Sumo Wrestler Photo Op

high


Yesterday, I was lucky enough to meet a real sumo wrestler.

On Fridays I always work at a local agriculture school. It is interesting. It is definitely the school that can be the most difficult for me to engage the kids. Then there are some English devotees. Out of 600 kids there are 3 that are in the English Speaking Society and I meet with them most Fridays. They write things in their notebook to read to me when they see me. It is really cute and funny. This Friday one of the boys read a paragraph describing the crane game to me. You know the crane that you can can try to operate to somehow pick up a prize, like a stuffed animal. I have never successfully maneuvered this machine. My student was able to pick up four stuffed animals out of eight tries in one day.

Anyway, this school graduated a highly ranked sumo player, Takekaze, who visited on Friday and I had a photo op with him. He is not very tall, as you can see in the pictures, but he is big. His visit was an ordeal. There were camera crews running around the whole afternoon.

I have noticed that there are many ceremonial aspects to the Japanese culture some of which I witnessed on Friday. For example, the sumo coach waited in a separate room while
Takekaze talked with the principal and two students while many photos were taken. Then the sumo coach was announced and he walked into the room in a ceremonial fashion with tv cameras following him.

Afterwards the school held an assembly. First the students gathered early to practice the school song. When Takekaze entered the auditorium he was led by a student holding a huge purple flag. Then there were speeches, bowing, singing and drumming.

It was a pretty interesting day. I have to mention that I like the ceremonial aspect of Japanese culture. I like how it celebrates the importance of events and seems so official. Although an aspect of the ceremonialism is that there is a RIGHT way to do things, and I am often caught doing those things wrong. Many times during these formal ceremonial acts, I have been nudged by a Japanese person to sit up straighter or uncross my legs or fold my hands differently. I comply and am reminded that I am an informal American.

Anyway, shaking hands with a top-ranked sumo wrestler was fun.