SUMO TOURNAMENT

 

SUMO TOURNAMENT

 

Japan has 6 tournaments each year and 3 of them are in Tokyo. Sumo is a big deal here but from what I have read, the younger generations aren't as interested in it to the point where the government is starting to get involved to promote more interest in it. Anyway, I digress....

 

So back in February I learned about Sumo and the Sumo lifestyle when we had two wrestlers come to my school. It was pretty interesting and it was so super fun to have them there and to actually wrestle them.

 

A tournament usually lasts about two weeks. The final day can be hard to get tickets to but I got a ticket through an expat group. There is a specific stadium used for sumo up in northeast Tokyo. You definitely know you are in the right place when you get off of the train. There are posters and pictures of Sumo all around. There are also vendors selling sumo themed rice crackers and knick knacks.

 

 

 

Here is the line of people outside the stadium waiting for their favorite wrestlers to walk by. If I had been in America, everyone would have been pushing and trying get as close as possible. But in Japan that doesn't happen. Everyone stands calmly in line and in their own space and they just kind of hope that they will get to see whoever they came to see. Even the verbal reaction is quite calm and the sound is mostly filled with applause rather than yells.

 

I apologize for the fuzzy and blurry pics. Even with my Nikon it was all still pretty far even when I zoomed in.

 

Anyway, these two men are the sumo ring sweeper guys. After each match, they come out and sweep the dirt to make it nice and pretty in the ring. They sweep back and forth and together - it is quite exact.

 

 

So the gentleman in the white shirt below is the sumo ring chanter singer guy. I am sorry I don't know his official title and I am kind of tired so I am not going to look it up right now. Before each match he stands in the ring and holds out a fan and sings a chant in Japanese. It is the same each time. The man in the green is a referee and he is dressed in traditional Shinto attire. If the referee makes a wrong call, he can be killed. Luckily that past time is no longer practiced.

 

The wrestlers come up onto the ring and stretch. Some of them make growling sounds and slap their chests. This gets the crowd really excited. They grab some salt and toss it in the ring and then take their positions at each end. Then a series of stare down contests ensues and it is a bit unpredictable as to when they are going to go towards each other. So everyone just waits quietly in anticipation and then all of a sudden they are in the center pushing on each other and trying to get the other one out. Some of the matches were super quick and fast. Others lasted just a bit longer. The wrestlers only get one chance to win and that is it. It all happens very fast and quick. In some cases you can definitely miss it if you blink.

 Before the next set of matches, all of the competitors come out around the ring and there is a quick demonstration of strength. I call it that because I don't know what else to call it but they all stand there looking big and huge and then there is a series of bows as they face the crowd.

 

 

Here is the chanter/singer man again.

 

Match about to start

 

Before the final set of matches with the big-named wrestlers, they all come out and stand in a circle around the ring. They all wear panels attached to the front. They are pretty colorful and have traditional Japanese designs on them.

 

More sweeping

 

The match was sold out. Lower seats mean you sit criss-cross on pillows while you watch. Personally I don't think it would be comfortable to sit like that for the duration of a tournament. Even though I was seated pretty high, I think it was much more comfortable.

 

During the matches, advertisers pay for people to walk around the ring holding up a scroll promoting their business. As the tournament goes on and the more famous wrestlers start to compete, the more advertisements there are.

 

At the end, there is a big presentation with trophies for the top 3. A military band plays the national anthem and there is a bit of pomp and circumstance. The trophies are almost as big as the wrestlers.

 

I believe there is some discussion of having Sumo during the 2020 Olympics. I am not sure how that would fare but from what I hear it is growing in popularity in Eastern Europe so there possibly could be enough competitors. Sumo is definitely interesting to watch and experience. It is a bit slow moving so not really my most favorite sport but I am definitely glad I got to see this first hand.