Sumo!!!!

Up until a few days ago, I had no interest in sumo. It wasn't on my Japanese Bucket List, but I had the opportunity to go, so I thought why not! I am SO glad I went! Sumo wrestling is incredible and is so much more than giant guys pushing each other out of a ring. It's been around for thousands of years as a Shinto ritual to entertain the gods and hope for a bountiful harvest. It didn't become a spectator sport for fun until the 1600s. Although today it is used more as a sport than godly entertainment, it is still heavily steeped in Shinto tradition. The grapple itself is short lived, and most of the tournament is spent performing purification rituals. There are large containers of salt kept in the corners of the ring, and they are constantly grabbing huge handfuls and flinging them across the ring in order to purify the sacred space. The referee even dresses in traditional Shinto priest robes.

The rules of sumo are pretty simple. You must use brute strength to push, shove, or throw the other wrestler out of the ring. If any part of your body hits outside of the circle, you lose. If any part of your body touches the ground inside the circle (except the soles of your feet), you lose. The reasoning behind the wrestlers wearing so little goes back to ancient times as well. It is to simply show that each wrestler does not have any weapons or items on them that could lead to cheating.

The trophies that are won by the reigning wrestler at the end of the tournament are impressive. The winner we saw got 3 trophies - one "regular" sized one, one that was about 2x1ft big, and one GIANT one that was about 4x2ft big that took 2 men to haul it onto the ring. The giant trophy was carried off by the winner in one arm - these guys are beasts!

I can't wait to go back, and I'll have to take Jonathan with me next time! In the photos, find the wrestler with Charlie Chaplin on his outfit... it's great!