Out of the Ring: The Lesser-Known History of Sumo

MTC 211 • 2nd Floor • 11:00 AM

Out of the Ring: The Lesser-Known History of Sumo

Presented by Morgan Williamson and Yayoi Shinoda

What do celebrity culture, religious institutions, and strong women have in common? Surprisingly, the answer is sumo. During the Edo period, sumo was a very popular form of entertainment. Star wrestlers were celebrities, and their portraits circulated widely in colorful prints that captivated devoted fans.

In this presentation, we will look at these portraits while highlighting lesser-known sides of sumo: its important role in supporting temples and shrines, and its long associations with strong women. Sumo tournaments generated financial support for temples and shrines. And although women are often prohibited from participating today, their connection to the sport dates back centuries, with women’s sumo competitions developing as entertainment.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Morgan Williamson is a PhD Candidate at the University of Kansas, Department of Art History. Her research interests focus on painting and print making of Early Modern periods of Japan and East Asia. She is particularly interested in the role women played: as creators, consumers, and subjects who influenced the world of art of their time and its continuing history into modernity. She is also interested in looking at how narrative art and eventually manga and modernity have shaped and combatted gender norms and what roles these works have played in the culture and the impact of those trajectories on modern and contemporary artistic productions. Other research interests include religion and art, and the role(s) play in Asian mythology.

Yayoi Shinoda, PhD, is Associate Curator of Japanese art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. She has held curatorial positions at the Nelson-Atkins since 2013 and has contributed to various projects and exhibitions, including the exhibitions Weaving Splendor: Treasures of Asian Textiles and Hokusai: Waves of Inspiration. She holds a PhD in the history of Japanese Art from the University of Kansas. See her current exhibit, Water Embodied: Flow and Meaning of Water in Japanese Art, on display in the Japanese Gallery at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art through Nov 22, 2026. Learn more at Nelson-Atkins.org

IMAGE CITATION 

Image: Ichiyōsai Toyokuni and Kōchōrō Toyokuni, Illustration of a Kanjin Grand Sumo Tournament (勧進大相撲興行之図), published by Aritaya / Aritaya Seiemon. National Diet Library Digital Collections.