The Joy of Sumo wrestling!
I went to Ryogoku Kokugikan( martial arts stadium)to watch a sumo tournament.
This tournament is held once a year and is open only to members of the Meiji Jingu Shrine.
The official tournament is held six times a year, and each tournament lasts 15 days.
But today’s tournament was held only today.
But there was a ring-entering ceremony just like in the official tournaments.
Also there are a fun sumo jinku song and a humorous show called “Shokkiri ,” which you cannot see in the regular tournaments.
Are you interested in sumo?
History of Sumo
The first sumo match is said to have been fought between two warriors in 23 BC.
Unlike today’s sumo, it is said that is a kind of mixed martial arts with kicks and blows.
The two warriors who fought at this time are enshrined as the ancestors of sumo at shrines throughout Japan.
Sumo has been practiced as a court event since the 7th century, and there is a record of it being used as a demonstration when foreign guests came to Japan.
In the 12th century, when the samurai period began, sumo was favored for its practical use on the battlefield, and tournaments were actively held.
From around the 18th century, sumo lost its practical warfare meaning because of the peaceful times that followed, and sumo became a form of entertainment.
Sumo wrestling today is a continuation of this form.
Sumo wrestlers have led the same kind of communal life since that time, a life that is quite different from ours today.
They practice intensely from 6:00 a.m. early in the morning, and when practice ends around 10:00 a.m.
Then they eat the largest meal of the day.
It is said that they eat five times as much as a normal person.
After that, they take a nap so that their body can grow bigger.
They also wear their hair in the traditional topnot style.
Sumo wrestlers are considered special, and young mothers believe that their babies will grow up healthy if they are held by a sumo wrestler.
If you come to Japan, why don’t you watch sumo, a traditional part of the culture?
I’m Nobu, one heart enjoy together !