So-called スー女 (sūjo, women who are sumo devotees) are on the rise, joining the ranks of 格闘技女子 (kakutōgijoshi, women who go in for martial arts) who have gone mainstream.

Though 相撲 (sumō, sumo) and the culture surrounding it is still off-limits to women, a huge chunk of them are embracing it as never before. And it's not just the おばちゃん (obachan, middle aged and older women), who had traditionally formed the core of female sumo fans; these days, AKB48 members send out complementary tickets to their favorite 力士 (rikishi, sumo wrestlers), and most of the 幕内 (maku'uchi, top division) wrestlers are rumored to have at least one girl-group member among their ライン友達 (Rain tomodachi, friends on Line). 時代は変わった (Jidai wa kawatta, "Times have changed").

On a recent Saturday in Tokyo, I saw a 幕下力士 (makushita rikishi, lower-division wrestler) at Shake Shack in 外苑前 (Gaienmae) with a well-groomed young woman at his side, and it should be noted that a) she was the one who stood in a long line to place their orders, and b) she paid. A similar scene had unfolded in a cafe in Marunouchi just before the 九月場所 (kugatsu basho, September tournament). It looks like rikishi, whatever their ranking, are in the flush of an unprecedented モテキ (moteki, a period of being popular and in high demand).