It is not uncommon to see large men clothed in cotton kimonos and wooden sandals strolling down the streets of Tokyo’s Ryoguku District on the east bank of the Sumida River. These men are sumo wrestlers, athletes who participate in Japan’s national sport of sumo wrestling.
Japanese sumo wrestling began 2,000 years ago when tournaments were held at shrines and temples. Sumo wrestling was both spiritual and sacred and matches were performed to entertain and please the gods. It evolved into a spectator sport in the 1600s and was centered in the Ryoguku District, Edo’s bustling entertainment and commerce center.
The Ryoguku District has remained the sumo wrestling capital of Japan. Many sumo stables (beya), facilities where wrestlers train and live, are located there. Promising wrestlers are sent to live and train at stables when they are just 15. They arrive with dreams of fame and fortune, but discover that life at a stable is difficult. In addition to practicing for hours each day, novice wrestlers must cook, clean, and attend to the needs of senior wrestlers. It takes a tremendous amount of patience, strength, and discipline to become an accomplished sumo wrestler
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