Sumo-size it

Watching fat guys wrestle each other in thongs probably doesn't sound like your idea of a fun way to spend Thanksgiving, but it was the memorable way I spent mine. Every November, the Grand Sumo Tournament takes place for ten days in Fukuoka, a city two hours away from where I live. This is the third year I've gone- not because I love sumo that much, but because it is definitely one of those "only in Japan" experiences that are hard to pass up.

The first two years, I went with other foreign friends, but this year, I went with Takuya and his family. Somehow, going with Japanese people gave me a little bit different perspective of the sport. Surprisingly, most Japanese people have never been to watch a sumo wrestling match live. Most of them just watch it on TV.

Nevertheless, I was surprised to find out what a big fan of sumo Takuya (not a big guy, by any means) was. He knew all the wrestlers by name, so he was so excited to see them "in the flesh" (and there was a lot of it, might I add) for the first time. We got box seats and had a really good view, but the seating was pretty cramped. I shared the box (this is Japanese-style so we're talking about sitting on a cushion on the floor) with him and his sister. His parents shared a different box for two.

Sumo wrestling actually originated more than 1500 years ago, and as a religious kind of event. It is actually a highly respected and ceremonial sport... For example, when the wrestlers first clap their hands together, it is to summon the gods and show they are carrying no weapons. When they stomp the ground, one leg at a time, it is meant to drive away the evil from the sumo ring. They have four minutes to psyche themselves up, which they spend throwing salt, stomping away, and glaring at their opponent before they start to wrestle. Usually the wrestling bit is over in just a few seconds.

Sumo wrestlers have celebrity status in Japan, and there is BIG money to be made. A winner of one of the higher-stakes matches can bring home thousands of dollars in just those few seconds. Their aprons (shown here, which are worn before they wrestle) are made of silk and gold and usually cost around $5000 each.
Sumo used to only be open to Japanese only- but lately they have brought in wrestlers from abroad- namely from Eastern Europe, Russia, and Mongolia. The guy pictured in the life-size standing poster here with me is from Bulgaria and even has a yogurt named after him, "Bulgaria" (shown in Katakana on his apron- Japanese advertising!)

Sumo guys ARE fat- but they are also very strong. The interesting thing is that sumo wrestlers are not categorized by their weight like other kinds of wrestling- so they might easily be wrestling someone twice their size. Apparently their day goes something like this: train hard, eat a big meal, take a big nap, and do it all over again, only they only eat two huge meals a day. Memo to self: smaller meals, not to be followed by sleeping.

After all the "traditional" Japanese culture, I was glad I could get a little "American" culture in the day, too. After Sumo, I somehow talked Takuya's family into going to the Hard Rock Cafe where everything appeared to be "sumo-sized" (at least in Japan, where portions are pretty small.) So there I had my Thanksgiving feast. I didn't have turkey, but I at least had mashed potatoes and an awesome burger... no pumpkin pie, but a HUGE hot fudge sundae. I couldn't be with my own family for the holiday, but I could at least be with A family, and that was nice.