Sumo in Fukuoka

Tony and I went to the Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka on Sunday we went with a bunch of our friends on the MWR bus, we had a really great time and it was nice for just Tony and I to get out. We will Definitely go again. Sumo comes to Fukuoka every November. Enjoy the pictures below. Tony and I outside the Venue in line to get in.

The sumo ring is called the dohyo and takes its name from the straw rice bag which mark out its different parts. The greater portion of each bale is firmly buried in the earth. The dohyo is 18 feet square and 2 feet high and is constructed of a special kind of clay. The hard surface is covered with a thin layer of sand. The bout is confined to an inner circle a little over 15 feet in diameter. Over the dohyo suspended from the ceiling by cables is a roof resembling a Shinto shrine with four giant tassels hanging from each corner to signify the seasons of the year.

On each day of the tournament immediately before the maku-uchi matches are scheduled, the colorful doyo-iri or "entering the ring " ceremony take place. Down one aisle in reverse order of their rank comes one team of maku-uchi rikisii wearingkesho-mawasii or ceremonial aprons. These aprons, beautifully made of silk, richly embroidered with different designs and hemmed with gold fringe cost anywhere from 400,000 to 500,000 yen

The leading roles in the dohyo-iii are reserved for the yokozuna who have not taken any part in the ceremony up to now. A yokozuna comes down the aisle attended by a senior gyoji and two maku-uchi rikishi in kesho-mawashi one bearing a sword. Over his kesho-mawashi the yokozuna wears a massive braided hemp rope weighing from 25 to 35 pounds tied in a bow at the back and ornamented in the front with strips of paper hanging in zigzag patterns. This is a familiar religious symbol in Japan. It can be found hanging in Shinto shrines and in the home over the "shelf" of the gods where offerings are made at New Year.

These banners were Advertisements the bigger the match the more banners we saw.

This one came out a little blurry but had to put it in the mix :)

The concluding rite of the day is the "bow dance". After the final match a specially picked makushita rikishi climbs into the dohyo, is handed a bow by the gyoji with which he performs the yumitori-shiki, a brilliant routine with a twirling bow. The ceremony was introduced sometime during the Edo Period when a winning rikshi was awarded a prize of a bow and to express his satisfaction performed the "bow dance

This is Yokozuna Hakuho he took the top division championship with a 15-0 record for his 12th Makuuchi Division title!! He got a lot of big Trophies :)

Reminds me of the Stanley Cup

I was told by our Tour Guide that this was the Prime Minister of Japan but after looking for his name the face doesn't match their Prime Minister so still doing some research on who this is.