DAVID SHARABANI (LORD K2)
is a London-born artist who started
out as a street artist before he began
documenting graffiti scenes in
Santiago, Buenos Aires and Tokyo.
He is currently editing his book on
sumo in Japan. http://www.lordk2.comSOPHIE IBBOTSON is an entrepreneur,
writer, and explorer with a passion
for Asia. With her company Maximum
Exposure (www.maximumexposure.
co) she has worked in more than
50 countries.Hiroshima, and you can opt for a
traditional box seat (where you’ll sit
on cushions), or for a western-style
seat on the balcony.
Matches begin at 8.30 in the
morning, with the lower-ranked
wrestlers competing first. The
ranking of the wrestlers, and the
number of celebrity wrestlers,
increases throughout the day, and
the atmosphere in the stadium
also livens up as more and more
spectators arrive to watch. The ring
entering ceremonies, which take
place between each division, are just
as interesting as the bouts of sumo
themselves. As the stakes are high
- prize money can reach in excess
of USD 95,000 for the winner of the
highest division, and judges award
special cash prizes, too – you’ll
feel the tension mounting as the
tournament progresses.
Many of the wrestlers competing
are not actually Japanese. Foreigners
have been permitted to compete in
sumo tournaments since the 1960s,
and the Mongolians, in particular, give
the locals a run for their money: 56
of the 58 tournaments held between
2006 and 2016 were won by Mongolian
wrestlers. Three Mongolians, Hakuhō
Shō, Harumafuji Kōhei, and Kakuryū
Rikisaburō – to give them their sumo
shikona – are currently active in
tournaments and have reached the
highest possible rank of yokozuna.
The sumo wrestler may be a social
stereotype typically associated with
Japan, but the traditions of sumo are
deeply embedded in Japanese culture,
and celebrated and enjoyed by Japanese
fans. Experiencing a tournament will
undoubtedly be one of the highlights of
your visit to the country, so be sure to add
it to your bucket list. AGPT op lEfT Children
compete at an event
at the Zama school.
Children are categorised
by age, not by weight
lEfT Girls train at the
Tachikawa stable. They
are not permitted to have
careers in sumo, nor are
they allowed to step into
a professional dohyō
AbovE Wrestlers
converse outside the Kise
Stable in Ryogkoku49