Sumo - up close and personal

Today I had a very fortunate opportunity to join about 20 other lucky people to watch Sumo practice up close and personal at a 'stable - where the wrestlers live together' near our school. Two of the 3 highest ranked sumo wrestlers were there so the event drew a lot of press attention.
For two hours we watched as the wrestlers took it out on each other in round after round of intense practice. The wrestlers in the black outfits are amateurs and draw no salary. They are sponsored by their stable and live together with all the other amateurs in the stable dorm - sleeping in the same room together and practicing every morning from about 6am. They also serve as the servants for the professional wrestlers, in white outfits, who do draw large salaries and enjoy the celebrity lifestyle of professional athletes of Japan's national sport.
This opportunity was a wonderful peek into life in the very very very traditional world of Sumo.I look forward to attending Fall tournament in a couple of weeks with a much deeper respect for the sport.

The stable owner was a sumo wrestler himself, Kotokaze. This is a statue of him defeating the top ranked Konishiki in his day.

a plaque of Kotokaze

This young boy holding the towels is 15 and he works hard to take care of the pro to whom he has been assigned.

enjoying 'Chanko' hotpot after a hard day's work

the tables were for us. After practice the wrestlers (the black outfit amateurs) served us all the typical Sumo wrestler dish of Chanko nabe and other great food  

interviews with the press afterwards