More a religious tradition than a sport, but stil a sport.
Sumo(相撲, Sumo) is a competition contact sport where two wrestlers or rikishi face off in a circular area. The sport is of Japanese origin and is surrounded by ceremony and ritual. The Japanese consider Sumo a gendai budo: a modern Japanese martial art, even though the sport has a history spanning many centuries.
The Sumo tradition is very ancient, and even today the sport includes many ritual elements, such as the use of salt for purification, from the days Sumo was used in the Shinto religion.
The area around the stadium has small statues of Sumo wrestlers with their hand prints.
Sumo wrestler walking from his Sumo stable (training center).
Inside the stadium area where fans are waiting for the Sumo wrestlers.
Here comes one of the giant wrestlers.
It's Estonian born Rikishi Baruto. All foreign Sumo wrestlers get Japanese names and the first name determines the style in which his long hair is dressed. Out of 708 wrestlers in Sumo's six divisions, 59 were born outside of Japan. There have now been three foreign Yokozuna grand champions. Hawaiian Akebono was the first in 1993, then his compatriot Musashimaru and now Mongolian Asashoryu. The current crop of foreign wrestlers comes from across the globe, including Tonga, Brazil, Bulgaria, Russia, Mongolia and Estonia.
The wrestling ring is called a dohyo and suspended from the ceiling by cables is a roof resembling a Shinto shrine.
Wrestelers starring each other out before the bout. This is called Sonkyo
Wrestlers throwing salt to purify the ring.
Japanese TV is broadcasting from all 15 days the tournament lasts.
The four giant tassels hanging from each corner of the roof signifies the four seasons.
The referee is called a gyoji and here he is calling out the names of the wrestlers.
The Kokugikan Sumo Stadium food court. Here are runners picking up food and running inside the stadium with the food.
This cermony is called dohyo-iri where the top ranked wrestlers called maku-uchi are entering the ring.
The wrestlers clap their hands, wave their appron, turn around and do the same thing again. The approns are richly embroided with different designs and hemmed with a gold fringe. They cost about USD 50,000.
Yokozuna Asasyoryu perfoms the traditional ceromony with his sword called a tachimochi. He is flanked by his sword bearers and a gyoji.
Huge picture of the last Grand Championships Yokozuna, Asashoryu from Mongolia. There must have been 20 of those pictures hanging from the ceiling. they were reveiled at the opening of this Grand Championship.
Two wrestlers getting ready. This part of Sumo is called Shiomaki
The stadium is packed.
Before some of the matches, a few young yobidashi in thin yellow topcoats circled the dohyo holding advertisements on banners. The companies being advertised were offering extra prize money to the match's winner, about $500 for each banner. The wrestlers also took this money off the gyoji's paddle after the match; the more banners there were before a match, the more envelopes the victorious wrestler took from the gyoji's paddle when the fight was over.
Sumo wrestlers getting ready to clash. This position is called Shikiri.
When all the days matches are over the gyoji chooses the best wrestler of the day and he will enter the and perform the bow dance called yumitori-shiki. This tradition goes back to the Edo period when the first prize was a bow and to express his satisfaction he would perform this dance.
Below are the results of the day I attended this spectacular event.
Tokyo Grand Sumo September Tournament in 2006
Makuuchi - 7th Day Results
East
kimarite
West
○
E-J4 Tochisakae 5-2
okuritaoshi
W-M16 Shimotori 2-5
W-M15 Kasugao 5-2
yorikiri
W-M13 Tochinohana 4-3
○
○
E-M13 Hokutoriki 5-2
oshidashi
W-M12 Tosanoumi 3-4
E-M12 Yoshikaze 1-6
tsukite
E-M15 Kasuganishiki 3-4
○
○
E-M11 Homasho 5-2
oshidashi
E-M16 Ryuho 2-5
○
W-M14 Hochiyama 4-3
oshidashi
W-M10 Hakurozan 3-4
W-M11 Jumonji 1-6
oshidashi
W-M8 Kakizoe 4-3
○
E-M10 Takekaze 3-4
yoritaoshi
W-M7 Kotoshogiku 3-4
○
○
E-M7 Futeno 5-2
yorikiri
E-M9 Takamisakari 3-4
○
W-M9 Asasekiryu 3-4
shitatehineri
W-M6 Toyonoshima 3-4
E-M6 Ama 6-1
katasukashi
W-M5 Iwakiyama 4-3
○
East
kimarite
West
○
E-M5 Tochinonada 5-2
yorikiri
E-M8 Kyokushuzan 2-5
W-M4 Kyokutenho 3-4
sotogake
W-M3 Aminishiki 5-2
○
E-M4 Tamakasuga 0-7
oshidashi
W-M1 Roho 6-1
○
○
E-S Miyabiyama 4-3
tsukiotoshi
E-K Kisenosato 3-4
E-O Hakuho 4-3
okuridashi
W-S Kotomitsuki 6-1
○
W-K Kokkai 3-4
yorikiri
W-O Tochiazuma 3-4
○
W-M2 Tokitenku 3-4
uwatenage
W-O Kotooshu 5-2
○
E-O Kaio 1-6
no contest
E-M2 Tamanoshima 1-6
○
E-M3 Dejima 1-6
oshidashi
W-O Chiyotaikai 5-2
○
○
E-Y Asashoryu 6-1
oshitaoshi
E-M1 Baruto 4-3
○ = WINNER
Table explanation
Divison
winning throw
Division
○ win
Ranking Wrestler W-L
winning throw
Ranking Wrestler W-L
Time to go home
Taxing out from the gate at Narita Airport.
Reality sets in at this sight. I have to work tomorrow.
Turning onto the runway.
And we're off.
11.5 hours later first sight of Chicago.
Your'e done. No more pictures. You survived. BRAVO. You can sign my Guestbook below if you feel up to that. The next pages are only observations and links.
Observations
