-the national flag of Japan is on of the most simple but famous in the world. Not unlike that of Bangladesh (red disc on green) and Palau (yellow disc on blue) as it happens - here it hangs proudly above the main sumo arena in Tokyo’s main sumo stadium during a recent tournament. As it happens, a Bulgarian won, becoming the first ever European champion according to the J-media.

quintessentially Japanese but attracting global interest

Originally said to have been performed as a test of strength between two mythical gods, Takeminakata and Takemikazuchi, in order to determine the outcome of an early Japanese leadership struggle (Takemikazuchi prevailing) the sport most often associated with the Japanese of old is back in town this month for the latest honbasho (Grand Sumo Tournament).

Scheduled to take place between May 11th and 25th, the sumo of the early 21st century is much changed and to some extent unrecognizable in part from the early days of fights to the death inside square rings made of rice bales held oftentimes under Imperial patronage; over the centuries many Japanese emperors were said to have been fans of sumo, and the Showa Emperor, father of the current emperor, was himself buried with a list of famous yokozuna grand champions in his casket.

His son, the Heisei emperor is a big fan and of late, the daughter of the current Crown Prince and Princess, has herself been seen cheering on the rikishi (wrestlers) at the Ryogoku Kokugikansumo stadium - and she is just out of kindergarten!)

By the late 18th century, sumo existed in similar form to that displayed today with organized tournaments, a ranking system printed on distributed sheets known as banzuke and with many of the finishing techniques used by the current crop of sumo stars becoming standard.
Another contribution of sorts added during the Edo-era (1603-1867) saw rules of subservience to local lords serve to establish the heya (sumo stable) system that remains in force to this day.

Stables have always acted as bases, homes, training centers and all things in between for young wrestlers who join in their mid to late teens or once they have graduated from a university where they belonged to the sumo club. Once in a heya the only way out is through retirement as there is officially no such thing as re-admittance once a rikishi departs the sport. Professional sumo carries no second chances - it is an all or nothing lifestyle lived 24/7. Changing stables / transfers never happen(s) bar for when a new stable is born of an existing facility and rikishi may move with the man who initially brought them into the sport.

Sumo truly is a way of life and there is no more obvious sign of that lifestyle than the ‘mage’ hairstyle the rikishi must grow and wear as they climb the ranks to possible fame and fortune.

The mage (topknot) comes in two forms - the standard chonmage which sees long hair laid on top of the head pointing forwards in similar form to the samurai of old. This is the standard appearance of all lower ranked rikishi and the higher ranked rikishi when not fighting or during practice bouts. The second type of mage is reserved for sekitori alone; the salaried wrestlers in the top two divisions, who, along with financial rewards for their efforts are entitled to wear their hair in the oicho-mage form, similar in shape to ginkgo leaves, but only for tournament bouts.

Today, the opportunity to see these cultural ambassadors in action up close, or even trying sumo yourself at amateur clubs has never been easier. 」

For those in Japan, sumo is part and parcel of everyday life featuring on news shows and TV commercials, and complemented by six honbasho each year - one honbasho running for a period of fifteen consecutive days. Tokyo, Osaka, Tokyo again, Nagoya, Tokyo once more, and then Fukuoka the locations for the honbasho.

Tickets to see a day’s action are not as expensive as many would have you believe and the 400 or so tickets sold on the day cost just 2100 yen apiece. That said, the masu-seki box seats (four cushions in a box in traditional Japanese style - on the floor) can be pricey at approximately 45,000 yen each per day but when divided by four….and considering the action runs from 9am to 6pm……

Today, most Japanese ticket agencies sell the tickets as do thousands of convenience stores around the nation putting access to sumo well within reach of the man in the street.

Away from the professional game, sumo is becoming increasingly popular with children in Japan as more and more clubs spring up and with both children and adults across the globe where 85 nations are now said to have sumo associations although the level of activity in different countries varies greatly. Clubs in Japanese neighborhoods target the next generation of rikishi as sumo in schools is banned below high school, (sumo was seen as to closely connected to State Shinto following WWII) and can only be considered in after school clubs – post 4.00 p.m. when school is considered to be over for the day.

Seasonal tournaments and sometimes visits from professionals all serve to keep domestic interest levels high, and overseas the interest has never been greater thanks in large part to the 20-year American-era of former ozeki Konishiki and the now retired yokozuna grand champion pair of Akebono and Musashimaru, as well as a host of Eastern Europeans, Russians and Mongolians in more recent years – including the two current grand champions; Hakuho and Asashoryu – both Mongolians.

Get along to a honbasho, support your fellow Russian / Mongolian / Japanese etc. and just sit back and enjoy the culmination of thousands of years of culture – packed into a day of action atop the simple earthen dohyo at the heart of the action. You will not regret it.

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In a recent interview with TE’s guest interviewer, Enatsu Watanabe(EW), Wakanoho as he is commonly known let us in on his first impressions of Japanese food, his sumo ‘team’ and how he would deal with TE Editor, Mark Buckton were they to meet on the dohyo.

EW: Wakanoho-zeki, how do you feel about you rapid rise to the upper echelons of sumo despite being so young?

WT: I’m very relieved that I’ve been able to get to this level while being so young. Being young it is easy to remember the things I have learnt so far, but if I had started sumo when I was a child, I’d have risen faster.

