Women ordered off stage at sumo contest after trying to help stricken mayor www.theguardian.com

posted by  banzaitokyo | 7 years, 1 month ago

Women who rushed to the aid of a man suffering a stroke while giving a speech at a sumo event in Japan were ordered off the raised ring due to rules banning females from the sacred space.

The 66-year-old mayor of Maizuru city, Ryozo Tatami, collapsed on the dohyo sumo ring in Kyoto on Wednesday. The ring is traditionally regarded as a sacred place in the ancient sport and purified with rituals by shinto priests before sumo bouts.