Watching Sumo in Japan

Jonah and the Wrestler

When my son Jonah was just a baby, we took him to Odawara Arena.On that day they had a one day sumo tournament. To my disappointment the only foreign wrestler was Yamato. However it was fun nonetheless.

To have your baby held by a real sumo wrestler is an honor, and is supposed to bestow upon the little one, good luck and good health. It being more than just a sport this makes sense, as it is a kind of Shinto religious ritual. My son was held very carefully by a very large Japanese wrestler.He didn`t cry (my son) not the wrestler.

If you get a chance to see sumo, I recommend it. Some of the wrestlers are massive, and there are so many techniques that they use. There is a lot more going on than you might first think!

Kevin Burns

To Japan Cheapo