For centuries, animals have been worshipped by cultures around the world. Some, such as deer, are even considered sacred in ...

Legend has it that Japan’s origins stem from the outcome of a sumo match when the behemoth god Takemikazuchi defeated a tribal rival, giving birth to the Land of the Rising Sun. Accordingly, more than ...

The earliest written record of a sumo bout dates from 712 and relates a legend of a contest between two gods, Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata, for control of the Japanese islands. The victorious ...