Female mayor battles men-only sumo

'Safety concerns'

Earlier this month, Nakagawa lost her fight to speak from a sumo ring but slammed the ban as she delivered a speech from a podium outside the ring.

"I'm a female mayor but I am a human being, ... but because I am a woman, despite being a mayor, I cannot make a speech in the ring."

"It is regrettable and mortifying," she added, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Citing "tradition" is just a way of keeping a lid on discussing the habit, she said.

"If you don't change unreasonable things, Japan will forever be lagging behind when it comes to women's issues," said Nakagawa, one of only 19 female mayors in a country that has around 700 cities.

The head of the sumo association, who goes by the name Hakkaku, apologized after the women were ordered to leave the ring, describing it as "inappropriate" in a situation that involved someone's health.

But the association sparked fresh controversy after it requested girls be prevented from participating in sumo events, citing "safety concerns".

Other than the long-standing "tradition", there has been no clear reason given by the association for the ban.

Agence France-presse