Nezumi no Sumō facts for kids

Nezumi no Sumō (which means "Rat's Sumo" or "Mouse's Sumo" in Japanese) is a famous folk tale from Japan. It's a heartwarming story about an old couple who help some mice. These mice love to wrestle in sumo matches. In return for their kindness, one of the mice gives the couple a wonderful gift: enough gold to live comfortably for the rest of their lives!

This folk tale even inspired a short film. Studio Ghibli, a famous Japanese animation studio, made a 13-minute movie called Chūzumō in 2010. You can watch this film at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka.

The Story of the Sumo Mice

This tale is about an old man and his wife. They lived simply at the base of a mountain. One day, the old man went up the mountain. He wanted to cut some firewood.

A Secret Sumo Match

While cutting wood, the old man heard strange voices. They were chanting! He thought it was very mysterious. He followed the sound through the thick trees. Soon, he found a clearing in the middle of the woods.

In this clearing, a sumo ring was set up. Two mice were wrestling! One mouse was thin and small. The other was much bigger. The old man watched closely. He realized the small mouse lived in his own house. The fatter mouse belonged to a rich neighbor.

The old man cheered for his small mouse. But the big mouse was too strong. It quickly threw the small mouse out of the ring. The old man felt very sad.

A Helping Hand

The old man went home and told his wife everything. He was sad they had no special food. He wanted to help the small mouse get stronger. His wife was touched by the story.

They decided to use the rice they saved for New Year. They would make delicious rice cakes for the mouse. They left the rice cakes on a shelf. The next morning, the cakes were gone! The old couple felt happy. They hoped the rice cakes would make the mouse powerful.

The Rematch

That same day, the old man went back to the mountain. He heard the chanting again. Another sumo match was about to begin! He rushed to the clearing. The fat mouse and the slender mouse started their fight.

This time, the slender mouse was amazing! It easily threw the bigger mouse out of the ring. The fat mouse was angry. It demanded a rematch. But the slender mouse won again and again.

The big mouse was surprised. It asked how the small mouse got so strong. The slender mouse replied that it ate wonderful rice cakes. The big mouse said his rich family was too stingy. They never had such good food. He asked to come to the old couple's house. He wanted to eat rice cakes with the slender mouse. The slender mouse agreed, but only if the big mouse brought a lot of money.

A Golden Reward

The old man hurried home to tell his wife. She said they should use all their rice. They would make even more rice cakes for the mice. She hoped they could manage without rice until New Year.

Besides the rice cakes, the old woman left out two loincloths. These are special belts worn by sumo wrestlers. The next morning, both the rice cakes and the loincloths were gone. The old man was excited for the next match. Before he left, he saw three gold coins in the corner of the room. He was surprised! He called his wife. They knew the money must have come from the rich man's mouse.

The old couple went to the mountain together. They heard the chanting once more. They rushed to the clearing. Two strong, healthy mice were grappling in red loincloths. The match lasted a long time. Both mice were too strong to be beaten easily. The old couple watched until evening. They returned home feeling happy. They had done a good deed. With the gold coins, they lived happily ever after.

The Ghibli Film: A Sumo Wrestler's Tail

Title screen for the short film, Chūzumō (2010)

Hayao Miyazaki, a famous Japanese director, wrote a 13-minute animated short film in 2010. It was called Chūzumō. Studio Ghibli, a well-known animation studio, produced the film. It was made for the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka. The film was directed by Akihiko Yamashita.

What's the Film About?

The film's story is similar to the folk tale. An old farmer finds a group of rats. They are heading to a sumo wrestling match. The rats lose badly in their fights. So, the kind farmer decides to feed them. He wants to help them get stronger. This will boost their chances of winning next time!