Sumo dates back approximately 350 years to the Edo period. The sport is rich in history and tradition, and has always played an influential role in Japanese society. However, in recent years, the number of violent incidents involving sumo athletes outside of the ring has been increasing. These incidents have placed a spotlight on the Japan Sumo Association and led to a higher demand for more rigorous risk management approaches. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and practical application of current risk management for preventing cases of violent assault in sumo and to elucidate the steps being taken by the Japan Sumo Association to achieve this.
Past violent incidents were investigated to evaluate the effectiveness of current risk management approaches and analyze how these approaches have been applied as a countermeasure. To evaluate the effectiveness of current risk management approaches, all risk events were extracted from both external and internal sources, using the Risk Breakdown Structure, a tool for structuring the risk process. Two main external events are sumo’s traditional customary system and the living environment of sumo athletes. Internal events include the sumo athletes’ physicality, personalities, and mind-set. The validity of these events was reviewed by conducting interviews. The practical application of current risk management approaches was analyzed using self-evaluations and questionnaires.
The results revealed no significant problems in the practicality of current risk management approaches; however, defects were found in the application of countermeasures. These findings suggest that the Japan Sumo Association needs to review its current risk management approaches to reduce the number of violent incidents involving sumo athletes and implement more effective measures.
