Japan is a country with a very rich and varied culture, proof of this is the amount of images that come to mind if we think of “the most characteristic of Japan”. Personally, I very much remember the colorful dragons, the landscapes with green meadows and snow-capped mountains, a full buffet of rice-based dishes, and speaking of food, the fighters of sumo. And that is precisely what I am going to talk about today.
Contents
- 1 What is sumo?
- 2 On the life of sumo
- 3 Where to watch sumo fights?
What is sumo?
Sumo is a Japan traditional sport in which two fighters, called rikishi, they face inside a circular ring called dOh me. The winner of the fight is the one who manages to remove his opponent from this circle or knock down his opponent inside the ring.
One of the greatest attractions of sumo is that many traditions of Japan are preserved in it, many of them have remained for centuries and continue through the practice of sumo. Therefore sumo is not “just a fight” but a traditional ceremony in Japan.
Same as him football or the soccer, there is a peak event within sumo in which the best fighters meet, it is about the honbasho. These events originated in 1958 and today 6 of them are held a year, each of them lasting 15 days.
On the life of sumo
Sumo wrestlers lead a strict life following the rules established by the Sumo Association in JapanIt is worth mentioning that Japan is the only country where the sport is practiced professionally. Sumos often live in places dedicated to their training.
The rules of sumos are very extensive and indicate from a diet, the way of exercising and even the way in which they should dress both in combat and outside of it.
Where to watch sumo fights?
If you go to Japan, you cannot miss the opportunity to witness a sumo event, and for this you have to know well where you can go. The ideal in any case is to go to the honbasho that we mentioned previously since these tend to be the fights that most closely handle the traditions of this sport.
The fighting calendars are already planned for the next two years and you can check them at this page. Most of these events take place within the Tokyo and Osaka neighborhoods, so if you plan your trip in advance you will have time to purchase your tickets and witness one of these unique events in the world.
