Okiagari Roly-poly Doll - Sumo

Sumo is the national sport of Japan. It retains much of the Shinto tradition and is considered as an art. It was originally practiced by samurais. The "rikishi" or "sumotori" (sumo wrestlers) are real celebrities known for their corpulence, but also for their humanity. The bun they wear is inspired by that of the samurais. They wear the mawashi, a 9 m long cloth belt, and the fundoshi, the piece that ties the body to form a kind of panties leaving the buttocks exposed.
The Japanese soul vibrates during the fights of these titans. The inside of the stadium has a circle, the dohyo, which defines victory or defeat. Before starting the fight, salt is poured into the dohyo, a Shinto practice aimed at purifying it. During combat, sumo wrestlers stamp the ground vigorously with their feet in order to scare away evil spirits.

Okiagari-koboshi means literally “getting-up little priest”. It’s a traditional Japanese roly-poly doll made from papier-mâché and designed so that its weight causes it to return to an upright position when knocked over. Okiagari-koboshi have been part of Japanese children’s toys for a very long time; they were already mentioned in documents from the XIVth century. During the Tokaichi festival, also called the Tenth Day Market, people throw several roly-poly dolls down at the same time and the ones that stand back up are considered good-luck charms.

Okiagari-koboshi is a symbol of perseverance and resilience in times of adversity. Just like this Japanese saying: “Fall seven times, stand up eight”. According to tradition, one okiagari-koboshi should be given as a present to each member of the family plus one extra in the hope that the family will grow over the following year.