How wide is the circular dohyo used in professional sumo wrestling?

The circular dohyo used in professional sumo wrestling is 4.55 meters wide.

The dohyo is a raised clay platform whose central wrestling area is defined by a ring of straw bales called tawara. The standard diameter was established in modern professional sumo and is approximately 15 shaku, an old Japanese unit of length. One shaku is about 30.3 centimeters, making 15 shaku roughly 4.55 meters.

The ring is not a painted circle. Its boundary is formed by partially buried rice-straw bales, while the surface is covered with carefully packed clay and fine sand. A wrestler loses when any part of the body other than the soles of the feet touches the ground inside or outside the ring, or when the wrestler steps beyond the tawara.

The dohyo’s compact size helps explain why balance, timing, foot placement, and explosive force are so important. Although amateur and ceremonial dohyo can vary, professional tournament rings follow this traditional measurement.