I'm quite fortunate in the timing of my visit to Tokyo, as the Grand Sumo Saikyo Ketteisen - a one day, sumo tournament - is taking place today at the national sumo stadium - the Kokugikan. Due to my little excursion to Roppongi, the sumo tournament is well underway by the time I get back to the stadium; but there are no queues now, so I walk straight in and am pointed to the information desk, where someone kindly walks me to my seat (well in the gods) and hands me an English crib sheet, explaining some of the customs of the event and a time table. The best seats in the house - the ones that you need to queue for - are at ringside. I imagine they are a bit of a challenge on the knees for a westerner. My seat is more of an armchair and I am very grateful for it, as I’ve a sneaking suspicion that my body clock thinks it’s time I was in bed. The day’s wrestling is divided into two events: the Makuuchi Tournament, which features the highest ranking wrestlers and the Juryo Bout, which is a competition between the East and the West divisions. I arrive just in time for the final of the Juryo event, so my first taste of sumo is an important match featuring top wrestlers.
The wrestlers pace around the dohyo, throwing handfuls of salt on the ground as an act of purification before they squat down for the face-off. There then follows a battle of minds, as it can be a long time before the actual wrestling begins. One or both of the wrestlers might break the face-off to pace around the ring or throw down a little more salt. This can happen three or four times and it is done to keep the opponent off-balance, so they don’t know when the critical first impact will come. Once the wrestling begins, the sumo must force his opponent out of the ring, or cause him to touch the ground with a part of his body (other than the feet), and do so without the use of hair-pulling, eye gouging, kicking or punching. It is allowed to grab the mawashi (the sumo’s loincloth) for leverage, but not where it protects the ‘vital areas’. If a sumo loses his mawashi, he loses the bout, although the gyoji (referee) will try to pause the match if he sees that such a thing is imminent.
After several false starts the bout begins. It is quickly over and I’d like to tell you who's won, but both wrestlers are wearing purple mawashi so my only method of identifying them is rendered useless. Following the awards ceremony, there is a form of half-time show, featuring kids’ sumo and Shokkiri, or comic sumo. Initially I had assumed that the kids’ sumo would be youngsters battling each other, but instead it’s three or four eleven year-olds taking on one full-sized wrestler. They don’t really stand a chance and it’s no surprise really; as it says in the sumo guide: “size is certainly a factor which can work in the wrestlers favour” [!]. On the subject of size, the guide also contains some less self-evident truths, such as the fact that a sumo wrestler’s fat ratio is actually lower than that of an average, middle-aged business man. It makes no comment, however, on which of these professions offers the best opportunity to throw one’s weight around. I stay for the first hour of the Makuuchi tournament then take my leave in order to sample the traditional sumo meal of chanko nabe.
The wrestlers pace around the dohyo, throwing handfuls of salt on the ground as an act of purification before they squat down for the face-off. There then follows a battle of minds, as it can be a long time before the actual wrestling begins. One or both of the wrestlers might break the face-off to pace around the ring or throw down a little more salt. This can happen three or four times and it is done to keep the opponent off-balance, so they don’t know when the critical first impact will come. Once the wrestling begins, the sumo must force his opponent out of the ring, or cause him to touch the ground with a part of his body (other than the feet), and do so without the use of hair-pulling, eye gouging, kicking or punching. It is allowed to grab the mawashi (the sumo’s loincloth) for leverage, but not where it protects the ‘vital areas’. If a sumo loses his mawashi, he loses the bout, although the gyoji (referee) will try to pause the match if he sees that such a thing is imminent.
After several false starts the bout begins. It is quickly over and I’d like to tell you who's won, but both wrestlers are wearing purple mawashi so my only method of identifying them is rendered useless. Following the awards ceremony, there is a form of half-time show, featuring kids’ sumo and Shokkiri, or comic sumo. Initially I had assumed that the kids’ sumo would be youngsters battling each other, but instead it’s three or four eleven year-olds taking on one full-sized wrestler. They don’t really stand a chance and it’s no surprise really; as it says in the sumo guide: “size is certainly a factor which can work in the wrestlers favour” [!]. On the subject of size, the guide also contains some less self-evident truths, such as the fact that a sumo wrestler’s fat ratio is actually lower than that of an average, middle-aged business man. It makes no comment, however, on which of these professions offers the best opportunity to throw one’s weight around. I stay for the first hour of the Makuuchi tournament then take my leave in order to sample the traditional sumo meal of chanko nabe.
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