... also known as Sumo Wrestling Tournament comes to Nagoya!!
But first, the debut of my new yukata (summer kimono)!
Tarynn and Kerri get dressed in their traditional Japanese outfits for summer events!
On our walk to sumo, Tarynn and I were stopped and interviewed twice by TV crews. They asked us questions in broken English like:
"Why are you attending sumo today?" (Because it's an important part of Japan's culture.)
"Who is your favorite wrestler?" (I like them all. It's hard to choose a favorite!)
"Why are you wearing yukata?" (I was told this was appropriate and traditional for sumo tournaments.)
"What do you think about the recent scandal involving the sumo players?" Sumo players were caught gambling on baseball games, and the summer tournament was nearly cancelled last week. (It's an unfortunate incident, but I'm glad the tournament will continue.)
I hope my co-workers see me on the news tonight!! They will be so proud. One of them actually mentioned that I would likely make it on TV for being a foreigner in a yukata at work on Friday. I thought she was kidding!
Colorful sumo flags leading to the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
I am very fortunate to see sumo live because a Grand Tournament is only hosted in 4 places in the entire world!! They have 6 tournaments every year, each lasting 15 days. Three tournaments are in Tokyo, 1 in Osaka, 1 in Nagoya, and 1 in Kyushu.
The view of the sumo ring from our seats (or shall I say futons). The roof over the sumo ring is supposed to look like a Shinto shrine, and the 4 giant tassels hanging from the corners represent the 4 seasons.
That's right... no seats at sumo. Each person gets a futon (small cushion) to sit on. These boxes hold 4 people (and no shoes). Like everywhere else in Japan, space is quite limited!! Tarynn and I were in a 2-person box, and the seats were one in front of the other. When I was leaning on the metal rails on each side of me, I felt like I was in a roller coaster!! (Our 2-person box was over $220.)
FYI - Boys can sit anyway they want on futons, but girls are supposed to kneel the entire time. If your legs go numb, it's okay to shift them to one side. But cross-legged or straight out is never appropriate. This is especially true when wearing yukata because you're wrapped up so tightly, and your movements are restricted anyway!
The wrestlers do some rituals before each "bout". This includes:
1) clapping hands together to attract the attention of the gods,
2) extending arms to the sides and turning the palms upward to show he is concealing no weapons (where exactly would he hide weapons anyway?!),
3) lifting one leg to the side high in the air, then the other, bringing each down with a stomp symbolically driving evil away from the ring, and
4) more advanced wrestlers also scatter a handful of salt to purify the ring and insure him from injuries.
Ceremony to introduce the more advanced wrestlers.
In sumo there are no weights limits (like boxing or western wrestling), so some times a wrestler is pitted against an opponent twice his size. Notice the little guy in purple on the left, and jumbo in red on the right.
Here is the video of how the "bout" went down. I love how the crowd is laughing at the results!! (You must go directly to the blog to view it.)
In addition, to the referee (in colorful kimono) inside the ring, there are 5 judges (in formal black kimonos) who sit outside the ring. These 5 men can discuss a referee's decision and over-rule the referee as in this instance.
Kerri enjoys ice cream where ever she goes in Japan.
The guy behind her was quite a character. He loved shouting like a maniac for his favorite players, and struggling through conversation with the 2 foreign girls in front of him.
This "bout" is brought to you by McDonald's... I'm lovin' it!!
Who needs commercials when you can just have guys walk around the ring holding banners?
One more video of a wrestling "bout". You will see it is a civilized event. A winner is determined immediately, then the pair return to the ring and bow to each other, and finally the winner is congratulated by the referee. (You can hear our crazy loud neighbor in the background!! Don't forget to go directly to the blog to view it.)
Kerri and Tarynn kneeling in the their sumo box. We attracted a lot of attention from the people sitting around us and well as those walking by. Everyone loves a gaijin (foreigner) in traditional Japanese clothing!
I saved the best pic for last... LOL.
In case you are wondering, the wrestlers are naked except for their loincloth called mawashi. Each mawashi is made of silk and is 33 feet long and 2 feet wide. It is folded 6 times, and then wrapped around the wrestler, usually 4 to 6 times depending on his girth.
