Readers in Council,
The JapanTimes,
5-4, Shibaura 4-chome,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023
Am I the only one in Japan who takes a rather dim view of the annual “Baby-cry sumo” competition (front page photo, April 27, 2009)? Every year I see a photograph of the event in the paper. Sumo wrestlers hold babies aloft and the youngster who cries the loudest is deemed the most genki, boding well for its future life I suppose. This is blatant, in-your-face child abuse celebrated not only as a cultural tradition but as a harmless bit of fun as well. But I disagree. I don’t think it’s funny or cute at all. It’s child abuse plain and simple. Clearly, Japan has a problem recognizing child abuse, which explains the too-often tragedies involving children that we read about. When I see photographs of the Baby-cry event I cannot tell you how long my list is of people who deserve prompt arrest and prosecution for child abuse, incitement to child abuse, conspiracy to abuse children, accessory to child abuse, etc. the wrestlers, the priests, the parents, the journalists, the spectators, and many more, probably.
But I could be wrong.