Sumo! March 23rd

So what comes to mind when you hear the word Japan?
Sushi?
Robots?
Crazy gadgets?
Bowing incessantly?
Or maybe you think of one of it's oldest, very popular sport, Sumo?

Living in Japan, I had a sense of duty to see at least one sumo match before I left here. Some of my friends (who are leaving this year) felt the same way, so Saturday 23rd March saw us all meeting outside the Bodymaker Colluseum (yes, that's its actual name) in Osaka, ready to witness out first Sumo tournament.

The group who went

There are six Grand Tournaments a year, only one is held in Osaka. A tournament lasts for fifteen days and each of the sumo wrestlers fight once every day with a different opponent. The wrestler with the best record of wins over losses is awarded the Emperor's Cup on the final day after the last match.

Not wanting to spend too much money on something we weren't sure if we'd enjoy, we had opted to get tickets for the cheaper seats, and were pleasantly surprised with the view we got. We had seats fairly high up giving us a good view of the dohyo (the sumo stage/ring) in the middle of the gymnasium, and the best part was that we were in seats that faced the front of the dohyo so when the wrestlers fought, we were given a side-on view, and any action facing the front, we were given a perfect view of. So straight up, we were very happy with out experience.

The dohyo takes it name from the straw rice bag which mark out its different parts. The dohyo is 18 feet square and 2 feet high and is constructed of a special kind of clay. The hard surface is covered with a thin layer of sand. The wrestlers fight in a circle a little over 15 feet in diameter. Over the ring, suspended from the ceiling, is a roof resembling a Shinto shire with four giant tassels hanging from each corner to signify the seasons of the year. 

The dohyo surrounded by seats on all sides - great view!

4 different coloured tassels depicting the four seasons

We got to the stadium at three. Although the tournament had been going on since the morning, we decided to show up in time for the higher ranking wrestlers to really get a good show. This seemed to be the popular choice amongst many Japanese people too, as throughout the afternoon, the stands got busier and nearly every seat was filled to create a buzzing atmosphere by the time the last few fights were underway.

Quite a lot of spectators when we first arrive...

Even more at the end!

Lots of people and a great view!

 So there are currently around 800 professional sumo wrestlers (or rikishi), from trainees to the yokozuna at the top. After each Grand Tournament, the rikishi are either promoted, or demoted, depending on their performance in the tournament. The upper division rikishi are in the maku-uchi group. This group includes the 5 top ranks:
1. Yokozuna
2. Ozeki
3. Sekiwake
4. Komusubi
5. Maegashira
So I'm pretty sure turned up to watch the Yokozuna rikishi wrestle. If not, then certainly one of the higher ranks.
So here's an interesting fact for you. In the past three hundred years since the title was created, only 69 rikishi have been honoured with the title of Yokozuna. Once they achieve this rank, a rikishi can never be demoted, however if they perform badly in a tournament, they are expected to retire. (The whole Japanese honour comes into play here. Don't worry though, they're not forced to do hara kiri like the ninjas!)

After the lower rank matches had finished, the upper ranks came to the dohyo for the dohyo-iri (entering the ring) ceremony. Each of the wrestlers wear kesho-mawashi (ceremonial aprons) that are made from silk and which are beautifully decorated. These aprons can cost anywhere up to 500,000 yen, which is around £3,500, so they are incredibly expensive and this in turn shows their importance to upholding traditions and ceremony. All the wrestlers appear on stage wearing their aprons and perform a short ritual. It was really interesting to watch. It was also interesting to hear the crowd's reactions to the individual wrestlers. As they enter the dohyo, they are introduced, and sometimes wrestlers will get a huge reaction from the crowd - shouting their name and cheering. This made it easy for us to identify the more popular wrestlers (though only when they were wearing their apron, once that came off, I found it pretty hard to differentiate between all the athletes!).Then a final ceremony is performed by a single Yokozuna wearing a braided hemp rope ornamented in the front with strips of paper hanging in zigzag patterns - this rope is often seen hanging in Shinto shrines. Once this ceremony is over, then the matches can begin.

walking into the arena

Showing off their kesho-mawashi

The popular rikishi get shouts and large applause

Performing the short ritual

 

 

When fighting, the rikishi take off their ceremonial aprons and wear nothing but a silken loincloth called the mawashi. After entering the dohyo, the rikishi go through a series of symbolic movements. To cleanse his mind and body, he rinses his mouth with water and wipes his body with a paper towel. They also scatter handfuls of salt to purify the ring. They then squat and face each other supporting themselves with their fists. This is called the shikiri. This can happen as many times as the wrestlers want, as long as they keep within a 4 minute time frame. They do this to prepare themselves mentally for the quick fight ahead of them, as well as putting the spectators into a fit of excitement. It actually got a little infuriating to watch at times, but at least the time limit was there. in the past, this 'cold warfare' could go on indefinitely! When ready, the rikishi throw themselves at each other creating quite a formidable impact. A fight is won by forcing the opponent out of the inner circle or throwing him in the dohyo. To lose a match, the wrestler does not have to be pushed out or fall entirely, but if they touch the ground with any part of their body apart from their feet then they lose the match. Fights are usually over very quickly (within a minute for some we saw) but are usually very exciting to watch as a player who you think doesn't stand a chance may at the last minute perform a move to take out their opponent in the most unexpected way.

Lining up for the shikiri

It was really fun to watch (and make small predictions between us on how long a match will last, who will win, and will it be a walk out or a fall?), and we found ourselves cheering and clapping along with the biggest fans - it was impossible not to. There were times where something would happen in the dohyo that would make us cringe or hold onto various body parts as if we were impacted, but seeing the sumo wrestlers get up seemingly unhurt made it an enjoyable sense of feeling, rather than just painful to watch.

After all the matches there is a final ceremony, the bow dance (yumitori-shiki). This routine involves twirling a bow and was introduced during the Edo Period when a winning rikishi was awarded a prize of a bow. Good times.

performing the final yumitori-shiki

So that's that. After the ceremony the crowd immediately started exiting the arena so we took our leave as well. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the Sumo. I went this time because I feel it was something I had to do at least once whilst I'm in Japan, knocking it off my Japan bucket list. However, I enjoyed the day so much that I would be tempted to go to another tournament - this time trying to get tickets on the last day so I can see who the winner is and see the Emperor's Cup awarded.