TITTEL Hans Sumo, der japanische Ringkampf. Nach japanischen Quellen.

First and only edition, very rare.

This treatise on Sumo was printed and bound in a prison camp in Japan during the First World War.

The text was copied from the manuscript and then printed on mimeograph. During World War I, Japan fought on the side of the Allies and in November 1914 captured the German possession of Qingdao in China, taking about 5,000 prisoners who were transferred and interned on the archipelago at Bando camp (Tokushima prefecture). The author of this treaty, a man named H[ans] Tittel, was one of these German POWs.

The book was printed and bound on the spot.

The text is in oban format and printed on rice paper. The beautiful and interesting illustration includes 33 figures in the text and 5 colour plates including the large folding frontispiece, all woodcut, and depicting famous wrestlers, technical holds and accessories of the rikishi (not sumotori as they are wrongly called in France). Among the famous wrestlers are Onishiki, Tochioyiama, and Otori; the frontispiece, inspired by an old woodcut, shows referees.

We have only been able to trace 3 institutional copies, all three located by Worldcat in Germany (1 in Cologne, 2 in Berlin). Upper spine partly split, otherwise a very good copy of this rare publication.