SUMMARY

• Babies were lifted by sumo wrestlers and encouraged to cry at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine in Japan.
• The traditional Naki Sumo ritual is believed to use babies’ cries to ward off evil and promote healthy growth.
• The Kawagoe event welcomed 120 children aged six months to two and a half years.

When crying means good luck

For most parents, a baby’s tears usually mean it is time to figure out what went wrong. But at one Japanese shrine, crying was exactly what everyone came to celebrate.

On Sunday, babies were placed in the arms of sumo wrestlers at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine in Kawagoe, Japan, as part of the traditional Naki Sumo ritual.

The unusual ceremony sees young children encouraged to cry while being held high by wrestlers. During the event, an official wearing an oni, or Japanese demon, mask approaches the babies in an attempt to trigger a reaction.

Most of the infants responded with loud cries, while their parents and grandparents watched, laughed and cheered from the sidelines.

A Centuries-Old Tradition

Naki Sumo is a traditional Japanese ritual connected to the belief that a baby’s strong cry can help drive away evil and protect the child from misfortune.

The ceremony is held at shrines in different parts of Japan, although the details can vary between locations. Some versions treat the crying as a competition, while others focus more simply on celebrating the children and wishing them good health.

At the Kawagoe event, children between six months and two and a half years old were eligible to participate. Organisers capped attendanc...