Sumo's foreign invasion
In March, sumo's big boys square
off in Osaka. Here's a rundown on sumo's foreign legion of rikishi
— and the names to remember.
THE PAST
For almost as long as the modern Japanese have called this archipelago
home, the local form of wrestling known as sumo has been performed
for both the entertainment of the gods as well as for the land's
mortals.
Steeped in history, dripping in legends and riddled
with myths, the sport of sumo today is undergoing a change in its
very nature; a change that is threatening to drag this unique version
of wrestling onto the global stage for all the world to enjoy. That
however, is a change that could well chip away at shaky foundations
on which the domestic game rests these days — and that sport
will this month be exhibiting its changes in the Kansai.
 Believed,
as one story goes, to have existed as far back as the time Shinto
god Takeminakata fought fellow god Takemikazuchi to determine an
early Japanese leadership battle, (Takemikazuchi prevailed laying
claim to the nation's 4,000 odd islands) sumo, in one form or other
has been around for the better part of two millennia. Until relatively
recently of course under the exclusive control of the local Japanese
rikishi (wrestlers).
Tanikaze, Raiden, Hitachiyama, Tochigiyama, and
a host of others that sumo buffs will happily lecture you on, once
reigned supreme, but these names belong very much to the past. Today
the faces have changed, the skin colors too. Different nationalities
abound and despite all the opportunity for increasing the international
following of the sport, seeing such variety on the dohyo (ring)
still causes a certain amount of worry on the part of sumo's more
conservative fans.
THE HIDDEN
The sport is now suffering a sense of crisis because there is currently
no Japanese yokozuna (top ranking wrestler). However, the sport
was never as purely Japanese as historians would have you believe.
Four of the 68 yokozuna appointed to date have
been reported as having Korean blood, and the sport's greatest ever
yokozuna, Taiho had a Ukrainian father. That said, it wasn't until
the late 80s and early 90s that sumo started to feel less domestically
exclusive and more internationally interesting. Long after Rikidozan,
the famed sekiwake (of the third level of the champions ranks) of
the 1950s, proved extre-mely popular for the 'square ring' wrestling
beatings he handed out to American pro wrestling visitors (having
left the sumo world in the belief that his true North Korean nationality
would be an obstacle to advance-ment) Japan is starting to fall
under the spell of the second foreign invasion as the late 20th
Century American era has now died a death.
THE PRESENT
With this passing though, the international floodgates are opening.
There are around 60 foreign wrestlers working their way up the ranks
at the moment. Asashoryu, the 68th Yokozuna is Mongolian and has
all but dominated the sport in the past two years by claiming 10
tournament titles. Around six other Mongolian sekitori (salaried
rikishi in the senior two divisions) feature on the banzuke ranking
sheet at present and a further thirty or so are doing their best
to climb through the six divisions to compete at the very top.
A pair of Russian brothers in the formidable shapes
of Roho (recruited into the former yokozuna Taiho's stable) and
Hakurozan have performed consistently enough to see both enter the
sekitori ranks in under three. What is more, eastern Europe is further
represented with a popular two-meter plus Bulgarian named Kotooshu,
known equally for his good looks as for his sumo, and a never-say-die
Georgian, Kokkai (named after the Black Sea that borders his homeland).
The pair now find themselves in the upper echelons of makunouchi
(top division of sumo ranks) and don't look ready to leave any time
soon.
THE FUTURE
An Estonian giant — the 197cm, 157kg Baruto (from Baltic)
aged just 19 and fighting out of the Mihogaseki stable, recently
went 6-1 in the upper sandanme (fourth) division and looks set on
competing as a sekitori by year's end. Brazilian Takaazuma is climbing
fast. Chinese Nakanokuni recently took a sandanme division title
and Hungarian teenager Matsutooh is taking his first steps in the
jonokuchi (sixth and lowest) division in March. Yet it is to Mongolia
we must look to see the next likely yokozuna. The individual in
question is the 19-year-old native of Ulan Bator who turns 20 just
two days prior the Haru Basho (tournament) in Osaka and uses the
fighting name (shikona) of Hakuho.
