This is Ryogoku train station…
… adorned with celebrity memorability…
…and with clear indication of what to expect around the corner.
This is Ryogoku Kokugikan stadium, home to Tokyo’s sumo tournaments.
Fans have plenty of choice…
… to read about their favorite sumo…
… and even spot him arriving.
Ground-level, traditional Japanese-style seating is available (no chairs – only a cushion). Each box-seat holds four people (this diagram in front of the ticket office is designed to manage expectations). We opted for the balcony with stadium chairs.
The fans are ready!
Let’s go!
Ahhh, but not so fast. Sumos don’t just jump into the ring and go. Psychological maneuvering is required.
First, stomp a foot (to rid the mat of evil spirits)…
… and clap hands.
After getting in the set position…
… back off for a towel…
… a drink of water…
… and then toss salt to purify the ring.
Ok, getting set again…
… but wait. it’s still not time to start. This ritual repeats again. In the old days, this “cold war” could be indefinite. In 1928, a 10 minute clock was added, which was reduced to four minutes over the years.
Set again… and go!
The goal is to push the opponent out of the ring, or cause any part of his body to touch the ground other than the soles of his feet.
Each match was very quick. A long match was 10 seconds, but some bouts were resolved in less than 2 seconds.
After the sumos clear the ring, the next competitors enter and the four minute psychological warfare begins again.
Sumo began some 1500 years ago when, legend has it, the God Takemikazuchi won a sumo bout with the leader of a rival tribe. The first sumo matches were religious… dedicated to the Gods for a bountiful harvest.
The dohyo, or ring, is about 4.6 meters in diameter (a bit more than 15 feet).
The mat surface is clay with a thin layer of sand.
There are no weight limits, so it’s possible to find an opponent twice your size.
The sumos are naked except for the silk mawashi. At 9 meters long (30 feet) it’s folded 6 times and then wrapped around the waist from 4 to 7 times — depending on the girth. The ornamental strings on the front are silk stiffened with glue. They frequently detach and are discarded.
There are six tournaments per year, each running 15 days (each sumo competes once per day). The red ilne on the scoreboard indicates the winner that day.
There are about 600 men who compete in professional sumo — from trainees up to the yokozuma at the top, with many of the top performers coming from Mongolia (this sumo is Hungarian).
In this flashback photo (May 2016), we watched sumo practice for two hours at a nearby stable (there are about 50 stables nationwide, each with 12 sumos who live and train communally).
Each tournament day is divided between the lower ranks and the upper echelon (shown arriving here).
The ceremonial silk aprons (kesho-mawashi) are hemmed with gold fringe. Costs hit upwards of 500,000 JPY ($4,300).
The top two sumos perform the dohyo-iri ceremony, and the ring is ready.
Hand-carried advertising banners circle the ring in seconds (about $5,000 USD each).
And at the conclusion of the 4 minute psychological maneuvers…
… the sumos thrust every ounce directly at each other.
One match was too close to call, so the five judges huddled for a decision (there’s no instant replay in sumo).
At the conclusion of the final bout, excited fans threw their seat cushions into the ring.
The traditional bow dance signaled the conclusion of competition for the day (the 2nd day of the 15-day tournament).
Jumping ahead to the final day, at 176 kg (388 lbs), Kisenosato won the Emperor’s Cup going 14-1. This was big news with a Japanese national winning against the dominant Mongolian sumos. (Internet photo). It was a great experience, and we hope to attend again in the future. Enjoy. ts
Ukrainian Tom 