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Japan's Crying Sumo Competition Has Nothing To Do With Crying Sumo Wrestlers

Have a cry, it's good for your health.
A bunch of cry babies.
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A bunch of cry babies.

Having a cry is always good for one's emotional health. Getting those emotions out just makes for a happier mood.

In Japan, they have been taking this idea to the next level for over 400 years just because it's Japan -- of course they have.

Just last weekend, the annual 'Crying Sumo' competition was held west of Tokyo.

In this competition, two sumo wrestlers, dressed in their belts, each hold a child under two years of age and attempt to induce a few tears from the little one. The festival is rooted in the belief that when a sumo wrestler makes a child cry, the baby will be afforded good health and prosperity later in life.

It's always good to have a solid cry.
AFP/Getty Images
It's always good to have a solid cry.

The winner of each round is the child who cries first. In this year's competition, held in the precinct of the Kamegaike Hachimangu shrine in Sagamihara, over 100 children participated, with parents and grandparents acting as the spectators for the event.

"My boy was crying from the very beginning and I felt a little bad," Tomoyo Watanabe, the mother of baby Zentaro, told AFP.

"But as I watched my baby crying, I was praying for him to grow up healthy and strong after this event."

Often, it doesn't take much for the children to cry once separated from their parents, but if the toddler does need encouragement, the wrestlers usually shake the babies to help them in winning their crying-match.

A post shared by Hans leia (@leiahans) on

It seems a few skills could be learned from this competition and transferred into adult life. If someone is rattling you the wrong way, stop and have a cry, then move on. It could make you healthier.

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