As 40 sumotori in colorful, billowing robes waddled off tour buses on polished sandals on the way to a buffet lunch Thursday, a bystander among the gawking crowd along Ala Moana observed, "There's a sight you don't see very often."

Indeed, their appearance in the two-day Hawai'i Grand Sumo Tournament that begins today could become even rarer, perhaps ending a 56-year relationship between Japan's national sport and Hawai'i.

The tournament at Blaisdell Center marks the 11th official exhibition delegation sent here by the Japan Sumo Association since 1951, by far the most of any place outside the country where the sport began, a spokeswoman in Tokyo said.

But what nobody is saying is if there will be a 12th anytime soon — or at all — as signs suggest it is unlikely in the current circumstances.

Unlike sumo's past six appearances at Blaisdell, this one will not include a competitor from Hawai'i. It will be the most visible reminder of the end of a remarkable nearly 40-year streak in which there was at least one local sumotori in the ring — from Maui's Jesse (Takamiyama) Kuhaulua in 1964 to Wai'anae's Fiamalu (Musashimaru) Penitani in 2003.

Theirs was a period that captured the imagination and created fans both in Japan and Hawai'i. Akebono's showdown match with Takanohana in 1992 was watched by nearly 50 percent of households in Japan. The Japan Sumo Association's refusal to promote Konishiki to yokozuna earlier stirred newspaper and magazine editorials in two countries and reached the halls of government.

Sumo is a highly ritualized, centuries-old sport that lies close to Japan's national core and has been referred to in the oldest literary recordings. Legend has it that the gods once waged a sumo match that determined the fate of the land. To this day it is referred to as kokugi (national sport) and its temple, the main sumo arena in Tokyo, is called the Kokugikan (national sport hall).

Competition matches two loin-cloth-clad combatants on a hard-packed, raised earthen ring in which the first one to touch the ground with anything more than the feet, or to fall from the straw-encircled area, is the loser.

Tournaments last 15 days and are held six times per year, spread among Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka and nationally televised by the government network, NHK. Sumotori's ranks are adjusted based upon the results, with a majority of wins being required for promotion. Exhibitions, such as this weekend's at the Blaisdell, last only a couple of days and do not affect a sumotori's rank.

AN 'AVERAGE' CROWD?

While sumo's last appearance here sold out the nearly 8,000-seat Blaisdell in 1993, promoters hope to get it slightly more than half full today and tomorrow. Their forecast is for an average attendance of "5,000 to 6,000" depending upon walk-up sales.

But unlike 1993 when the so-called big three — Musashimaru, Waimanalo's Chad (Akebono) Rowan and Nanakuli's Salevaa (Konishiki) Atisanoe — were the attraction and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was writing songs about them, the higher-ranked performers are now from Mongolia and little known here.

Hakuho of Mongolia makes his debut at yokozuna, sumo's most exalted rank, in the tournament, becoming the first yokozuna to perform an inaugural dohyo iri (the highly ritualized ring-entering ceremony) in a foreign country. But while that had drawn 55 media representatives from Japan as of Thursday, it has done little to excite fans here.

Promoters had hoped to also draw off the Pan-Pacific Festival/Matsuri in Hawaii event, which is also being held this week. A spokesman expected approximately 500 fans from Japan and 300 from the continental U.S. for sumo through airline promotions and packages.

Tournament promoter Shige-mitsu Inohana said upward of $2 million has been invested in the tournament and, as costs have mounted, some suggest the investment could go much higher.

"It is going to be difficult for sumo to come back," concedes Wayne Miyao, former City Bank executive who is assisting the promotion. "Especially with the huge costs involved."

NO MORE SUMO HERE?

Kats Miho, a retired judge who chaired the eight goodwill tournaments (1962-84) promoted by the 442nd Veterans Club, said, "for a promoter to come in here and make money with sumo is going to be very hard without the local wrestlers."

Miho, who was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays by the Japanese government for his contributions to sport, said, "If there is going to be sumo in the future it will have to be a goodwill venture to have a chance."

Increasingly, the Japan Sumo Association, which rules the sport, is looking past Hawai'i. It sent a tour to Las Vegas two years ago and will go to Los Angeles next year, with Inohana promoting.

"I hope the people will come out and support sumo, but I don't know how many people are familiar with these (sumotori)," Kuhaulua said.

Without a local tie, video sumo highlights, once a staple of local TV sportscasts in the past, are now a rarity.

"People don't have that much contact with sumo anymore," Kuhaulua said. "They don't follow it as much."

In the post-World War II era, Hawai'i served as sumo's launching pad outside of Japan. The sport's roots were established here with the immigrants who began arriving in the late 1900s and amateur sumo flourishing on plantations. Legend has it an early group performed sumo for King Kalakaua in 1885 and pro sumotori passed through Hawai'i on occasion from 1914 on.

The modern ties were the product of shared visions. Maedayama, the first post-World War II yokozuna, wanted to open up the sport to a wider audience.

"He had great vision and wanted to expand what he called sumodo, the way of sumo," Miho said.

Originally, Miho said, Maedayama thought Los Angeles or Washington would be jumping-off points for selling the sport. "But after he visited Hawai'i and saw its place here, he picked Hawai'i."

KUHAULUA'S RISE

Maedayama recruited Kuhau-lua, then a football player at Maui's Baldwin High, to be his example. Kuhaulua, who had suffered leg injuries as a youngster after being hit by a truck, was encouraged to take up sumo by his football coaches to strengthen the legs. At the time Maui had the most active and successful amateur team among the Islands.

But when it appeared a National Guard commitment would keep Kuhaulua from taking up the offer in 1964, then-Gov. John Burns stepped in and allowed Kuhaulua a waiver.

"As I told his son (former judge Jim Burns) the other night, I'll never forget that," Kuhaulua said. "He told me, 'Jesse, I want you to be successful and make stronger ties between Hawai'i and Japan.' "

2 ISLANDERS IN TOP RANK

Kuhaulua's rise to become the first foreign-born winner of the Emperor's Cup in 1972, symbolic of a tournament championship, opened eyes, as did his ability to adapt to the once-alien culture and sport. Nearly two dozen sumo hopefuls from Hawai'i would follow in his size-15 footsteps. Two — Akebono, a product of Kuhaulua's Azumazeki stable, and Musashimaru — number among the 69 promoted to the pinnacle, yokozuna rank.

But Akebono's promotion in 1993, so soon after Konishiki had been on the verge, and with Musashimaru and others coming through the ranks, prompted the JSA to tighten rules on foreign recruits. Each of the 53 stables are allowed one foreigner under certain restrictions. Not one is currently from Hawai'i.

Kuhaulua looks around now and says, "I'm sabishii (lonely) without the local guys."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.