Sumo

May 22, 2009
We went to see sumo today in Tokyo. The Brewers were nice and babysat Abigail. We went with two guys David works with Tom and George. Both of which translated what was going on for us. Here is a little bit of history and explanation of what was happening.
Sumo is the national sport of Japan. It is a match of two sumo wrestlers who wear only belly belts (mawashi) in the ring. Originally, sumo was used to measure the wrestlers strength or for dueling, but it is now a professional spectator sport.

The sumo ring is called the dohyo and takes its name from the straw rice bags 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 bout is confined to an inner circle a little over 15 feet in diameter. Over the dohyo suspended from the ceiling by cables is a roof resembling a Shinto shrine with four giant tassels hanging from each corner to signify the seasons of the year.

A bout is won by forcing the opponent out of the inner circle or throwing him in the dohyo. To lose the match it is not necessary to fall in the circle or to be pushed completely out. The rikishi who touches the ground with any part of his body, his knee or even the tip of his finger or his top-knot, loses the match. Or he need only put one toe or his heel over the straw bales marking the circle. Striking with fists, hair pulling, eye gouging, choking and kicking in the stomach or chest are prohibited. It is also against the rules to seize the part of the band covering the vital organs. As there are no weight limits as in boxing or western wrestling it is possible for a rikishi to find himself pitted against an opponent twice his own weight.

There are six Grand Tournaments a year, three are held in Tokyo, one in Osaka, Nagoya and Kyushu. A tournament lasts for fifteen days, each rikishi fighting once every day with a different opponent. The winner of the tournament, in other words the rikishi with the best record of wins over losses, is awarded the Emperor's Cup on the final day after the last match. The concluding rite of the day is the "bow dance".

There are several ceremonies this is a picture of one. The wrestlers enter the ring walk around and once all are there they raise their hands and face out. Then they leave the ring.

We ate lunch at a local restaurant that was owned by a sumo trainer. Most of the restaurants are owned and operated by sump trainers. We had traditional soup that the sumo wrestlers eat. It was okay but there were weird things in it. We stopped at McDonalds to get Dawson something to eat.

Dawson was so amazed when he saw the actual match. He really liked the fighting. But he reminded us several times that he can see their butts.

We had a great time. We had box seats which are on the lower level. It was nice but it was traditional Japanese style. We sat on thin pillows on the floor in a 4 foot by 4 foot square area. This would not be bad but we were four adults and one child in this space.
When the tournament was over it was late so we stopped and ate dinner. We ate at a place that you pick out and pay for your meal out of a vending machine. Dawson thought he would entertain by putting his spoon on his nose.