When Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister last year, questions were raised on whether she would step ...

Time and time again, the Japan Sumo Association has rejected rising criticism and refused to let female politicians enter the ring, citing tradition. But what will the JSA do if Sanae Takaichi, ...

The dohyō, or sumo ring, has always been sacred ground — a circle where only men may tread, bound by centuries of ritual and pride. Now, Japan has its first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and ...

Sanae Takaichi made history by becoming Japan's first female prime minister in October. She must now decide whether she'll break another barrier: the taboo barring women from the sumo ring. The winner ...

Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, on Oct. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, Pool) TOKYO (AP) -- Sanae Takaichi made ...

Sumo is more than a sport in Japan. It’s a sacred tradition, a 1,500-year-old spectacle steeped in Shinto ritual and ceremony. But at its heart lies a long-standing taboo: women are still barred from ...

As top pros battled it out at the Autumn Basho in Tokyo last weekend, one of the world’s largest and most diverse sumo competitions for women was taking place 45 kilometers west at Tachihi Arena in ...