As previously mentioned, another reason to travel over to Nagasaki was to go and see the Sumo Wrestling.
We bought our tickets in England as soon as they were released about 8 months ago. As promised, our tickets were waiting for us at our hotel when we arrived. We travelled two hours to the city of Fukuoka to watch the tournament that everyone over the age of 40 appeared to be glued to on both TV and the newspapers.
Waiting the arrival of the Sumo Wrestlers
Sumo wrestlers are a lot like geishas, in as much that both their professions occupy all aspects of their lives. They have to live by rules that dictate their daily routines and decorum in and out of their sumo stables. As far as clothing is concerned, they are required to dress traditionally whenever seen in public. Interestingly, the specifics of how they are dressed is determined by their rank. For instance, lower ranked wrestlers only get to wear Yukatas even in winter. Sumo is a sport steeped in history and is still closely associated with its Shinto principles.
Inside, around the sacred arena, everyone sits on tatami mats or raised cushions in marked bays. Everyone takes food, beer and a few banners to hold. This is a long day and everyone takes supplies into the arena with them.
Oh my goodness how the ladies love the Sumo. In and out of the stadium, they were shouting, clapping, cheering and waving their banners. They queued behind the restriction tape desperate to get a photo of their favourites sumos. The men took a quieter approach and drank lots of beer.
Crowd control.
Unfortunate losers has to leave early.
Sumos are banned, by the Sumo Association, from driving their own cars.
Our day at Sumo was fascinating and very entertaining. It is potentially a sport with an uncertain future, as the harsh lifestyle makes it more and more difficult to attract new recruits.
So it’s farewell to Nagasaki. We are off to Hiroshima next.