JAPAN’S traditional Nakizumo, or crying sumo, festival in Tokyo yesterday saw sumo wrestlers trying to make babies in their arms bawl the loudest as a prayer to the gods for good health. But some babies in the 400-year-old festival at the Sensoji Temple ignored the “nake, nake (cry, cry)” appeals, and the sturdy sumo wrestlers’ attempts to evoke tears with deep growls and wild grimaces. To the crowd’s amusement, some remained completely silent while others started to laugh. At that point the wrestlers and priests donned ferocious masks, which did set the babies off crying. — Sapa-DPA