Focusing on the Origin of Hassaku Sumo Wrestling Festival
of the Ookunitama Shrine
MATSUMOTO Akiyuki
Graduate School of Health and Sport Seience, Nippon Sport Science University
Abstract
The Ookunitama Shrine in Fuchu City, Tokyo, is a shrine that enshrines Ookunitama no kami
who is the mikogami, the son of Susanoo. The Ookunitama Shrine used to be a shrine in Kokufu the
capital of the historical Provinces of Japan that was referred to as Rokusho-no-miya Shrine and
Musashi-no-Soja. The Hassaku Sumo Festival is a festival held in the Ookunitama Shrine.
The sumo arena in the precincts of the Ookunitama Shrine has a monument built in August 1,
1990. The epigraph says, “The Ookunitama Shrine Hassaku Sumo is a venerable sumo festival whose
Mizuhikimaku curtain was dedicated by the Shogunate for the purpose of encouraging physical ac-
tivities and which originally started as dedicatory sumo matches to pray for the peace reigns over
the land and the huge harvest of the five grains in commemoration of the fact that Tokugawa
Ieyasu-ko Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa made an entry into the Edo Castle in August 1, 1590”.However,
currently there is no evidence for the “dedicated Mizuhikimaku curtain” or a document which pro-
vides an evidence for the “purpose of encouraging physical activities by the Shogunate”. Most of the festivals in Japan with the word “Hassaku” are those which have their origin in Au-
gust 1 August is “Hachigatsu” in Japanese, while 1 is “Sakujitsu” in ancient Japanese that has the
significance related to agriculture such as wish for a good harvest and disaster prevention, or those
which were started by the feudal lord who gave a special meaning to “Hassaku.” The Hassaku Sumo
Festival was quite a rare case in that it was said to originate from the commemoration of the trium-
phal entry into the Edo Castle by Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa.
This study suggests that Ookunitama Shrine and the Tokugawa Shogunate continued their close
relationship, based on the historical examination of sacred treasures kept in the Treasure Hall of
Ookunitama Shrine as well as the history and literature on Ookunitama Shrine.
And it presents a possibility that these close relationships may have influenced the Hassaku Sumo
Festival.
These close relationships can be said to have had sufficient influence on Hassaku Sumo Festival at
Ookunitama Shrine to be regarded as originating from the commemoration of the triumphal entry
into the Edo Castle by Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa.
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hassaku.html

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