THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
I was one of the lucky, to have a coveted golden ticket to attend day five, the final of The Grand Sumo Tournament at London’s Royal Albert Hall. I am a devoted sports enthusiast having attended three Olympic Games and many international competitions but this was unlike any contest I have attended. Sporting events are the rare, ultimate equalizer that can peacefully bring people and cultures together. The Grand Sumo Tournament, or Honbasho, did just that and was a cultural education too. Indeed a perfect display of honor, tradition and respect. Most people I spoke to had never seen Sumo live, however I did meet someone who had attended 34 years ago in 1991, the first time it came to London.
The Royal Albert Hall was filled to capacity to watch around 20 quick action matches. Ringside punters sat on cushions – at their own risk. The RAH had purchased an additional insurance rider covering the possibility of a sumo wrestler landing on a punter and it happened once, luckily with no injury.
The dohyō (ring) was highly considered, using traditional, centuries old precision and meticulous construction for authenticity, topped with 11 tonnes of soil, cement and sand, and surrounded by tawara or rice straw bales to create the boundary. Above the ring is the yakata, a canopy representing the sky while the dohyō symbolizes the earth. This yakata was inspired to recreate the original roof hung at Ryōgoku Kokugikan arena in Tokyo.
The attuned audience showed the topmost respect to the rikishi (the professional sumo wrestlers) and the officials, in complete silence until the matches began. An enthusiastic commentator gave pre-game announcements, and thoughtfully the audience were given earpieces to hear the commentary allowing for serenity during the matches.
The inaugural rituals began, starting with a pre-tournament blessing ceremony in which the referees poured sake, chestnuts, salt, rice and dried squid or cuttlefish into a hole at the center of the dohyō. Sponsors encircled the ring, holding banners sometimes indicating the prize money. The rikishi began the renowned leg-stomping to ward off evil spirits followed by the throwing of salt to cleanse and purify the arena.
The name of the game is to wrangle, tackle, grapple, flip the competitor outside of the ring or to bring any body part of the opponent (other than feet) to the ground. Surprisingly two of the rikishi were from Ukraine and one from Russia; they reverently held their own.
In the final match, Hōshōryū Tomokatsu emerged victorious. In just ten intense seconds he unleashed dominance using all of his 150kg weight for the final face-off with his 191kg opponent, Ōnosato Daiki. The new grand champion – one of his nicknames is, appropriately, Rising Dragon – received a trophy, a cash prize, a giant Hello Kitty and an enormous blow-up bottle of soy sauce.
I noted that quite a few of the rikishi had knee scars, most likely from surgeries, one of the many competition hazards. A hairdresser came on tour to coif their hair in the traditional topknots – if the hairdo is pulled loose during a match, it is an instantaneous lose.
Outside of the Royal Albert Hall afterward, surprisingly, I noticed two rikishi having a cheeky smoke and others who were generously giving selfies and some fans dressed in traditional Japanese ensembles.
A sumo honbasho is scheduled for Paris in June 2026. If you’re in France then – or wherever you see a sumo tournament being staged – be sure not to miss it.
Eating – Each sumo consumes up to 10,000 calories per day, including almost 2kg of rice.
Underestimation – The organizers were said to have ran out of noodles as due to an underestimation of the appetites of more than 40 sumo wrestlers.
Weight – Some rikishi weigh upwards of 180kg (400 pounds).
Kit – The traditional sumo belt is called a mawashi.
Hair – The traditional topknot is called an oicho.
Salt – Around 200kg (440 pounds) of salt was tossed into the ring during the championship.
