sumo, a traditional japanese sport.  dominated by foreigners, sold out to marketers, and influenced by organized crime.

i had heard about sumo for some time before i arrived in japan.  i always had a general interest in going to a tournament to experience it for myself and see what it’s all about.  but after being in japan for a few months i started watching on TV somewhat regularly and became even more interested.  i even started learning some of the wrestler’s names.  in japanese they are called rikishi 力士, strong gentleman.  here they are, on their way to work.

kind of strange to watch the guys strolling down the street towards the stadium.  the more famous wrestlers get dropped off in a van.  they don’t really fit in cars.  lol

once inside, they make all their preparations.  they change, go through some traditions, change their hair due, etc.  they only thing they wear is a mawashi 廻し, which means circumference, go around, revolve.  once on the ring, the higher level wrestlers have the privilege of spreading salt on the ring to purify it.  this is called shiomaki 塩まき.

one of the two top divisions from the top class, maku-uchi 幕内.  banzai!  万歳！

hakuho – 白鵬, one of the two yokozuna – 横綱, strutting his stuff like a peacock  :)  he’s mongolian.  only the yokozuna have the privilege of doing the opening ceremony to ward off evil spirits.  yokozuna is the highest ranking one can achieve.  a wrestler is voted into this position.  most of the time there are no yokozuna.  currently there are two!

this is asashouryu – 朝青龍, the other yokozuna.  people complain that he is cocky and a bad sportsman, but he is damn good.  also mongolian.

hakuho, to cleanse their mind and body, sumo wrestlers symbolically rinse their mouth with water, the source of purity.

asashoryu, this is his way of signaling he is ready to kick some sumo ass, as he slaps his mawashi.  his signature move.

these are marketing banners promoting various products.  they do this before the sponsored matches.  you can have one too if you’re willing to pay.  ;)

here, hakuho is taking is prize money.  this is the extra money that the winner gets.  the additional money comes from the sponsor money to have a banner walked around.  before accepting the money, the sumo wrestler draws the kanji, or chinese character, for heart in the air.

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