Sumo Tournament - Tokyo

 This weekend we got tickets to see the September Tournament for Sumo Wrestling. It was held at Ryogoku-Kokugikan in Tokyo. All along the sidewalk outside the venue are banners that represent the different wrestlers. People were standing by certain banners and taking pictures, but we couldn't read any of them. 

What an totally unique event! I loved the traditional clothing the tournament officials wear. Many of the Japanese spectators also had on traditional clothing. The arena was set up just for Sumo Tournaments with "mat seating" in the lower sections. (We sat up high in the Western style seats).

The matches go by very quickly - taking only about 20 seconds (if that). We arrived around 1:30pm and watched 5 or 6 of the lower ranked matches. After the lower matches concluded the Intermediate matches began with a parade/ceremony of the wrestlers in that group. We stayed to see one of those matches but we had not eaten lunch so we left the arena to grab some food. 

Found an Okonomiyaki restaurant that was delicious!! It wasn't Hiroshima style, but it was close, with noodles in the middle. What a feast! Happily one of the restaurant workers offered to cook ours for us. I think I could do it myself next time, but it was nice to watch him one more time. (This style had a fried egg on top - never had that before but it was good. Notice how ORANGE the yolk is. All the eggs in Japan are that color)

We  made it back just in time to see the Seniors (highest ranked wrestlers) doing their entry parade. There were about 20 matches in the Seniors group, with the highest ranked wrestler going very last. 

Although the matches are quick, the build up to each matches takes quite a while. When one match ends the sweepers come out to clean up the ring. Its a dirt surface and they use the traditional stick brooms. Then the wrestlers come out and bow to each other. They begin clapping and slapping their thighs, lifting one leg very high and stomping it down with great effect and squatting down to get ready - just to jump up and head back to the corner of the ring to rethink things. 

This goes on and on until finally they both decide to jump together and start wrestling. (Dad and I never could quite understand how the matches started - we didn't hear or see a signal, it seemed like both guys just knew somehow when to jump together). 

Interestingly the arena is almost completely silent right before the match begins. During the match there is very little noise until something happens (ie one guys gets pushed out or holds off an attempted throw down) then the crowd cheers. It ends when the first person touches the ground or leaves the circle. 

As soon as the match ends both wrestlers bow to each other and the loser steps down off the ring, bows once more to the crowd and walks back to the locker room. The winner on the other hand, stays in the ring and squats down on their side while the officiator bows to them with something on a tray. The winner makes a sign/motion over it and takes it, then bows and leaves the ring, bows again and heads off to the locker room. It seemed to me like they hardly broke a sweat! haha 

Dad brought the binoculars so we could look at each wrestler close up. They were not all Japanese! Some were gaijins (maybe Americans or maybe Europeans). Some were quite hairy while other had no body hair. And there were definitely size differences. We noticed the bigger wrestler did not always win. But the #1 ranked guy did win his match!