Without knowing much about Japanese culture, I have always had a certain respect for it, no matter how redundant, respectful they are in general. However, after knowing this tradition that I tell you today, I no longer know if it is so clear that they are so respectful.
And every year they celebrate a crying contest to choose the cryiest baby in Japan. This year they participated about 800 babies between 6 and 18 months and, as if it were a sumo match, two babies are faced in each fight and the one who cries before after the shouts of the referee wins.
The fighting takes place in a dohyo (Sumo combat zone) and babies are dressed in traditional clothes. The referee starts shouting at the two babies and The first one who cries is the winner of combat, moving on to the next round.
As you can see in the photos, in addition to screaming, masks are also used that can scare them to achieve the desired tear.
For the Japanese it is about a tradition in which crying serves as a prayer for the health and well-being of babies. Something like "the more and before you cry, the better your life will be."
But what… ?
And if after reading this you are not asking that "but what the hell ...?", Well I do not know what will make you release that expression, because a tradition should not be above the suffering of a baby. One thing is for a baby to be scared or cry because he hears a circumstantial noise and a very different one to cry because we try to get scared as soon as possible, the better.
It is cruel to have fun with the suffering of babies, and more if the purpose is that all this is a prayer. If you want to pray, do it differently, without disturbing the children who are not guilty that adults will come up with absurd contests nor will they be better in life for crying before baby in such an event.
