LONDON – It’s safe to say they are making their presence felt.
Japan’s best sumo wrestlers roamed the streets of London ahead of this week’s sold-out Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall, the British capital’s famous Victorian concert hall.
Dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, the wrestlers known as rikishi, have been exploring the city between rigorous training for what is only the second such event to be held outside Japan in 1,500 years.
This time, the focus is on two of the highest-ranked wrestlers, known as yokozuna: Mongolia’s Hoshoryu Tomokatsu and Japan’s Onosato Daiki. Onosato, 25, became the 75th wrestler to win that title in May, having risen to that rank in a record 13 tournaments.
His rival, Hoshoryu, was the 74th man to reach that rank.
“I’m happy that sumo is back after so many years,” Onosato told NBC News broadcast partner Sky News on Wednesday. “I hope to show the UK fans how fantastic sumo is.”
“Being a yokozuna comes with a lot of responsibility,” Hoshoryu said. “My uncle was a yokozuna and I’m happy to follow in his footsteps. But I came here to London as a yokozuna, which he didn’t do, so I’m even happier,” he added.
Stopping to pose for photographs with traditional souvenirs, the couple were among a group of sumo wrestlers who visited most of London’s tourist spots, including Buckingham Palace and Westminster with its iconic Big Ben.
But that didn’t stop them from continuing their rigorous training routine and equally rigorous eating regimen.
Their carefully structured, high-calorie meals are vital to developing the size and strength needed to compete at the highest level.
“We are consuming 70 kilos of rice a day,” Donagh Collins, chief executive of Askonas Holt, an arts company that helped organize the event, told Sky News. “Someone told me that the noodle wholesaler has run out of noodles,” he added.
But in a break from their traditional diet, some of the wrestlers were photographed enjoying London street food and feeding each other hot dogs as they explored the city.
While the tournament in London was completely sold out, at home sumo has faced a series of scandals, including accusations of bullying, assault and sexism in the stables where wrestlers train. Accusations of illegal betting and links to organized crime have also darkened the image of Japan’s national sport.
But in London, Wednesday marked the first day of the five-day exhibition tournament, the first of its kind since it was held at the same venue some 34 years ago.
The wrestlers, who collectively weigh six tons, slapped, grabbed and lifted each other, while spectators reveled in the sight of this centuries-old Japanese sport.
According to Reuters, about eleven tons of clay were brought into the room to build the dohyo, the elevated ring where wrestlers compete, outlined with molded rice bales and secured with beer bottles.
The two great champions, Hoshoryu and Onosato, each achieved victory in their fights, closing the evening with weighty performances, literally.
