Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Culture

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What goes up…

This massive kite, weighing in at a hefty 1 ton and measuring 12.9 metres in height and 13.3 metres in width, rose 30 metres in the air on Tuesday.

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But despite being controlled by about 50 people, after a brief flight the extremely windy conditions took their toll, causing the bamboo frame to break. Leaving the briefly majestic looking kite in this sorry state.

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To make matters worse it came down on an unlucky group of spectators, injuring 8 of them. Although as far as I’m aware, none of them seriously.

So that’s alright then.

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Sumo slander

“If we let conventions like this fall to pieces, it’ll only mean women in their high heels will be up there fighting on the dohyo.”

Yokozuna Promotion Council member Makiko Uchidate, criticizing yokozuna Asashoryu’s rebellious nature, specifically when he received his prizes with his left hand instead of right at the last tournament.

Whilst I have to admit that the Yokozuna Asashoryu has been a bit of a bad boy from time to time, he has always learned from his mistakes and corrected his behaviour accordingly. Plus at 23 years old he is still very young. And not coming from a sumo family (or in fact Japan), surely a few lapses should be expected, and more importantly forgiven.

But whatever his faults, he is more than worthy of his status as Grand Champion. Ability wise none of the current crop of wrestlers can get anywhere near him. His achievement of winning the last 2 tournaments without a single loss (only ever done once before) attests to this.

Yet regardless of his talent or behaviour, it’s a big leap from receiving prizes with the wrong hand to the introduction of women sumo wrestlers in high heels.

Or is it?

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The crying game

Here are two young participants in the 2004 baby sumo crying tournament.

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Babies born in 2003 were eligible for this year’s contest, and the fighter judged the loudest crier took home the much coveted title. With this year seeing 70 of the noisy little creatures entered, it makes for an event worth avoiding at all costs.

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Golden week goodness

Today, and then Saturday to Wednesday is Golden Week here in Japan. It’s basically 4 national holidays bunched together. Today for example is Green Day. A title that gives me the ahem, golden opportunity of making a joke linking it to the similarly named pop group. But at best it would be a lame effort. So I shall refrain.

Why it’s called Golden Week I don’t know, but it’s quite apt in that prices for hotels, flights, and holidays in general reach ridiculous levels. But for many people this is the only time they can get off work, so the travel companies have them by proverbials. A gold card for Golden Week would be very useful, if not essential.

But expensive as it may be to travel, it’s still time off work. Never something to be sniffed at. And also, as next Wednesday is Boys Day, there are lots of koinobori brightening up the landscape. These are kind of Koi Carp kites that represent the family. The bigger ones are the parents, and the smaller ones the kids. There admittedly is a lot more to it than that, but it’s too difficult to explain. And if I’m being honest, I’m not 100% sure myself. I’ve heard so many different variations I don’t know what is right or wrong. Are you buying that excuse?

But whatever the true meaning, they are always a welcome sight.

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Although this group that I came across must belong to a family that never got around to buying a TV. That’s a lot of kids!

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Logging on

Forget the running of the bulls in Spain, or even the bizarre sheep run in New Zealand. For sheer danger and lunacy, Japan’s recent Onabashira festival takes some beating.

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Held every 7 years, it is designed to bring the people and local gods closer together. Although how belting down a hill on a log is supposed to achieve this I don’t know.

The overall aim (apart from avoiding serious injury) is to try and stay on the log all the way to the bottom of the hill. But by clicking on the picture below and watching the video, you can see it’s by no means easy.

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Personally I like the way everyone jumps on at the end, just as the log has come to a standstill. But I’m not sure what the gods would make of such brazen cheating.