Crying contest

I wonder if any of the children who go through this have problems because of it later in life.

Unlikely

Let's hope so

How cruel. If you let this be done to your child you're a horrible parent.

Bullying? At least we must wonder where the empathy is. Even if there is no effect on the infant itself, the fact that it is proudly broadcast and justified by tradition feels wrong. It seems to endorse bullying.

Another Japanese tradition/custom that needs banning!

The ritual is believed to aid the healthy growth of the children

As we can see around us in the world's most deliriously happy country

Another Japanese tradition/custom that needs banning!

@Peeping_Tom

I fully agree. This sort of barbaric cruelty and abuse is something I will never get about Japan. Shocking.

I visited the Namahage (ogre) Museum in Oga City (男鹿市), Akita Prefecture some years back and saw this sort of thing first hand. At the museum, parents take their children to a dimly lit room where namahage monsters emerge (scary costume, meat cleaver, etc.) and terrify children into obedience/submission. The children are fear stricken, and all the while the adults laugh and enjoy the 'entertainment' (I obviously didn't see the humor in the ordeal). The namahage make the very distraught children promise to study, brush their teeth and obey their parents, threatening to return in the middle of the night if they don't — "if you behave I will leave you alone, but if you misbehave I am coming for you."

Many parents in Japan have long used this as a tactic to ensure their children's obedience and as a source of entertainment. It is even seen as one of Japan's cultural assets — so much so that an application was submitted some years back to get namahage placed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Anyway, here is a video of how it works (although this one is far less scary/abusive than the one I saw at the Namahage Museum: <www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYivE9l7wX0>

I never saw the point of this. Not all "traditions" are automatically good.

My Japanese family says its a toddler's/baby's job to cry. I strongly disagree. I see no reason to encourage tears much less force them. There is plenty to cry about naturally. And when the tears come, you don't berate or cajole. You just explain the situation calmly and the child learns and calms down.

I was thinking the other day that I don't remember my son ever having a nightmare. I bet these kids have nightmares and lots of them.

The baby who cries the loudest wins.

Now if only we could get everyone to do that and scare the pants off "you-know-who"... !

(Neither of our sons went through that "traditional hell" I would never have allowed it.)

That explains why Japanese let their kids scream bloody murder and do nothing about it

This is child abuse and sadism.

I'd rather see them smiling :D

If the kid turned his head and got a look at who's holding him, he'd have an even bigger scare, ha ha!

How about changing it to “make em laugh” contest?! You need more skills to make a baby laugh rather than make him cry... (plus, it's obviously better for the babies. I'm sure the “evil spirits" won't mind).

That explains why Japanese let their kids scream bloody murder and do nothing about it

And what, pray tell, should they do about it? I'm curious as to how (you think) you make a baby stop crying.

a primitive way of disciplining kids for the adults own satisfaction! this is not something worth continuing...

This is the same as parents who tell their kids they BURN IN HELL if they don't do yada yada yada.

Is just child abuse & indoctrination, sad all round!

Another tradition that does nothing for the mental growth of a child other than to make them fearful and obedient. Adding to moral and empathic numbness, kids need love and nurturing to help grow into a descent well balanced adult, Arghhhhhh that explains a lot.

Does any1 know if this evil practice is done to both genders or just the males?

Does any1 know if this evil practice is done to both genders or just the males?

@Kobe

Good question. Apparently this particular 'event' is called "naki sumo" (Sumo crying [tournament], 泣き相撲). From photos on line it looks like it is both genders, although more boys than girls.

Here are some photos of naki sumo: https://goo.gl/vljM4l

Like Naki Sumo , Smiling Sumo too should be held and the winning and participating all children should be blessed by temple priests and sumo wrestlers to ward off the influence of evil spirits on the lives of the children.

I visited the Namahage (ogre) Museum in Oga City (男鹿市), Akita Prefecture some years back and saw this sort of thing first hand. At the museum, parents take their children to a dimly lit room where namahage monsters emerge (scary costume, meat cleaver, etc.) and terrify children into obedience/submission. The children are fear stricken, and all the while the adults laugh and enjoy the 'entertainment' (I obviously didn't see the humor in the ordeal). The namahage make the very distraught children promise to study, brush their teeth and obey their parents, threatening to return in the middle of the night if they don't — "if you behave I will leave you alone, but if you misbehave I am coming for you."

They are probably laughing the same way we might laugh at a silly belief we had when younger, and if the promises the study et al are the end of it it might be even a beneficial practice. Remember that the West also has Santa Claus and the bag of coal which is really about similar principles.

What I hope does not happen, however, is permanent trauma. Watch the kids - if they suffer anxiety at night or dark places, this might be the origin.

Cruel and unusual punishment

Sumo wrestlers look like giant babies. That's the real essence of this photo.

Not an extremely wise way to nurture future sumo fans....

This is not an entertainment or scary/abusive thing. It finishes in a few seconds and some babies don't cry. The parents want their babies to grow strong.

Those kiddies will likely find plenty of stuff to cry about as they grow. There is no need at all to scare them silly with fat men in nappies or garish painted masks.

There are sadly plenty of parents though, not only in Japan, who try to teach their small children to behave by telling them the bogeyman/monster/devil/whatever scary thing will come and get them if they're naughty. It's lazy, slipshod parenting, and in the long run, it doesn't work.

Those kiddies will likely find plenty of stuff to cry about as they grow.

Not plenty at this age. Better than spoiling and pampering.

it doesn't work.

It does not matter. This is like a prayer or a traditional ceremony.

Not plenty at this age.

lol Do we take it that you are not a parent, tina? Never noticed how much babies cry? They cry when they're hungry, they cry when they're cold, they cry when they're hot, they cry when they're dirty, they cry when they're colicky, they cry when they're lonely, they cry when they're sleepy, they cry when they're bored, they cry when they're frightened, they cry when they're in pain.

Would you deliberately make a baby go hungry, or slap it, or leave it in the cold, or refuse to change its nappy, just to make it cry 'for its own good'? No? Then why deliberately frighten it to make it cry?

Better than spoiling and pampering.

It's impossible to spoil a baby. They're made to be pampered.

This is like a prayer or a traditional ceremony.

Ah yes, stick a 'tradition (™)' sticker on it, and it's beyond criticism. There are plenty of bad traditions in the world that deserve to die a death, and gratuitously frightening and threatening little kiddies is one of them.

@cleo

You go, woman!

(I'd have said "girl", but I bet that would have earnt me a mouthful!)

Never noticed how much babies cry?

I meant other ordeals.

gratuitously frightening and threatening little kiddies is one of them.

No big deal. Many babies don't cry even when saw the mask. Some babies cry even before looking at the mask, so no mask.

@gogogo

Cruel and unusual punishment

...for the crime of being born apparently.

I meant other ordeals.

What 'ordeals' exactly do you think a baby ought to be subjected to? And to what end?

What 'ordeals' exactly do you think a baby ought to be subjected to?

How about this Naki Zumo or Warai Zumo!

And to what end?

As I said this is like a prayer. Do you ask the same question for prayers too? And this is a good picture opportunity.

The ritual is believed to aid the healthy growth of the children and ward off evil spirits.

What a lame ritual. Japan has some cool culture, but not this monotonous trash.

seems that this is practiced by very few japanese, and in in some few parts of japan. but the japan-bashing goes on and on: japanese are cruel, horrible, and on and on...