The Naki Sumo Crying Baby Festival 

The Naki Sumo Crying Baby Festival

          The Naki Sumo Festival has been held throughout Japan for over 400 years. The festival is considered to have origins in the folk belief that the loud cry of an innocent baby has the power to ward off demons or evil spirits. The Japanese proverb “naku ko wa sodatsu”, meaning “crying babies grow fastest”, is an additional source of inspiration for the festival.
          The Naki Sumo Festival is an annual Japanese festival in which babies are held in the arms of sumo wrestlers in an open-air sumo ring. Two babies compete in a short match in which the first child to cry is proclaimed the winner. According to Japanese folklore, a crying baby has the power to ward off evil spirits, while a strong, loud cry indicates the child will grow up strong and healthy.