We go to Sumo!

Everyone has an idea of what a sumo wrestler looks like. Big fat guys, top knot in their hair, wearing some strange diaper thing. But I am willing to bet that very few have actually been to a tournament and seen a sumo match. So that's what made me decide to get us all tickets and head to the sumo tournament last month. After all, you can't live in Tokyo without going to see the sumo tournament at least once.

Not knowing what everyone's reaction to watching sumo wrestling would be like, I bought nose bleed seats. We also went with our friends and neighbors, the Herseys. Their son Dan is a good friend to all our boys.

Sumo tournaments are held throughout the year in Tokyo and other cities throughout Japan, alternating between Tokyo and other cities. January's tournament was in Tokyo at the Kokugikan. The tournament is held over 15 days, and runs all day, each day, from about 8 in the morning to 6 in the evening. It's a long day if you go for the whole day. Most spectators don't go until later in the day, when the ranked wrestlers start their matches.

We arrived at the Kokugan around 2 in the afternoon - just as the non-ranked wrestlers were finishing. There were sumo wrestlers strolling around outside the arena, and inside as well. One was very gracious and let us take his picture with our boys - I think he was visiting with his family either post- or pre-match.

The sumo tournament was filled with ceremony and tradition, especially the higher ranked wrestling matches. The wrestlers in the division are introduced and they walk around the sumo ring with ceremonial aprons.(I'm sure it has a proper name, but I am not sure of it.)

Then the matches starts, officiated by a referee in an ornate kimono. The wrestlers demonstrate their flexibility to the audience, lifting their legs high in the air - honestly, how do they do that?Stepping into the ring, they scatter salt - some wrestlers dramatically throwing the salt, other contemptuously tossing the salt at their feet. Then they confront their opponent. They show their strength, they grimace. If they are highly ranked wrestlers, they can do this for quite a while. Then they step out of the ring, wipe their faces, take a handful of salt, and start again.

Finally, they give each other the signal and the wrestling starts. Sometimes it's a fast match and one wrestler quickly overpowers the other, or manages to get a good hold on his opponent at their first clash. Other matches we watched the wrestlers struggle to get a good grip, feet slipping and the match went back and forth until the winner was decided. The winner was not always who you thought it would be.

We saw one huge sumo overpowered by a wrestler who was probably half his size. Another match ended up in the first tier of spectators, who sit on tatami mats. I was told later that if you buy those seats, you are not allowed to carry anything in with you - no bags, no food. The reason for this is that someone was skewered by an umbrella at a past tournament. And no children are allowed in that section either. That I can really understand. If a sumo landed on an spectator, they could be flattened.

There are quite a number of non-Japanese wrestlers in the ranks. Many are from Mongolia, including the 2 highest ranking wrestlers, the yokazuna. Many others are from Georgia, Russia, and Bulgaria. It's very interesting to see them take part in a sport that is so very Japanese.

Finally, the highest ranking wrestlers - the yokazuna - had their matches. A yokozuna, Asashoryo was the overall winner of the tournament, but both yokozuna lost matches to lower ranked sumo, including a very popular Estonian wrestler called Baruto.

However, Asashoryo was compelled to retire this past month after behaving badly. He apparently imbibed excessively and then hit the waiter that was serving him. I guess sports figures can behave badly in any culture, but in Japan, it can end your career.

If you want to explore more, you can visit the sumo web site (in english):

http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/

Enjoy! I can't wait to go again!

Tokyo Marathon 2009

Here's a benefit to living in an international city: world class sporting events. On March 21st, over 30,000 runners took part in the Tokyo Marathon, and the Johnsons saw some of them! We had a special reason for going to see the marathoners - two of the boys' teachers ran. Michael's second grade teacher Ms. Brown, and Sam's Teacher Mary both ran the marathon. 

