More than 100 babies have faced-off in the sumo ring in an annual crying contest pitting toddlers against each other, a Japanese tradition believed to bring infants good health.

The so-called crying sumo event, held at Tokyo's Sensoji Temple in the historic Asakusa district, saw hulking sumo wrestlers attempt to make 120 babies bawl on command to the delight of parents and onlookers.

The ceremony dates back some 400 years and is held at shrines and temples nationwide.

The rules vary from region to region - in some versions the babies are raced against each other to see who will cry first, while in others the first crier is the loser.

In the Asakusa event, which has been running since 1991, pairs of toddlers were brought into the sumo ring, where real sumo wrestlers held them and shook them gently as a referee shouted, "Cry! Cry!".

The winner was judged to be the infant who cried the quickest and loudest.

Some burst out screaming with little prompting, but others required judges to enter the ring wearing a devil mask.

The centuries old crying sumo tradition is believed to bring babies good health. ( AFP: Toshifumi Kitamura )

AFP