JAPAN

A thousand days to learn, ten thousand days to refine

– Japanese proverb – 

Sure there’s SUMO, but there’s so much more.

On a recent trip to Japan we were lucky enough to attend a sumo tournament. From early morning to late afternoon we watched in awe as dozens of wrestlers slowly moved their way to the dohyo, the traditional sacred ring made from clay.

It was amazing to see their almost ‘elephant seal’-like transformation. A slow bulky masss of fat for most of the day. But in a split second these men can transform to incredible strong and gracefully mobile creatures.

The respect, the tradition, the rituals, everything that we were surrounded with had a mesmerizing effect on us. The sport is sheer beauty. So if you ever have a chance to visit. Do it! Sit back, watch, listen, look around and don’t worry about not understanding everything. Just soak it all in.

Especially now when in early 2017, Japan celebrated their first Yokozuna in 19 years. An emotional moment for many in Japan.

But holding true to their reputation for quirkiness Japan has many more wonderful, weird sports.