Posts Tagged ‘sumo’

Japanese babies enter the sumo ring

Tamana District in Kumamoto prefecture held a sumo event for babies over the weekend:

The event takes place every year when Futeno Izumi, a professional sumo wrestler from the region, returns home. Unlike the naki zumo events mentioned before on this blog, the object of the event was not to make the babies cry. Futeno merely held each baby as he did some ritual movements within the sumo ring. Some cried, some didn’t.
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Rhinoceros Beetle Sumo Championship

The National Rhinoceros Beetle Sumo Championship was held the other day in Yamagata Prefecture:

Mainichi’s article about the competition states that the final sumo match ended when one of the beetles flew out a window and disappeared, a moment that is unfortunately not found in this video clip.

Around 430 elementary school students took part with their beetles. The winner of each match is determined by which beetle makes it highest up the 70-centimeter pole forming the arena after 60 seconds.

During the final “King Kabuto,” owned by Takuma Kobayashi, 7, started out very strongly; but finally chose freedom over honor at the last moment, leaving “King Joe,” along with owner Shoichiro Ito, 6, to scoop the prize.

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Sumo wrestlers pass “random” drug tests

The media has reported that a recent round of “random” drug tests conducted by the Japan Sumo Association found that no wrestlers had been using illegal substances. It’s really no surprise, considering the advance warning given to everyone who was tested:

The JSA plans to continue the random tests until all members of the association have been examined.

Each stable has been warned of the procedure two days in advance, throwing into question the stringency of the so-called random test.

The term being used to describe the tests in Japanese is 抜き打ち検査, or “test without warning.”

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Brad Pitt & Musashimaru filming a new Softbank Commercial in New York

Spotted in New York City recently: Brad Pitt and sumo wrestler Musashimaru filming a new commercial for Softbank. Check out a full photo gallery here and here. [via FG]

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
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