Another fun experience in Japan - SUMO WRESTLING!!!
Sumo is the national sport of Japan and it is taken very seriously here! Tournaments are held 6 times a year and last about 2 weeks. The tournament we attended was at Ryogoku Kokugikan Hall in Toyko. The bouts begin with lower division wrestlers at 8:30am and continue until the highest division, Makuuchi, start around 3:30. (We didn't go for the entire day, just for the Makuuchi division.)
Getting set...or are they? One of the #1 things I learned about sumo is that it's verrrry ceremonial and bouts don't last very long. Soooo, wrestlers set up a MINIMUM of 3 times before they actually wrestle. There is lots of thigh slapping, salt throwing(to purify the ring), leg raising, stomping and going back to their corners to start all over again!
On the left is one of the Yokozuna's (grand champion) - making his ceremonial entrance with two attendants and the gyoji (referee). At right - dohyo-iri(entering the ring) ceremony in kesho-mawashi(ceremonial aprons).
All I can say about the actual wrestling - just picture 2 trains colliding. Two 300 pound men hitting full force is no joke...and just imagine what it's like for the little photographer sitting in the front row who gets crumpled when one of them goes flying off the platform!
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