Their interest piqued during COVID-19 lockdowns and by a new Netflix drama, a fresh rush of foreign tourists are flocking to Japan for a look inside the insular world of sumo.
Japan’s national sport — hundreds of years old and steeped in tradition — has long been a source of fascination outside the country, but those in the industry say interest has spiked in recent years, with some making the most of the new attention.
At a recent lunchtime “performance,” two imposing sumo practitioners strutted their stuff in a Tokyo restaurant full of cheering tourists.
Photo: AFP
Afterward, the spectators took selfies with the hulking athletes and donned padded sumo costumes and wigs to try their hand at the ancient art in a bout against retired professionals.
“The kids had a blast. I had a blast getting up there and fighting with them,” said Kiernan Riley, 42, from Arizona. “They put on a good show. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip.”
Tickets for the thrice-weekly event, which includes commentary in English and a slap-up meal, go for ¥11,000 (US$75.91) each and were sold out for the following six weeks.
One of the stars is former top professional wrestler Takayuki Sakuma, aka Jokoryu, who stands 1.87m tall and weighed 170kg at his peak.
“When you’re a professional, your life depends on sumo,” the now-retired 35-year-old said. “And it’s not to be taken lightly.”
“But to entertain people, we add humor. The most important thing is to make people appreciate sumo as culture,” he said.
Former amateur sumo wrestler John Gunning, who competed for his native Ireland and commentates — in English — on Japanese television, said there has been a “huge increase” in the sport’s popularity abroad over the past five to 10 years.
That popularity grew even more during COVID-19, when people stuck in lockdown explored new interests. The release this year of Sanctuary, a new Netflix series set in the world of sumo, also helped to introduce the sport to a new audience.
“I’m seeing a lot of people saying that that was their first exposure to sumo,” Gunning said.
The Japan Sumo Association last year also launched an English-language YouTube channel, “Sumo Prime Time,” whose videos rack up tens of thousands of views.
Ken Miller, 68, shows groups of American tourists the area of Ryogoku, a mecca for the sport, including the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena.
Each one pays several hundred dollars for the experience, and he said he is booked up for the next year.
Three times a year, in January, May and September, Kokugikan hosts the top stars of sumo in national tournaments in front of more than 10,000 cheering fans.
“I try to explain to them [the tourists] that sumo is not just a sport, it’s part of the culture, and it’s very much connected to Buddhism, Shinto,” Miller said. “It’s a way of life.”
Tourists have long been able to visit the hallowed interior of a “heya,” one of the traditional “stables” where sumo wrestlers live and train according to strict traditions.
Because of the growth in interest, many stables have banned individual visits and only allow group tours booked through an agency, guide Yuriko Kimura said.
“When we started sumo stable training tours, it was maybe held once or twice a week. People didn’t know about sumo, but then it surged around 2018-2019,” she said.
“I tell them that what is important is to show respect towards the stable and sumo wrestlers. If people from other countries know the dos and don’ts, they won’t do something wrong,” she added.
Inside, visitors must stay seated and quiet so as not to disturb the wrestlers while they train.
One stable, Arashio in central Tokyo, has a large bay window where dozens of people gather every day to watch the training sessions.
Yuka Suzuki, 61, the wife of the former master who installed the window, said that the original aim was to chip away at the reputation of sumo being “secretive.”
“But instead of locals, it’s people from all over the world who have started to come,” she said.
She added that she hoped that as a result, Japanese would start to rediscover their national sport, which she said was essential for its survival.
“Young wrestlers came into this world [of sumo] to test themselves, but if there are fewer and fewer Japanese people who feel that way, sumo wrestling will also disappear,” she said.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
With a quivering finger, England Subbuteo veteran Rudi Peterschinigg conceded the free-kick that sent his country’s World Cup quarter-final into extra-time before smashing his plastic goalkeeper on the floor in frustration. In the genteel southern English town of Tunbridge Wells, 300 elite players have gathered to play the game they love. “I won’t say this is the best weekend I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s certainly in the top two,” said Hughie Best, 58, who flew in from Perth, Australia, to compete and commentate at the event. Tunbridge Wells is the “spiritual home” of Subbuteo, which was invented there in 1946