Dohyoiri - Entering the ring

The entrance of sumo wrestlers into the sumo ring. At the beginning of Edo Kanjin Sumo, sumo rings were called Kataya (kataya), and the entrance of sumo wrestlers was called "Kataya-iri", but after the construction of the sumo ring in 1661 (Kanbun 1), the term was changed to dohyo-iri. There are two types of dohyo-iri: "yokozuna dohyo-iri" and "dohyo-iri" for each makuuchi and juryo wrestler.

During the Genroku period (1688-1704), seven or eight wrestlers below the rank of ozeki would take turns entering the ring, clapping their hands, raising their hands, and stomping their feet to the sound of a wooden clapper called by the yobidashi, in a ritual to ward off evil spirits and pray for "the long life of heaven and earth." At the time, the number of wrestlers participating in each tournament was not fixed, so the purpose of the ritual was to "show" the spectators the faces of the wrestlers who would appear. Later, in 1789 (Kansei 1), Tanikaze and Onogawa were granted the title of yokozuna for the first time, and this marked the start of a new ritual in which the traditional large group of wrestlers would enter the ring, instead of the traditional format of a large group of wrestlers entering the ring, in which the ozeki who had finished off the yokozuna would enter the ring alone. In the mid-Meiji period, the number of wrestlers ranked below ōzeki and san'yaku increased, and the juryo system was established, making the sumo ring too narrow to allow for large stomp stomp and arms outstretched high. As a result, the method was simplified to the present day, where instead of stomp stomp, the upper part of the kesho-mawashi is slightly raised with the fingers and the outstretched arm is raised upward.

[Masao Ikeda]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

力士が相撲(すもう)場へ入場すること。江戸勧進相撲の初め、相撲場を片屋（方屋）といい、力士が入場することを「片屋入り」といったが、1661年（寛文1）土俵が新設されてから、転じて土俵入りというようになった。土俵入りには「横綱土俵入り」と幕内・十両力士の各「土俵入り」がある。

　元禄(げんろく)時代（1688～1704）は、大関以下が7、8人ずつ交替で土俵にあがり、呼出しの拍子木にあわせ、かしわ手を打ち、手をあげ、四股(しこ)を踏んで「天長地久」を祈り邪気を払う儀式であった。当時は場所ごとに出場力士が一定せず、登場する力士の顔ぶれを観客に「顔見せ」する目的があった。その後、1789年（寛政1）初めて谷風・小野川に横綱免許があり、これを機に、古くから大ぜいで土俵入りする形式を改め、横綱を締めた大関が、ひとりで土俵入りする儀式に転用された。明治中期になると、大関、三役以下の幕内力士が増員され、十両制度ができたため、四股を大きく踏み、手を高く差し伸べるには土俵が狭くなったので、現在行われているように四股踏みのかわりに化粧回しの上方を指で少しあげ、差し伸ばす手を上にあげる方式に簡略化するようになった。

［池田雅雄］

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