A 300-Year History of Sumo Wrestling

This book traces 300 years of sumo's economic and social history, examining how it survived and evolved through major historical upheavals including the Great Fire of Edo, the Meiji Restoration, and World War II. It explores how sumo developed as immigrants flowed into Edo, and how the tradition has transformed into Japan's most globalized labor market today. The book also analyzes how dismissed Yokozuna (sumo champions) became innovators who reshaped the sumo world.