Sumo's origins trace back to at least 642 AD, when the first historically documented sumo match was held to entertain the imperial court. According to the Kojiki chronicle (712 AD), sumo began as a divine ritual — the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata wrestled to determine who would control the Japanese islands.
Throughout the Nara (710–794) and Heian (794–1185) periods, sumo was performed at imperial ceremonies to pray for bountiful harvests. Wrestlers became government officials, and matches were held before the Emperor. This sacred status shaped many of sumo's enduring traditions — the salt purification, the elaborate ring ceremonies, and the reverence shown to top-ranked wrestlers.
The modern professional era began during the Edo period (1603–1868), when organized public tournaments first appeared in Tokyo (then Edo). Wrestlers began living in training communities called heya (stables), a system that continues today. The Japan Sumo Association was formally established in 1925, and the current six-tournament annual format was introduced in 1958.
The late 20th century brought international wrestlers to sumo's elite ranks — first Americans from Hawaii, then Mongolians who dominated for decades. Today, wrestlers from Ukraine, Georgia, Bulgaria, and across the world compete alongside Japanese rikishi at the sport's highest levels.