For one week, a nook of London has been remodeled right into a pocket of historical Japan, with dozens of sumo wrestlers descending on the town in a uncommon foray outdoors the game’s homeland.
The Royal Albert Hall, world-renowned as a live performance venue, is housing an genuine soil-and-sand dohyo, or wrestling ring, and a hanging roof harking back to a Shinto shrine.
Thousands of followers packed the venue in west London for the opening night time of the five-day Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday that includes 40 rikishi, together with megastars Onosato and Hoshoryu.
It is the primary time the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) has staged an occasion outdoors Japan since 2013, when the wrestlers competed in Jakarta — and marks a return to London after a 34-year absence.
“I want to show people the good things about sumo,” mentioned Ukrainian wrestler Aonishiki, who received his opening bout.
“You only usually see sumo in Japan, so there aren’t any people walking around Europe with topknots and kimonos. I hope it will be a good chance to interact with people.”
Reinforced bogs
The cavernous Royal Albert Hall has needed to make vital changes to cater for the wrestlers, bringing in new chairs able to bearing 200 kilograms in weight and putting in strengthened bogs.
Vast portions of rice have been eaten every day by the rivals, with organisers revealing that their wholesaler had run out of noodles.
The rikishi themselves have made fairly a splash, posing for photos in entrance of Buckingham Palace of their conventional gown and travelling across the metropolis by bicycle.
They even recreated the long-lasting picture of the Beatles on Abbey Road.
But on Wednesday it was time to get severe at an occasion that mixes explosive motion with ceremonial splendour, reflecting the traditional roots of sumo.
Thousands of followers packed into the 5,000-capacity Royal Albert Hall got a crash course within the sport and there was radio commentary in English, explaining methods to inform a yorikiri transfer from a tsukidashi.
It shouldn’t be for the faint-hearted — followers on ground cushions had been warned by organisers they could possibly be squashed by wrestlers thrown from the ring — although there have been no mishaps on an electrical opening night time.
Plenty of spectators clearly knew what they had been watching, even with no serving to hand, cheering for his or her favorite rikishi.
The stars in London are undoubtedly Hoshoryu and Onosato, two males who’ve achieved the very best rank of yokozuna — a uncommon accolade within the sport.
Hoshoryu, a Mongolian wrestler, overpowered Japan’s Hakuoho within the penultimate bout of the night time earlier than Japan’s Onosato, who suggestions the scales at a mind-boggling 191 kilograms, obtained the higher of compatriot Ura.
Sumo chiefs have made an effort to achieve out to overseas followers in recent times, in 2022 launching the Sumo Prime Time YouTube channel, which has 92,000 subscribers.
The sumo-themed drama sequence “Sanctuary” was launched on Netflix in 2023.
But they’ll hope connecting instantly with followers abroad — with one other match deliberate for Paris subsequent yr — could be a game-changer.
Reigning British champion Mandeep Singh Kundi was star-struck as he met the rikishi outdoors the Royal Albert Hall, saying the affect of their journey was “beyond words”.
“I’m a sumo fan first and foremost as is my family, but then I’m also a British sumo wrestler, at 44 years young,” he advised AFP.
“I think for too long sumo has been a secret. It carries an allure and we are trying to make it more accessible to people across the UK.”
Sumo superfan Andras Czetenyi, learning for a doctorate in Budapest, is in London for all 5 days of the match.
Czetenyi, 27, fell in love with the game whereas learning in Japan.
“The teacher that was teaching Japanese to the foreign researchers, she recommended it because she was a big sumo fan,” he mentioned.
“I got to see one tournament in Japan and am in London for a week to watch this tournament. I’m very excited.”
London-based Japanese waitress Hiromi Izutani, 32, couldn’t imagine her luck.
“I have a friend who is a sumo I’ve come to support,” she mentioned. “It’s a miracle that the show is happening while I’m living in London.”
Originally revealed on France24