Mage hair styles symbolize ranks of sumo wrestlers
Cultural News, January 2008
Mage is the symbol of the sumo wrestler
The mage is the symbol of the sumo wrestler. Novice wrestlers who enter the stable with short hair become full-fledged sumo wrestlers when their hair grows long enough to tie it into a mage.
Mage can be generally divided into two styles. The first is the chonmage, where the hair is tied up and folded back. The other is the ohicho, and it gets its name from the way the tip of the mage resting atop the head resembles the shape of an icho (ginkgo) leaf.
This is a mark of status among sumo wrestlers because only those of juryo rank and higher can tie their hair in this manner. However, even if a wrestler has not attained the appropriate rank, he is allowed to tie his hair into an ohicho when it is cut at the time of his retirement.
The person who ties the topknot is called a tokoyama, and a veteran level of experience and expertise is required to tie an ohicho. The amount of time it takes to tie the hair into a mage depends on the individual, but it is said that it takes about a year for chonmage and two years for an ohicho.
The mawashi is the sole article of clothing that the sumo wrestler puts on before his match, but there are three types. The first is the keikomawashi (practice belt). It is made of cotton and for wrestlers of the juryo class and above, it is white, and for makushita and below, it is black.
The second is the shimekomi, which they wear during main tournaments and jungyo (tours). This mawashi is made from brightly colored silk and only sekitori are allowed to wear them, so wrestlers of the makushita ranks and below have to wear their practice belts even at main tournaments.
The third is the keshomawashi: ceremonial apron worn by wrestlers in the top two ranks when they enter the ring. It is made of either Hakata-ori or Nishijin-ori cloth and many are exquisite design. Actually, all of these belts are made from one piece of cloth.
Los Angeles Grand Sumo Tournament will take place on June 7 and 8, 2008 at Los Angeles Sports Arena. For more information, check the website: www.sumotour.com.