Shikona

A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Muromachi period and established itself during the Edo period, where they were used as a means to hide the identities of the .

Given by the master to his disciple, this pseudonym doesn't follow any fixed rules, but is chosen in accordance with numerous influences, drawing its characters from the wrestler's inspiration or family, from the history of his stable or even from the master's own name.

History

Sources attesting to the use of pseudonyms by wrestlers and other martial artists date back to the mid-1500s, during the Muromachi period.

During the period of peace established under the Tokugawa shogunate, Japan experienced an unprecedented period of vagrancy for many samurai who had lost their social standing with their previous masters, who had been deposed or killed so that the shogunate could assert itself. These masterless samurai, called , could not engage in any activity under their social category under threat of punishment, and with the period of peace, it had become almost impossible to be recruited by local lords who no longer needed to build up a sizeable military retinue. A number of had no choice but to put their martial art skills to good use in street sumo tournaments, called , for the entertainment of passers-by. Similarly, a number of street entertainment wrestling groups formed and began touring, sometimes with the support of shrines that occasionally recruited them as part of religious festivities and to help priests raising money for the construction of buildings. However, since these samurai only became wrestlers through the loss of their previous status, they felt ashamed, and this shame led them to adopt performance names to hide their true identity.

As street sumo became more and more popular, several cases of violence were reported in the pleasure districts where these matches took place. Because of the betting and pride involved, it became common for fights to break out, some ending in sword duels and the death of an opponent. To remedy these public order problems, the Edo authorities banned sumo matches outright, launching a campaign to supervise former samurai in the municipality's territory. The latter continued in 1651, with the ban on the use of by wrestlers, after a plot by former samurai to overthrow the shogunate was foiled. The practice of sumo and its customs such as ring names continued illegally for two decades, however, until 1684, when a named Ikazuchi Gondaiyū obtained permission from the Edo authorities to hold an official tournament, making sumo customs legal again under a new organization.

From 1941 to 2021, there was a way for exceptional wrestlers to become within the Japan Sumo Association under their , on condition that the ring name disappeared after the owner's final retirement.

Assuming a

General use

In the world of professional sumo, there's a saying that a wrestler has three names: his birth name, his ring name and the name he takes when he can retire and train younger wrestlers. The itself is made up of a family name, which in the traditional presentation of Japanese names comes before the first name, and a given name.

The use of a is left fairly open-ended. It is therefore common to see new recruits fighting under their real name before choosing a pseudonym, while others inherit a new name straight from their professional debut. If wrestlers don't have a from their debut but inherit one afterwards, they often assume their new name upon promotion to the or division.

Traditionally, wrestlers have no official say in the choice of their . The names are given to them by their master, but the selection process can be carried out by the master, his wife (the ) or even a sponsor. Informally, however, the master often listens to the opinion of the wrestler who is to inherit the .

are not definitive, and it is possible for a wrestler to change them during his career, with some keeping a name throughout their career and others going through multiple changes. In fact, masters do not hesitate to change their wrestlers' names in order to give them a boost that will give them the strength to progress through the ranks. It is also customary for wrestlers to be given a new in recognition of important promotions.

Since names are important, their historical and traditional weight, as well as the expectations they place on their bearers, can make wrestlers bear a heavy burden. Conversely, ring names, while an integral part of professional sumo culture, are not used as much on a day-to-day basis as one might expect, with masters often using their wrestlers' birth names during training and wrestlers relatives continuing to call them by their first names.

Notable exceptions

Specific rules exists to ring names worn by . These are referred to as meaning higher-ranking names, not to be inherited, with the exception of direct disciples of the last holder. In the past, exceptions to the normal acquisition of is made for the most successful , with era-defining being offered a "single generation" or "lifetime" elder share, called . This process allowed a wrestler to stay as an elder without having to use a traditional share in the association, and enter his retirement duties with his ring name. Only wrestlers with extraordinary careers were eligible for this privilege. These elder shares are called "single generation" because they cease to exist after their owners retire, making it impossible for any wrestlers, active or not, to inherit them. In October 2021, Hakuhō, the Emperor's Cup number record holder, retired and it was expected that he would earn the right to inherit a Hakuhō share in view of his sporting exploits. Hakuhō was however denied the and Masayuki Yamauchi (a Yokozuna Deliberation Council member) declared to a press conference that "no such system exists" under the new statutes of the association, implying that the system would no longer be used.

Although it is common for wrestlers to use a , there are also cases where wrestlers choose to wrestle their entire career under their real name. This is notably the case for Takayasu, Endō, Dejima and Wajima, the only to have used his real name throughout his career.

Inspirations

Although are written with characters that evoke words or ideas, there is usually no literal meaning to the full name. Each character used is a reference in itself.

The Edo period led to the practice of referring to places of origin, mountains and rivers in ring names. Later, the trend also affirmed the use of names for effect, with references to lightning, storms and tempests. In keeping with these customs, also referred to animals, weapons or gods in order to convey a strong image of the wrestlers bearing these names, but also to attract paying spectators. With the Meiji Restoration, wrestlers were more inclined to adopt names referring to their places of birth. With the westernization of Japan, many wrestlers took the name of shikona, reflecting the emergence of new innovations in Japanese daily life, like or . Today, it is also customary for wrestlers to incorporate a character from their master's name into their own name.

It is also common for a wrestler to inherit the of a family member who had previously been a wrestler. If a wrestler from outside the family also wishes to inherit the of a former wrestler, it is traditionally required that the master ask permission from the family of the wrestler in question. A telling example of family transmission would be Kotozakura II, who began his career under his father's before inheriting his grandfather's upon promotion to . Sometimes, a master may propose that one of his wrestlers inherit his own ring name. A recent example included the change of Kiribayama's name to Kirishima when he was promoted to the rank of , so that he would evoke his master.

Finally, certain kanji are chosen to inspire wrestlers bearing the . A recent example includes Ōshōma, who changed the first name of his , , with the kanji for , with the same pronunciation, to ward off the risk of injury that was then plaguing his career.

Although any characters can be used for ring names, certain kanji enjoy great popularity in . These include:

Popular

Inspired by geographical locations

Inspired by a stable tradition

Inspired by patrons

Other inspirations

See also

*Glossary of sumo terms
*Japanese name
*Alter ego
*Ring name
*Art name
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References

Notes

Bibliography

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{{Personal names

Japanese names
Sumo terminology
Pseudonyms
Naming conventions
Japanese words and phrases