Sumo is big in Japan

Sumo tournament, Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo

I’ve always wondered how much muscle those sumo guys have underneath their fat. They’re big chaps, no doubt, but they’re also so strong.

I never realised how strong until I saw them in action up close. It doesn’t take much for them to take a competitor down. And keep in mind that competitor probably weighs about 150 kilograms.

Once a year at Tokyo’s famous Yasukuni Shrine a ceremonial sumo tournament is held. It’s one of the highlights of the sport’s calendar and it’s a chance for the best in Japan (and around the world) to compete with each other.

The sumo wrestlers drink from a ladle of water, clap their hands, and throw some salt over the clay ring.

Facing off against their opponents they do a threatening stretch, crouched down they raise first one leg high into the air and then the other.

They stare at each still and focused, waiting for the match to start. And then it’s on.

Rushing towards each other they crash together, that muscle even more important than the fat. Like two large beasts of burden they lock into each other and strain to force the other out of the ring or on to the ground.

It doesn’t take long – normally less than a minute – and one emerges victorious from the battle.

Of course, being Japan, the bout in the ring is the climax of many ceremonial obligations and it’s fascinating to see the prayers, the singing, the parades and the drumming that comes before the final showdowns.

It’s a centuries old sport that has kept its traditions and rejected many of the commercial lures of other international sports. That’s not to say the top sumo wrestlers don’t get well paid and there aren’t sponsorship deals to go along with it, but there’s a purity that the sport is keen to preserve.

It’s fascinating to see the sport in an environment like this.

The large official tournaments don’t have the same kind of intimacy as the venue here at the Yasukuni Shrine, surrounded by the pink spring cherry blossoms. The crowd sits outside in the sun and can easily get autographs in the corner from their favourite sumo wrestlers.

I think the best way to help you appreciate the event is to share some of the pictures I took there. I hope you enjoy this special photo essay.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT TOKYO?

Here are some of my top stories about Tokyo:

• The perfect 3 day Tokyo itinerary
• The best things to do in Tokyo at night
• Visiting the most important shrine in Tokyo
• How to see the famous Tokyo fish markets
• Why the war memorial presents a different history
• This is Tokyo’s only World Heritage Site
• Play with some cats at one of the original cat cafes
• Or, for something different, visit an owl cafe
• The strange museum of parasites in Tokyo
• How to experience an earthquake in Japan

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a tour in Japan, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours in Japan.

You could consider:

• Japan Express (9 days)
• Backroads of Japan (11 days)
• Discover Japan (14 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you use World Nomads for your trip.