This may not seem out of place in a country in which you can play video games on a toilet and the national tourism ambassador is... Hello Kitty, but Japan has a crying baby competition, and it's a little weird.
The "Naki Sumo," contest consists of two sumo wrestlers holding up children who were born in the previous year, standing across a sumo wrestling ring from each other and trying to make their opponent's baby cry.
The event, which has been held annually for over 400 years, is meant as a prayer for the children's healthy growth.
An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.
Japan Crying Baby Content
An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.
Japan Crying Baby Contest
An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.
Japan Crying Baby Contest
An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.
Japan Crying Baby Contest
An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.
Japan Crying Baby Contest
An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.
Japan Crying Baby Contest
An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.
Japan Crying Baby Contest
An unidentified baby, held by a college sumo wrester, cries during Naki Sumo, or Crying Baby Contest, as a judge looks on at Sensoji temple in Tokyo Monday, April 29, 2013. The babies born in 2012 participated in the annual traditional ritual performed as a prayer for their healthy growth.
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