Sumo Wrestling (Viewer discretion is advised)

We went to a Sumo wrestling tournament on Saturday, 30 October, in Hiroshima. Despite what you may think about Sumo or what you may have seen on TV, you probably don't know or understand half of what goes on. We were there and we still didn't know what was going on all the time. Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport steeped in ritual and was another opportunity for us to catch a glimpse of a fascinating Japanese culture.

The highlight of the day was watching the world Sumo champion, yokozuna Hakuho, wrestle. He was the superstar of the day. He had an entourage of junior Sumo wrestlers that surrounded him to keep the crowds back. Every time he entered the stadium he was flooded with fans trying to get his picture and autograph. Our seats were on the front row of the entrance walkway for all the wrestlers as they went to and from the ring. On one occasion a wrestler stopped and pretended to grab Josiah. Of course he was just kidding around, but Josiah didn't share in his sense of humor. It was probably very traumatic for him! The day proved to be very entertaining and enjoyable for us and we may even be hooked on Sumo now.