Sumo Wrestler Goes Viral With Video of Him Signing Autographs

This sumo wrestler’s “autograph” or handprint, is a big hit on social media.

The wrestler, identified as Takayasu, has won multiple awards as a professional sumo.

＜冬巡業＠久留米市＞色紙に手形を押す高安。#sumo #相撲 pic.twitter.com/lrJkreEhM5

— 日本相撲協会公式 (@sumokyokai) December 4, 2018

In a Twitter video from @sumokyokai, Takayasu is seen signing “autographs” with handprints in Kurume City, Japan.

He presses his right hand against a large inkpad before stamping a series of white pages.

Takayasu’s “autographs” will reportedly be sold to fans, but it’s unclear how much each costs.

Interestingly, the autograph technique was not decided on a whim.

According to BuzzFeed, Johnny Suputama, founder of Japanese culture website Spoon & Tamago, said that “wrestlers were considered sacred warriors and their hand prints were good-luck charms, which is how they became collector’s items.”

On the other hand, a 2016 article from SoraNews24 gave a simpler explanation, asserting that wrestlers use handprints to “show off how, well, giant they are.”