Naki Sumo, the "contest" of babies who cry

While most parents in the world seek to calm the crying of the baby, there is a Japanese tradition that aims to cause the baby to cry to scare away evil spirits: the Naki Sumo. The protagonists are sumo wrestlers and babies under one year old who compete to see who cries before and louder.

A sumo wrestler holds a baby, who in principle is calm (well, everything quiet that allows a stranger to hold you), curious. But immediately the fighter starts to shake it so that the baby cries. In case this is not enough, and although the child is already crying, other adults who, with demon masks, pretend that the crying increases in intensity are added to the scene.

There is a Japanese proverb that says "Naku ko wa sodatsu": "The crying child grows faster". And under this belief the old one has been maintained for more than 400 years Naki Sumo tradition, also known as Nakizumo or Konaki Sumo Festival.

It is explained because the intense crying would indicate the baby's strength, but also because of the popular belief of the power they attribute to sobs to attract luck and drive away evil spirits.

Although it is celebrated in different parts of the Japanese country, the best known is the one that takes place next to the Sensoji Temple, in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, where about one hundred children attend every fourth Sunday of April. Babies participate without knowing it or wanting it before the eyes of parents who wish to cry.

To make the process quick, a judge in traditional Japanese attire shouts at them “Naki! Naki! ”(Cry! Cry!), while the fighter balances them. The mechanics of the "contest" is simple, and it develops "facing" each time two babies: the one who releases the first bark wins; if there is a tie, the one that makes it stronger will win. If the thing goes on, more effective methods are sought: grimaces or a mask of oni, demonic creature of Japanese folklore.

Luckily, although the tradition of Naki Sumo appears in many tourist guides about Tokyo as one more attraction (which reminds me of this case of Thailand and the struggles of children against snakes) the reality is that many Japanese ignore it and consider it from other times.

However, the "show" of Naki Sumo, the contest to see which baby cries the most, continues to arouse the interest of international media every year. How long is this outrageous that I don't understand how the adults involved can enjoy?

Video | Youtube
In Babies and more | What is crying ?, Meanings of crying, What physical effects does the baby cry?

Video: Japanese Baby-Crying Sumo Festival - Nakizumo (March 2024).