Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Sports

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Sumo shimmy

It’s sumo time once again, with the current tournament being held in Nagoya. And to celebrate 15 days of televised action, here is a picture I took in Tokyo a few years ago.

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Before the wrestlers do their stuff, they enter the arena and show themselves off on the dohyo. Yet perhaps the most surprising aspect of this ritual is when all the wrestlers very daintily lift up their kesho-mawashi (the ceremonial aprons they are wearing in the picture).

To see these big and imposing men performing such a feminine looking act is fascinating to say the least. And whilst it’s a word not often associated with sumo, perhaps the best way to describe it is cute.

Which is very dissimilar to the decidedly un-cute, but supremely talented yokozuna, Asashoryu.

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Light saber similarities

I took this picture fairly recently during a kendo tournament at the school I work in.

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Now correct me if I’m wrong, but I think it’s fairly easy to see where a certain Mr. George Lucas got a hefty chunk of inspiration from. If you take away the crappy gymnasium interior and the judges. Oh, and the school kids watching. Plus I suppose the outfits. And it’s right there before your eyes. A scene that would slot straight into any of the Star Wars movies.

No?

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Regal Rooney

David Beckham may still be god in Japan, but 18-year-old phenomenon Wayne Rooney is hot on his heels. Rooney’s incredible rise has been so fast that he’s already been crowned king on these shores. And not just any old king either, but a Wonder King.

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The back page of that newspaper is usually reserved for Japanese baseball stars, soccer players, sumo champions, and of course the aforementioned David Beckham. So it looks like Rooney could well be on his way to reaping in bucket loads of cash from Japanese sponsors.

The only problem may be his appearance. In fashion conscious Japan, Beckham fits the bill perfectly with his ever-changing hairstyles and cool street fashion. Rooney on the other hand doesn’t. And on TV last week, one sports presenter said that as much as he admired Rooney’s skill, he couldn’t stop thinking about how unintelligent he looks.

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You know, he does have a point.

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Goodwill grimace

Japan’s sumo wrestlers have just wrapped-up a goodwill tour of China, and below is great picture of some pre-match fun and games.

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But whilst the main bouts were well received and watched by some very large crowds, the two little boys receiving the wrestling wedgies may not look back on the tour with entirely fond memories.

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Following suit

Having seen his England teammate David Beckham make a fortune in Japan advertising everything from chocolate to sunglasses, Liverpool striker Michael Owen has decided to get in on the money making action.

But whereas everything Beckham does is considered cool, Owen might not find things quite so easy. As for reasons unknown (although most likely financial), he has opted to lend his name to the Aoyama brand. A company well known for providing cheap and not especially fashionable suits.

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Is that embarrassed smile due to feelings of guilt associated with the huge amount of money he is being paid, or because of the knowledge that this picture of him in an ill-fitting and cheap suit is going to be seen all over Japan?

I’m going with the latter.