Tokyo Day 2: Sumo

Sumo is a traditional sport in Japan based on the Shinto religion. It dates back 1500 years and has continued in practice through today. It remains very popular worldwide and has almost a cult like following. I had no idea. I thought it was just very large men pushing each other around in a circle. I didn't think about the strategy, the strength, or the emotional investment in the wrestlers and fans. It's a big deal. I had to check it out and find out for myself.

Sumo is broken down into categories. There is no weight class for sumo wrestling, sometimes the very large wrestlers fight with small wrestlers. Just like American wrestling sometimes these large men pick each other up, but not very often and occasionally it is by the belt they wear. This is called a mawashi. This particular piece of clothing was chosen so sumo wrestlers have nowhere to hide weapons and not much for the other wrestler to grab. They do often times grab the mawashi and it looks very uncomfortable. 

Just like everything else Sumo has seasons, and I was there during an off season. Most of the popular wrestlers were in London for a big match. Luckily, they do have morning practices for the wrestlers still in the city and I signed up to watch. There are also many dining establishments which have sumo matches in the evenings, but these fill up quickly and often get over booked. Durning this morning workout we were given a headset and our docent, Yuki, spoke very quietly in English and explained to us what was going on, the history of sumo, and random interesting facts: for example, wrestlers don't wash the Mawashi unless the stable master dies.... 

Sumo stables are the places where the wrestlers, eat, sleep, and practice. They dedicate their lives to the sport and spend all their time in the stables. The stable I went to visit was a Yokozuna stable and this is the highest level of Sumo in Japan. The best of the best live and practice in these stables. The different color mawashi are for the more established wrestlers. White is the highest. 

These very large men are not just fat; they are muscle and fat. Capable of lifting a lot. They only eat two meals a day, they do not eat breakfast. They start training first thing in the morning. It was interesting watching them practice because the ones not wrestling were still lifting weights and working out with each other. It wasn't just the ones in the ring. The ones in the ring were given direction after their matches by the stable master. He was in attendance for this practice, and our docent told us he was a very famous wrestler in Japan before becoming the stable master. 

It was overall an interesting and pleasant experience. You get to meet with them afterwards briefly and take picture with them. Yuki did an excellent job explaining the history of sumo and watching them practice is amazing. I never realized how much effort goes into just pushing someone outside of a circle, or how complex it's past and cultural implications are to people in Japan. It's more than just large men pushing each other around for entertainment. It's a spiritual experience.