Tourists from Myanmar and the Philippines

April is a tourist season in Japan. A lot of foreign tourists visited Japan to enjoy beautiful cherry blossoms and spring scenery. I guided tourists from several Asian countries to many spots in Tokyo, Mt.Fuji and Hakone. Luckily, all of my tour days were fine, and they were able to see the beautiful Mt.Fuji covered with snow. Probably all of them were satisfied with it.

Keiso-Soken

I was assigned again to take three guests to the Sumo Arena to watch the special morning training event. The event is held once a year at the end of April before the May tournament. All of the high ranked wrestlers attend the event, so we can see several kinds of training sessions and bouts there. We can get a good seat on a first-come-first-served basis.

Today's hero is Kakuryu because he was promoted to Yokozuna recently after the committee recommended that he would be Yokozuna. He has to show strength, power and techniques to the members. Stronger wrestlers can appoint their opponents, so today Kakuryu can choose his opponent and beat him again and again. When they do Butsukarigeiko, pushing a wrestler out of the ring, a stronger wrestler is usually pushed by a low ranking wrestler. The sumo referee announces the names of both wrestlers.

For the ring entrance ceremony, the wrestlers wear a colorful apron, which shows their status, because only high ranked wrestlers can wear one. Sponsors give one to the wrestler when he is promoted. The design on the apron shows the sponsors related logos, so it is also used as an advertisement.

In the Sumo Museum, they display Yokozuna related things during the Samurai period such as woodblock prints of their portraits.