Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 3.djvu/93

 attended his yose, and the Tokugawa Government, always drastic in its methods, interdicted the practice of the art altogether. This veto held for thirty-seven years, when once again wrestling was revived in its medival form of Kanjin-zumo, that is to say, a charitable performance at religious festivals. Since then it has held a firm place in popular favour, and the profession now attracts scores of men who find in it a profitable and honourable pursuit.

That is the history of the art in outline, but greater interest attaches to its methods. These appear to have been elaborated with considerable care during the reign of Shomu (724-728), and many features of the system then established remain without change to the present time. The champion of Shomu's reign was Seirin, commonly called "Shiga Seirin," because he came from Shiga on the borders of Lake Biwa. He is said to have been invincible, and the title of Hote-yaku (expert) was conferred on him, the next in point of skill being distinguished as Hote-waki (assistant expert), or simply Suke-te (assistant). All the others were called Riki-shi (athlete) or Sumo-bito (wrestler). They were not "commoners" (heimin): they all belonged to the military class. In further recognition of Seirin's prowess, his province, Omi, was regarded as the centre of strength and taken as a basis of division, the other athletes being distinguished as "Eastern" or