figures of Japan but also from foreign States as diplomatic gifts. Companies also offer trophies as a show of goodwill in support of the national sport and as part of partnerships. The reward ceremony is however on the decline. In recent years, several controversies have led some companies to withdraw their support by withdrawing a trophy that had previously been awarded. Notably, the 2010 baseball betting scandal brought an end to the collaboration of a number of companies.[1] However, the recent scandals are not entirely responsible for the decline of the award ceremony. The ceremony itself is held after NHK's live broadcast of sumo matches and therefore does not attract much attention. Even though prefectural governors and chairpersons of organisations appears, only about 30% of the audience remains for the awards ceremony. The arena is often deserted and applause are sparse.[2]
However, the awards ceremony retains a strong symbolic value. In sumo, a promising wrestler who is the center of the stable is called a yome-bitsu (米びつ), meaning "breadwinner", because if he wins one of the tournaments, he receives enough extra prizes to keep the stable fed for a year or more.[2]
Trophies are usually exhibited in the entrance hall of the tournament venues.