When You Wander

Sometimes I forget that I’m living in Japan. As I’m getting to know the in’s and out’s of Osaka, I find myself naturally building my routine. Work, grocery shopping and errands on my days off, hanging out with friends a few evenings each week. All of the things I’d do in the U.S., guess what, I do them here, too.

But then again, there are some things, like seeing people sing karaoke in the streets or walking passed oversized, brightly lit gaming arcades, where you can’t help but smile to yourself and think, only in Japan.

Sumo is one of those things.

 

The planner in me was prepared for purchasing tickets before they sold out, but nothing could have prepared me for the amount of sumo wrestlers I saw (and still see) casually around Osaka. Walking to the subway, sumo. Walking to the supermarket, sumo. Just today, walking to Starbucks to type out this blog, sumo-sumo-sumo. And still, every time, I can’t help but light up with excitement as I try not to stare as he (or they) walk by. BECAUSE SUMO. BECAUSE I’M IN JAPAN. And god, I just feel so cool in those moments. I get to live here. I get to see things, attend events, that are rooted so deeply to the Japanese culture, and they’re just so different to anything else I’ve ever witnessed. It’s crazy, but it’s not. It’s normal and it’s Japanese. I love it.

Now, about my sumo wrestling experience!

Every year, the Osaka sumo tournament, known as the Grand Sumo Tournament, takes place. This year it runs from March 13th – 27th. It is only a 15-minute walk from my house. I bought my ticket about a week in advance and nearly didn’t snag one before they were all sold out! Apparently, people will buy tickets a month in advance, that’s how invested people are here. I’ve also heard that this year was especially competitive for tickets, as there was a Japanese reigning champion sumo wrestler who was competing.

So luckily my friend, Naomi, and I were able to get our tickets online before they were sold out. If we had not got them in time online, there is still a chance to attend. Whichever day you want to attend, you must go to the tournament location (in this case, the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) and wait in line for a general admission ticket. There is no guarantee that there will be any remaining tickets, but if you get there early enough (some people line up starting at 6 a.m.) it seems like you have a good shot.

Now, once you have your tickets, they are good for the entire day. Fun Fact: You are allowed to bring your own food and drinks (alcohol included!) into the venue for free! You are also allowed to exit and reenter the tournament one time during the event. So awesome! The tournament starts around 8:40 a.m. and the wrestlers are divided into three divisions: lower division, second-division, and top-division.

The lower division goes from 8:40 a.m. until around 2 p.m. Naomi and I arrived around noon and found the gymnasium to be fairly empty during this time. It wasn’t until 1:30 p.m. that the venue seemed to fill up.

The second-division goes from 2 p.m. until around 3:45 p.m. By the time the second division had started, the gym was PACKED. Empty seats were few and far between.

 

The top-division goes from 3:45 p.m. until 6 p.m. This part was my favorite! For the most part, Japanese are quiet and reserved. Yet, sumo was a different story. It was so fun to see fans shouting and cheering for their favorite wrestlers! Being clueless on who to root for, Naomi and I relied on a cute, elderly woman sitting next to us to help us out. As her English was nearly nonexistent and our Japanese is even worse, we would motion to the left or right side of the wresting ring to find out who to root for.

How to describe watching sumo…

Well first of all, I was shocked to see that some of the competitors weren’t even fat! Maybe a naive assumption on my part, but I quickly learned that some countries train their wrestlers using different philosophies. (These strategies apparently involve less food intake than their Japanese counterparts).

Additionally, I was surprised by how short the matches lasted. A LONG match would be 30 seconds of fighting, if that. A short match, maybe five seconds. Crazy.

I also learned that unlike most sports, sumo wrestling is considered a way of live. Wrestlers are restricted to the ways of their stable, which involve strict rules for eating, training, and living. Wrestlers who are in the same stable will never face each other in a tournament UNLESS it is absolutely necessary. For example, if they are both in the championship match.

Here is my analysis of a sumo match.

Each match starts with the two wrestlers entering the ring and doing a combination of squats, thigh slapping, and leg stretches. Once they each feel ready to go, they will tap the floor. After that, they will have a few final seconds of preparation and then the match begins. In order to win, you either have to knock your opponent out of the ring or have your opponent fall down. Basically, if any part of your body (except your feet) touches the ground, you lose. And that’s it. There is no best of three rounds, no second chances. As soon as you are either pushed out of the ring or a fingernail touches the floor, you’re done for. All your hard work and training has either paid off or failed in a matter of seconds. Very intense when you think about it, right?

Watching sumo was an unforgettable experience. It is one of the few things I have done in Osaka that felt genuinely Japanese from start to end. I’m so glad I went and encourage anyone traveling to Japan to attend a match (if the timing is right). I know I will be back next March for round two! Until then, I will enjoy my many sightings of the wrestlers as I walk around town. And I may or may not continue to sneak photos of them as soon as they walk by. I should have a photo album entitled sumo wrestlers backs…. seriously.