sumo basho

day 23

it goes without saying, but i have to anyway. these are some very large men.



the sport began more than 1500 years ago, as a religious ritual for bountiful harvests. several dances remain a part of the event - very curious, but charming to see performed by men about to crush each other.






there is a lot of theatre, which builds intensity in the crowd for each bout. it's hard not to get caught up in a particularly high leg lift. salt throwing, body slapping, and towel wiping are all part of the psyche prep.






there are 82 winning techniques (and for the bonus, 5 ways of winning without touching your opponent) and a ranking and division system that can only be deciphered by diehard fans. i'm all over it.






all in all, it's 7 hours of good clean fun. and that was just day 14. sign me up for the next round.