Nyonin Kinsei, Once Again
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Or Porath
Jan 14, 2026, 4:22:32 AM (yesterday) Jan 14
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Dear all,
Once again, religion and tradition are in the news in Japan, this time through renewed attention to nyonin kinsei, also known as nyonin kekkai, the prohibition of women’s entry into sacred spaces. Historically, nyonin kinsei has been applied to mountains (or mountain temples), shrines, islands, and other religious or ritual contexts, and it continues to provoke public debate when long-standing customs collide with contemporary expectations of gender equality. This issue has attracted sustained scholarly attention. Lindsey DeWitt has published extensively on the topic, and Suzuki Masataka has contributed two monographs as well as numerous articles examining its historical, religious, and social dimensions.
In this instance, the issue has reached the prime minister herself. It has been reported that Sanae Takaichi has decided not to attend the championship award ceremony at a major sumo tournament in order to avoid stepping onto the sumo ring. According to sumo tradition, women are generally barred from entering the ring, even for symbolic purposes. Takaichi is reportedly considering sending a representative in her place as a gesture of respect for this convention. The Japan Sumo Association, for its part, has stated only that it seeks to "preserve sumo’s traditional culture."
In 2018, a female paramedic who entered the sumo ring to administer lifesaving aid to Maizuru mayor Ryōzō Tatami was repeatedly instructed over loudspeakers to leave the ring, prompting widespread criticism in Japan and abroad and reigniting debate over nyonin kinsei. Earlier, in 2000, Japan’s first female governor, Ōta Fusae of Osaka, unsuccessfully sought permission to enter the ring to present a tournament trophy.
As these cases make clear, nyonin kinsei remains a live and contested issue, and they underscore how deeply entrenched these norms remain. Even figures at the highest levels of political authority, including the prime minister, have so far been unable (or unwilling?) to challenge them directly.
Best,
Or --
Once again, religion and tradition are in the news in Japan, this time through renewed attention to nyonin kinsei, also known as nyonin kekkai, the prohibition of women’s entry into sacred spaces. Historically, nyonin kinsei has been applied to mountains (or mountain temples), shrines, islands, and other religious or ritual contexts, and it continues to provoke public debate when long-standing customs collide with contemporary expectations of gender equality. This issue has attracted sustained scholarly attention. Lindsey DeWitt has published extensively on the topic, and Suzuki Masataka has contributed two monographs as well as numerous articles examining its historical, religious, and social dimensions.
In this instance, the issue has reached the prime minister herself. It has been reported that Sanae Takaichi has decided not to attend the championship award ceremony at a major sumo tournament in order to avoid stepping onto the sumo ring. According to sumo tradition, women are generally barred from entering the ring, even for symbolic purposes. Takaichi is reportedly considering sending a representative in her place as a gesture of respect for this convention. The Japan Sumo Association, for its part, has stated only that it seeks to "preserve sumo’s traditional culture."
In 2018, a female paramedic who entered the sumo ring to administer lifesaving aid to Maizuru mayor Ryōzō Tatami was repeatedly instructed over loudspeakers to leave the ring, prompting widespread criticism in Japan and abroad and reigniting debate over nyonin kinsei. Earlier, in 2000, Japan’s first female governor, Ōta Fusae of Osaka, unsuccessfully sought permission to enter the ring to present a tournament trophy.
As these cases make clear, nyonin kinsei remains a live and contested issue, and they underscore how deeply entrenched these norms remain. Even figures at the highest levels of political authority, including the prime minister, have so far been unable (or unwilling?) to challenge them directly.
Best,
Or --
Or Porath, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of East Asian Studies
Max Webb Building, Room 517
Tel Aviv University
P.O. Box 39040
Tel-Aviv, 69978, Israel
Vice-President, Society for the Study of Japanese Religions
Japan’s Forgotten God: Jūzenji in Medieval Texts and the Visual Arts
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