Naki Naki Naki! (cry, baby, cry...)

It has already become a contest... Young (wannabe) sumo wrestlers hit babies to make them cry. Oh, and it is a national celebration, too. It is entitled Nakizumo (literally: "crying sumo"). Of course, parental permission is obligatory, but parents do not seem to make too much hassle when lending their newborn to two 200+ kg wrestlers on the podium: the popularity of the festival is immense.

The ritual's origin reaches back to the beginning of the history of sumo wrestling. It is said that by traumatizing the babies and, consequently, making them cry, the evil spirits will eventually escape from the young body and the baby will grow up strong and healthy. Today, however, the ritual developed into a contest in which two weighty wrestles hit the baby simultaneously. Whoever cries louder (do they have a dB-measuring device?), becomes the... if not actually happy, but at least the "healthy" winner.