Let's Enjoy Sumo Together!

Saturday, January 8th found me, Matt and our friend Sean (who was visiting us for 9 days) at the entrance to the Sumo arena in Tokyo. We purchased cheap “day-of” tickets and were ecstatic to be a part of the day’s competition. The stadium, small and intimate—with the first floor littered with small “box seats” comprised of tatami mats, low tables, and burgundy pillows and the second tier with regular stadium seating—was not yet alive with the hundreds of spectators cheering on their favorite wrestlers. A large, wooden roof-like structure canopied the clay ring, where amateur wrestlers were currently having their bouts.

We decided to take a few pictures of these “big” guys and then find a good seat (since our tickets were unreserved seating in the top-most row of the arena). Before finding a seat, however, we asked one wrestler to pose for a picture. Matt thinks (and I would have to concur) that Sean and I look slightly terrified to be standing next to such an iconic Japanese figure (though the wrestler was, in all honesty, a very pleasant man). Finding a seat, and leaving our jackets there to hold our place, we ventured down to the souveneir shop to peruse the “sumo” trinkets. Each of us bought a deck of “sumo” cards and Sean got a few other things for his family members. Then, feeling the pangs of hunger slowly creeping into our stomachs, we got popcorn, soda and other refreshments and then climbed the steep steps back up to our tiny seats, where we awaited the grand festivities.

Watching the actual (televised) competition was amazing! Everything is so ritualistic (as is to be expected from a Japanese sport) and the crowds were so into the action. The ceremony preceding the competition (where all the sumos who will compete come out in their decorative skirts and do the opening ritual) was amazing—the colors and demeanors of the wrestlers were so astonishing and regal. The lower division went first and then it was time for the top division and the “big guns.” Kotooshu, a wrestler from Bulgaria, was most certainly a crowd favorite, as was the Mongolian Asasyoryu, who holds the title of the Yokozuma (the highest rank for a sumo wrestler). His opening ritual was beautiful and poetic, which may seem ironic for the fact that he weighs a whopping 148 kilograms (about 326 pounds).

Matt, Sean and I found ourselves cheering for certain players, tallying who defeated who, and trying to bet who would win each match. Though we were at the stadium for around 6-7 hours, the action captivated us and the time we spent watching sumo felt astronomically less than the reality. After the final bout, we watched the bow dance, performed by a lower sumo, snapped a few photos, and then joined the masses leaving the stadium.

We spent a good deal of time, waiting in line for the trains, but it was incredibly worth it! If anyone were to come to Japan during sumo season, I would highly recommend that they go and be a part of that magnificent sport and atmosphere. There are definitely times when I forget that I am in a foreign country—times when Japan just seems like any other place I have lived in—but on that Saturday, sitting in the sumo stadium, listening to the chants and yells from excited fans, I knew I was not in Wisconsin any longer—and I was excited about that.