Tokyo and tech through the eyes of a split pea

Clashing fat men

Spent from mid-afternoon to the early evening watching large amounts of human mass — often quite hairy — charge into each other. Sometimes the clever ones would step aside at the last minute and help the opponent find his way outside the ring. There are still many bits of Sumo tradition that I know I missed since it was only my second time, but it was fun watching the start of the this month’s cycle. For those unfamiliar, Sumo matches are two weeks long and held during the odd-numbered months. The die-hard fans can be heard rooting their favorite’s name, while the comedians yell the judge’s. The event is actually all day, but the climax of professionals gears up around 16:30 and peaks right at 18:00. It’s definitely something to see at least once in your life.