Tokyo

Sumo Wrestling at Ryoguku Kokugikan

Public practice session before Grand Sumo Tournament

Cathy Cawood May 17, 2015 - 1 min read

<p>You can see the salt thrown on the sand in the sumo ring</p>

<p>A braced sumo wrestler is pushed across the ring by another wrestler</p>

<p>Inside Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo stadium</p>

<p>Sumo wrestler Ichinojo watches the ring</p>

<p>Is this sumo wrestler stretching or praying?  </p>

<p>Taped joints bear witness to the physical stress of sumo</p>

<p>The loincloths of sumo wrestlers can be used as 'handles'</p>

<p>One of the murals decorating Ryoguku Kokugikan</p>

<p>The banners bear the names of sumo wrestlers</p>

Before the Grand Sumo Tournament started on May 10th, a public practice session was held at the tournament venue, Ryogoku Kokugikan near Ueno.

Entrance was free, and people waited four abreast in a long queue to get into the hall at 7am. First up were the lower level wrestlers in black fundoshi (loincloths), then the high level wrestlers in light colored fundoshi took the ring.

The climax of the morning was seeing two Yokuzuna (wrestlers of the highest rank). It was my first time to watch sumo, and I think the power of these massive wrestlers clashing makes sumo a very exciting spectator experience!

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Find out more about Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Cathy Cawood @cathy.cawood

I came to Japan in 2003 to teach English. I lived in Shiga prefecture for 1 year, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I lived in Kyoto for 9 years, then moved to Machida, Tokyo in 2014 after meeting my Japanese partner. I love to take photos, and my Japan in Pictures Facebook page ha...