Japan's crying baby contest
Categories: Newborns, In the news, Weird but true
I have spent entire years of my life trying to keep babies smiley and happy, but sumo wrestlers in Tokyo hold a yearly contest to make babies cry.
During "crying sumo," a pair of babies is held up in the air by amateur sumo wrestlers until one cries. In the event of a simultaneous freak-out, the winner is determined by which baby bellowed the loudest.
The annual event isn't meant to be mean spirited, though. In Japan, crying is considered beneficial for babies and the ritual is held as a wish for the children's healthy growth. The photos of the giant sumos holding tiny, wailing babies are a little sad, but kind of neat at the same time.
I would have had to leave the room during the competition, but I'm pretty sure my kids could have kicked some major crying sumo butt when they were small!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dashin Fashion Children\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 5-01-2008 @ 5:32AM
Speaking of lost in translation!!! What a great photo but I can't imagine turning over my baby to participate in this competition. Can you imagine what these babies will say 20 year later when there see this photo?
Laura
http://www.dashinfashion.com
http://www.mykidsfashion.com
Reply
TERI 5-09-2008 @ 12:15PM
MY OLDER BROTHERS AND SISTER THOUGHT IT WAS A RIOT TO SEE ME CRY AND THROW A FIT. IT MADE A MENTAL CASE OUT OF ME.