EW: Did you ever think you’d have reached the makunouchi (top) division so quickly?

WT: No, but I really wanted to fight the best rikishi (wrestlers) in sumo so I am glad to be able to do so now.

EW: What has been your best memory since coming to Japan and starting in sumo?

WT: (laughs) Everything was, is a first for me – meeting the best rikishi in the sport, the grand champions etc. Even losing (bouts) is enjoyable

EW: Any bad memories of life in sumo or Japan so far?

WT: Nothing really bad, but I do have a bit of a bad back recently.

EW: Yourself, Roho and Hakurozan (Russian brothers also competing in sumo) have all successfully reached the top division in professional sumo, but do you think your success is leading to an increase in interest in the sport back in Russia?

WT: No, no-one really knows sumo in Russia yet. There are many fans, but not many people actually doing sumo as a sport. So far, a Russian (Roho) has made the rank of komusubi so it isn’t so high. If we can take sumo on tour to Russia, that will really help, and it will definitely become more popular.

EW: Speaking of Russia, do you often have the chance to visit?

WT: I have been recently, but my family laughs at my hair now and says I look like a girl. Fortunately I have a few Russian friends here so I feel good (in Japan).

EW: Have your family had the chance to come here, to visit you in Tokyo?

WT: My father has been before and my mother will come this month – after the tournament.

EW: Where will you take her?

WT: I think we’ll go to Disneyland and to Tokyo Dome’s Korakuen entertainment area.

EW: Will you take her to a baseball game at Tokyo Dome?

WT: (laughs) No, I think baseball is boring.

EW: Back to sumo. How do you feel just before a fight, especially a big fight with someone like the yokozuna?

WT: I feel good, but I am always thinking of how to win. With the yokozuna it is different; Compared to fights against other rikishi, there is a different sense before going against the yokozuna.
photo: Mark A Buckton

EW: Can you hear your own fans cheering for you?

WT: Yes, I can hear them but sometimes I hear nothing as I am so focused. At other times I can hear people shouting Wakaaaaaaannooooooooohooooooo. At first I used to look around but when I did my sumo was affected and wasn’t so good so now I try not to look around.

EW: Do you have any contact with the fans?

WT: I know a Japanese lady who often attends. She has many pictures of the Russian rikishi and comes to see (us) as lot.

EW: What do you like to do in your free time?

WT: I am now learning piano again – I used to play when a boy - but it is hard with such big fingers. It’s hard to push one key at a time.

EW: When you first came to Japan, how did you feel about Japanese food?

WT: Disgusting! At first I ate only yakiniku with the other Russian rikishi but later when I tried other (types of) Japanese food I didn’t like it – yakiniku was / is best.

EW: How about now?

WT: Nowadays I like yakiniku, sushi and Chanko (an all in one pot dish often eaten by rikishi)

EW: Not limited to Japanese food, but what is your favorite food and drink?

WT: I love my grandmother’s food in Russia – lots of meat. Also, I love Coca Cola. I remember the first time I went to a foreign country and took a can back to my home. The next day I went to school and opened it in front of my friends. They were all so surprised at such a delicious drink.

EW: Who are your closest friends in sumo?

WT: Roho, Hakurozan, Kokkai (from Georgia). They are like my team. We always practice and eat together. Of the newer guys, I am also close to Aran (Russia), Tochinoshin (Georgia) and Baruto (Estonia).

EW: What language do you all use?

WT: Russian mainly with a little Japanese mixed in as sometimes Japanese terms and phrases are easier and better match a situation than Russian. I did study English at school in Russia, but have forgotten it all.

EW: Does friendship go out of the window when on the dohyo?

WT: Well, sumo is fun so winning and losing is not a big issue – with regards to going against my friends.

EW: Do you like watching other sports in Japan?

WT: I like judo and wrestling, and supporting a Russian wrestling friend in his Olympic bid.

EW: What is your favorite part of Tokyo?

WT: (opens arms) Here. Ryogoku. I love my local area. When I come back from other tournaments I always like coming back here. This is my home. Korakuen too, near Tokyo Dome. I like the roller coasters there.

EW: Are you ‘small’ enough to fit in the roller coaster seat? (Wakanoho is 195cm and 165 kg)

WT: (laughs) Nah, I have to squeeze myself into the chair.

EW: Are you recognized when you go out?

WT: Not as Wakanoho. As a rikishi I am recognized and people point and stare. I’m not so famous yet. Not like (grand champions) Asashoryu and Hakuho or (Mongolian rikishi) Ama.

EW: On the subject of popularity – and your own with the ladies - any girlfriend out there?

WT: (grinning) Not yet, but I am searching. I am always searching – everywhere!

EW: Do you see sumo as a job or a lifestyle?

WT: It’s not really a job. It is something I like doing. At first it was a job but now I love it.

EW: Last one then, imagine you, at 195cm and 165kg were to be on the dohyo and about to go against Mark (Buckton) – the 168cm / 75kg Editor of Tokyo Explorer, what technique would you try and use?

WT: (laughs). I’d keep my eye on him. It is difficult to fight smaller rikishi and I often lose as they move about so quickly. (laughs again) Yeah, I’d keep my eye on him and move forward slowly!