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Sumo, a special kind of wrestling, is a national sport of
Japan. The origin of this unique kind of sport is ancient
religious performances to the Shinto gods that combined elements
of drama, dance and sport competition. For its long history
that numbers several hundreds years sumo has undergone certain
changes but still many ancient rituals are followed. Sumo
is extremely popular in Japan; sumo wrestlers are something
like European super stars, although they differ a lot from
the latest.
Tokyo Sumo Museum was opened in September, 1954. At first,
the museum was housed in Kuramae, and later, when the Ryogoku
Kokugikan (Ryogoku Sumo Stadium) was completed in 1985, it
moved to Ryogoku. Since then it has been situated inside the
Kokugikan, the permanent home of professional sumo. The museum
itself is a long narrow hall that can be entered either from
the courtyard or at the rear, direct from the arena of the
National Stadium. The basis of the museum's collection was
formed with the artifacts from the collection of the founding
curator, Sakai Tadamasa. For several decades the museum has
extended considerably. Nowadays, the museum consists of exhibition
hall that occupies about 150 square meters, library, study
and storerooms where the exhibits not on display are kept.
The museum displays different artifacts somehow connected
with sumo wrestling and giving a historical overview of this
national sport. At the exhibition, you'll find sumo costumes,
apron-like ornamental belts worn in the ring-entering ceremony,
woodblock prints, paintings, sculptures, photographs, ancient
books and keepsakes of the outstanding sumo wrestlers. Giant-sized
clothes and the photos of corpulent men, in no way meeting
western standards of manliness, at first strike the inexperienced
visitors, but then you begin to understand the particular
beauty of this ancient sport and the national Japanese pride
in sumo champions, the museum exhibition imbued with.
There is no admission charge to enter the museum except for
the days when tournaments are held.
In the vicinities of Kokugikan, there are 27 sumo stables,
where beginners and already eminent wrestlers live and train
together. Many stables allow visitors to watch morning practice
that starts before the daybreak and continues till 11 a.m.
The sumo wrestlers show up in ascending order of their official
rank, starting with new apprentices to the highest-ranked
rikishi. So get up early and you'll not only find out a lot
of interesting information on the culture of sumo, that is
presented in the museum, but see the training (really unforgettable
sight) with your own eyes.
The necessary inference is that this small but certainly unique
museum is worth visiting.
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