Sumo, as a traditional spectacle, cannot survive without respectable patrons. But Japan’s wealthiest people, such as entrepreneurs, medical doctors, and lawyers, are nowadays less willing or financially able to continue patronizing the sport, particularly since the collapse of Japan’s asset bubble in the early 1990’s.
而相扑作为一种传统竞技活动，必须依靠富豪们大笔的赞助才能继续生存。但日本社会的那些富有阶级，比如企业家，医生和律师，如今都不大愿意（或者没能力）去赞助这项运动，尤其是在1990年代早期日本资产泡沫爆破之后。