Sumo -Japanese traditional wrestling-

Dear my friend,

 

How are things with you? It's very cold here in winter.

If I remember right, you want to enjoy sport in my country, Japan. I recommend Japanese traditional wrestling “Sumo” as the sport you should see in Japan. In strained silence, wrestlers, called “Rikishi”, bump into one another with ripping through it, and in most cases, the match settles in a moment. I think this is a very entertaining sport that you will enjoy.

Sumo is Japan’s national sport. It has been practiced as a part of the Shinto ritual since olden times. Once you look at Sumo, you’ll realize it's more than a sport. If you want to see Sumo live, you should go to arenas during the period of the grand sumo tournament in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka. Especially, three tournaments take place Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena (Tokyo) in a year. You can buy tickets over the Internet or at the wicket of the arena. However, the tickets of the final day always get sold out immediately.

A lot of wrestlers go in for the tournament. My favorite wrestler is Hisashi Mitakeumi. He was born in Agematsu town, Nagano prefecture, so he is massively popular in Nagano.

I hope to see Sumo with you when next time we meet!

Best wishes,

Azumi Yanagida