近日，在日本有人提出，应该让年轻的相扑选手穿上短裤参与比赛，因为传统的相扑服饰过于暴露，使得许多年轻的选手感到害羞。但是日本的相扑传统保护组织3月24日回绝了这一提议。

据英国《卫报》报道，在相扑赛场上，重达几百斤的彪型大汉们在腰间系上传统的相扑服饰——“兜裆布”。“兜裆布”是一块7米多长的围布，它仅仅遮住选手的私密部位，完全暴露出选手的臀部，非常是当运动激烈时，选手还经常会不小心“走光”。 因此，日本相扑业余爱好者协会曾表示，为了让参与比赛的年轻男生避免有羞怯感，相扑选手应该穿上更能遮羞的短裤。该协会的一名官员指出，如今，日本民众对于相扑运动的热情已有所下降，而处于青春期的男生也羞于穿相扑服饰而不愿参与这一运动;为此，应该让那些害羞的男生穿上暴露较少的短裤来代替“兜裆布”。

但日本著名的相扑传统保护组织——财团法人日本相扑协会日前表示，任何人不得身着短裤进行相扑比赛。该协会的一名发言人表示：“相扑在日本是国家级的运动项目，它自有特定的规则与独特的运动方法。所以，大家不打算让孩子们穿着短裤上场。”

报道说，相扑在日本已有2000年的历史，它和日本国教神道教与农耕文化仪式有着千丝万缕的联系。如今，传统的相扑运动也面临着新的挑战。

每年春天，日本大阪都要举行盛大的相扑比赛。大阪一位名叫太田房枝的女官员数年来都在争取日本 能够参与正式的相扑比赛。在日本人眼里，相扑运动是神圣的，而 被认为是不圣洁的，所以 只能参与业余的相扑比赛。

The guardians of the ancient Japanese sport of sumo yesterday rebuffed attempts to allow shy pubescent boys to wear pants instead of the traditional loin cloths.

The behemoths who grace the ring, or dohyo, at professional sumo tournaments wear nothing but a washi, a belt that kes no attempt to hide the buttocks and, during a strenuous bout, can reveal much more.

The thought of baring almost all to their peers is preventing i ge-conscious schoolboys from joining the sport, which is also in the midst of a general slump in popularity, according to a report in yesterday"s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper.

To attract more potential grand champions on to the dohyo, the sumo association suggested allowing shy youngsters to wear less revealing "sumo pants" - something akin to cycling shorts - instead of washi .

"Pubescent kids are not going to want to take part if they don"t look cool," an sumo official told the Yomiuri. But sumo"s famously conservative professional body, the Nihon Sumo-Kyokai, said any boy turning up for tournaments wearing shorts would not be allowed to wrestle.

"The national stadium has its rules and ways of doing things," the paper quoted a Sumo-Kyokai spoke an as saying. "We have no intention of allowing children in pants into the ring."

The 2,000-year old sport, which has strong links with Japan"s indigenous Shinto religion, is facing other challenges to its traditions. Fusae Ota, the fe le governor of Osaka, which hosts a big tournament every spring, has been campaigning for years to be allowed to step on to the dohyo on the final day to present an award to the overall winner.

Though women wrestle at the level, they are ordinarily not allowed to enter the ring - which is seen as sacred space - because they are considered spiritually unclean.