Page:Sketches of Tokyo Life (1895).djvu/67

Rh There is further a small class of men whose duty is to announce the names of the contestants before every bout, and at the same time to call out those wrestlers into the arena; whence they are named yobidashi, or summoners. They are also the agents through whom spectators of the matches give presents on the spot to the victors. There are only twenty-six summoners in Tokyo.

The wrestlers apparel on the arena is very scanty. He has only his mawashi, a loin-cloth consisting of a wide, well-wadded cotton-belt adorned with twine-tassels; but when making a formal appearance on the ring, he also wears a large apron, which is generally made of an expensive silk or woollen cloth with figures done in gold.

The Kaizan or “invincible champion” has in addition his yokozuna or side-rope as the insignia of his pre-eminence, which is a cloth-belt, woven like a rope, and elaborately tied behind.

The rules of the ring are very strict. If a wrestler falls, touches the ground with the knee, hand, or any part of the body, or steps outside the ring, he is declared defeated. The ways in which he can cope with his antagonist were originally put at forty-eight; but they have since been increased to about a hundred and seventy. These forty-eight throws may be divided into four classes of twelve each, namely, the