That day was at the beginning of the boys' spring break, and to kick it off, we went down to Hibiya Park where we knew the runners would be going by. The marathon website said there would be tourist information at this particular park, which was fairly close to us, so we chose that location to watch. We arrived at the park around 11am, and stayed until past 1 pm, and there were athletes running by the entire time we were there.

Unfortunately, we missed seeing Ms. Brown and Teacher Mary. But we did see some costumes that did make you doubt the runner's seriousness. Or perhaps they just wanted their friends and family to be able to see them.

Michael and Sam were in hysterics at some of the crazy getup that some of the runners wore. We saw many cows, pandas, goofy pink wigged athletes, and a cello run by. 

It was a very windy day and rained off and on, luckily not enough to make us leave. After cheering on the athletes, we had some delicious street food from vendors in the park. 

I can't stress enough how good the food is here. In the US when you go to something like this, you expect to pay a lot of money for crappy food. Not here - it is not too expensive to buy street food (keeping in mind that this is Tokyo), and it is good. Nick and I had some yakisoba in a regional style, Chris and Michael had tacos, and Sam opted for a hot dog - big surprise there. I got Sam his hot dog from a cart with very fancy fixings - knowing his tastes, I said, "Purain dog, onagaishimasu." (Plain dog, if you please) I am still laughing because Sam's plain dog came with ketchup and shredded cabbage - and he ate it all up!

March 21 was still pre-sakura (cherry blossom), but Hibiya Park had pretty displays of bulbs. Michael particularly liked them.

We visit Tokyo Tower

In the middle of Tokyo stands a red and white tower that bears an uncanny resemblance to the Eiffel Tower - except for the red and white part. Everytime we pass it or see it from a distance, someone announces, "There's Tokyo Tower!" I admit it, it's usually me doing the announcing, since other than the Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills, it's the only building in Tokyo that I recognize from a distance.

This past weekend we decided to give the boys a break from shopping and to do something fun and touristy. 

After lunch at the Tokyo American Club and a visit to the TAC library - library books were due - we visited Tokyo Tower. A very cramped elevator ride up to the observation platform gives you a stupendous view of the city skyline. I know this is a big city, but when you see it from Tokyo Tower and it stretches with no break as far as you can see, it really slams into you, this city is BIG.

Ironically, we ran into a school friend of Sam's, an acquaintance of Nick's from TAC, and a graduate of the University of Delaware (Nick was wearing fanwear) when we went to the Tower - it's a big city, but a small world.

A Tour by Chris

Chris took this video on his camera and since it is too big to email, we're posting it here for everyone to see! 

A tour of chez Johnson of Yoyogi-uehara, Tokyo, Japan.

Utter Chaos

We are finally at that moment.

I mean the moment where we pick up and leave. It's heartbreaking and exhilarating, chaotic and yet under someone else's control, and it's stressful and also freeing.

Here is where I make my first confession: I have never really moved before. Yes, I've moved from a dorm room to an apartment and then to another apartment, but seriously - I have never moved before. I don't think you can call it a move if you can put everything you own into bags and put it into a Honda Civic. You know, where the furniture is so grungy that you need to leave it in a dumpster when you leave?

So, that's me and our three kids - never moved before. Most of our lives (I try not to include my unsuccessful year at the College of William and Mary) have been spent here in New Castle County ,Delaware. Specifically, Brandywine Hundred, which is at its best the very best of small town living. And here we go to the biggest city in the world.

Now, my husband Nick is truly a world citizen. Born in Ibadan, Nigeria, where he lived until the age of three. Spent some early years back in the UK, and then lived in Aden (now in Yemen), and lived in Nigeria again until he was 14. He finished school and university in the UK, then lived in Tokyo for 2 years in the mid-eighties. Then he was transferred to the US where he met me, and he's been here ever since. So this isn't as scary a proposition for him as it is for the rest of us.

The photos are from the chaos that is our house. The movers arrive tomorrow to pack us up for Tokyo. I don't think we are ready, but here we go!