So pretty much the whole reason I went to Suzaka was to see these monkeys…
They are Japanese macaque, and with the except of humans, no other primate lives in a colder or more northern climate. So what do they do to deal with the cold? Sit in the hot springs of course! These monkeys live up in the hills at night, and come down to the onsen during the day to relax! What a hard life!
On Saturday I was lucky enough to go and see the Sumo in Tokyo. There are only 6 Grand Sumo Tournaments each year, and only 3 of these take place in Tokyo, so it was good timing! I am no expert in Sumo but I managed to learn a bit about it!
We arrived in the afternoon to see the Makuuchi Division, which is the highest ranking sumo bout. Before the matches begin, all the sumo wrestlers participate in a ring entering ceremony, wearing けしょうまわし keshou mawashi. These ornamental mawashi usually represent their sponsors. Sometimes sumo wrestlers from other countries will wear a keshou mawashi with their country’s flag on it.
Apparently these mawashi were traditionally worn to show that the wrestlers were not concealing any weapons
Before the wrestlers begin a match, they participate in a number of rituals that are related to Shinto religion. On entering the ring, the sumo will clap and stomp his leg in a manner called しこ shiko. This is to drive evil spirits from the ring. Then the sumo wrestlers will then receive ‘power water,’ and throw salt in to the ring to purify it. This must be done every time they enter the ring.
The flags at the end of the video represent sponsors of that match. Whoever wins the match receives ¥60000 per flag
And then they are ready for battle! They are not allowed to start the match until both sumo wrestlers have put both their fists on the ground, and there is a lot of mind games and staring each other down that go on before the match actually begins. The wrestlers will often squat down to face their opponent 3 or 4 times before actually being ready for the match. Once it begins, it is usually over within 30 seconds. To win, your opponent must either step outside the ring or put any part of his body apart from his feet on the ground. Although they may look fat and wobbly, sumo wrestlers are very very strong! This video is of the the current highest ranking sumo wrestler, Hakuhou (who is originally from Mongolia) winning his 14th match in a row.
Did You Know?
Mansfield's Sojourn in Japan 