The rise of this White Phoenix-cum-wonder boy,
has been meteoric. He rose to the third highest rank of sekiwake
after just five basho in the top makunouchi division, an achievement
comparable to the record of the legendary Taiho at the same point
in his own career. Hakuho is also the man who made a mockery of
yokozuna Asashoryu in November 2004 with a convincing okuridashi
(rear push out) win as well as being the komusubi (sumo's fourth
highest rank) who finished his first sanyaku (upper ranks) tournament
with an 11-4 record — not bad in a rank nicknamed the 'meatgrinder'.
Hakuho seems to have already secured a position
for himself and his rivalry with Asashoryu looks like dominating
headlines for years to come, and while he assaults the pinnacle
of sumo's six divisions, domestic sumo has no obvious local boy
contender for top-dog slot.
Hakuho, then, is the man to watch at the pinnacle of sumo's six-division
ladder in the next few years.
 THE
DAY
Be that as it may, with the majority of eyes focused on the top
of the sport, for those able to get down to the Osaka Municipal
Gymnasium between March 13th and March 27th, the earlier you arrive
the better.
A total of 13 nationalities are currently competing
in professional sumo from lands as varied as Tonga and Kazakhstan,
Brazil and China, and in viewing them early on there is always the
chance to see the action close up. As the day's 150 or so fights
start early — around 8.45am, the crowds are usually limited
at this hour thereby giving everyone the chance to sit mere feet
away from the dohyo and almost shoulder to shoulder with former
household names such as the 66th Yokozuna Takanohana and others
as they judge the junior rank bouts. Prior to the sekitori donning
their kesho mawashi (ceremonial apron) and the start of the main
bouts of the day the fights at the lower levels are non-stop, brief
and full of those still learning their trade. Making up for their
lack of dohyo finesse with their enthusiasm, you can almost feel
the clash of heads or the thud as the loser is thrown bodily from
the dohyo.
Taking a break from the action, wandering around
the halls of the building and soaking up the atmosphere, smelling
the bintsuke hair oil as the younger giants of the ring mill around
talking to friends and family after they compete, everyone seems
to be waiting for something. Something is in the air. And at around
2:45pm that something arrives.
THE FINALE
It begins with a simple but colorful dohyo-iri performed by the
Juryo Division and repeated by the Makunouchi Division at about
3.45pm and one or both are worth a few pictures as this is one of
the highlights of the day. Each sekitori wears a beautifully decorated
ceremonial apron in a display of the day's competitors. Following
the makunouchi division's entrance ceremony comes the yokozuna's
entrance ceremony. Flanked by two sekitori, the yokozuna goes through
his own religiously defined motions to appease the dohyo gods.
Ceremonies finished, it is time for the action.
Sit back and enjoy watching these highly skilled men compete on
both a physical and mental level. Admire the size and strength of
sumo's premier competitors, observe the oft repeated rituals of
dohyo cleansing, foot stamping and the repeated raising of arms
(to show there are no hidden weapons). In whichever way, shape or
form you approach this ancient sport though, and whatever preconceptions
you have, do take these memories home with you, for you will see
no other such combination of past and present, tradition and strength,
wherever you are from.
3/13~27: nihon sumo kyokai —
2005 Grand Sumo Tournament
Date: March 13th-27th, 2005.
Venue: The Osaka Municipal Gymnasium, Namba
Getting there: 2 minutes walk from the Nankai Dentetsu /
Subway Namba Station.
Entry: ¥3,600 - ¥42,000
Advanced ticket purchases are available through the Nihon Sumo Kyokai
Telephone Reservation Service: 06-6645-9999 (in Japanese only).
9:00am - 5:00pm (only weekdays)
For ticket / tournament information in English visit: http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/index.html
Text & Photos: Mark Buckton
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