Boys' Day Out Part 2--SUMO!!!!!



Raymond got a free ticket through school to a sumo wrestling tournament.  He could buy up to two more tickets for that night, so we had to talk about it as a family.  The girls didn't really want to go, and neither did Nathan, so that left Logan and Christopher.  Attending a sumo tournament was on the very top of both of these boys' lists of things to do in Japan--and they were soooo excited!!  Dream come true!!

 

 Here is Chris as a Yokozuna.....(Japanese seem to really like these things, they are all over)

.....and Logan as the same thing.

These boys were in the nose-bleed section, but they didn't care.  They could still see just fine.

The sumo tournament main face-offs started at 3 p.m. and it ended at 6:30 p.m.



It may seem like sumo wrestling is nothing but a bunch of fat men fighting each other while almost completely naked, but it's much more than that.  It is a sacred thing to the Japanese people, and is seeped in the Shinto religion.  It is normal practice to pray before fighting, as this sumo is doing.

 

Historians agree that the origins of sumo date back 2000 years; however, it never really flourished as a spectator sport until the early 1600's.  There are strict rules and traditions that are observed throughout the sport.  Shinto is the native religion of Japan and is more of a set of rituals and ceremonies than a system of beliefs. The word sumo means "way of the gods." Sumo was originally performed to entertain the gods during festivals. Sumo as part of Shinto ritual dates as far back as the Tumulus period (250-552 A.D.). 

To start the tournament, a Makuuchi ring ceremony takes place first.  The wrestlers are grouped into two groups—East and West—and each group takes a turn entering the ring. The lowest-ranked rikishi enters first and walks a complete circle around the ring followed by the other rikishi in ascending order according the rank. Before the individual rikishi enter the ring, they are introduced to the spectators. Once the last rikishi in the group has been introduced, the rikishi, who are facing the spectators, turn inward and face each other around the ring. After clapping their hands once, they raise their right hand, lift their kesho-mawashi (decorative aprons created for the ring ceremony), and finally raise both hands in unison. This tradition goes back to the samurai days and represents the rikishi showing each other that no one is armed. 

During the Makuuchi ring ceremony, the Yokozuna (the top ranking wrestlers--the best of the best!) are absent because they perform their own individual ring ceremonies. Yokozuna are dressed in mawashi with five white zigzag folded strips of paper on the front, the same as those found at the entrance of Shinto shrines (we see them on many shrines). On the front of all mawashi are sagari, which are fringes of twisted string tucked into the belt, and they represent the sacred ropes in front of shrines. Numbers of strings are odd, between seventeen and twenty-one, which are lucky numbers in the Shinto tradition.

There are a lot of symbols in the rink that are a part of the Shinto belief.  The sand that covers the clay of the dohyo is a symbol of purity.  The canopy above the ring is made in the style of the roof of a Shinto shrine. The four tassels on each corner of the canopy represent the four seasons, the white one as autumn, black as winter, green as spring and red as summer. The purple bunting around the roof symbolizes the drifting of the clouds and the rotation of the seasons. The referee resembles a Shinto priest in his traditional robe.

 Praying for safety before entering the ring.

 Look closely in this picture and you can see salt being tossed in the air by a rikishi.  They throw several handfuls of salt into the ring, which is said to purify the ring. Many rikishi will also sprinkle salt around their bodies as a means of protecting them from injury.

Once the actual bouts begin, the two rikishi spend several minutes before their match lifting their legs high in the air and stomping them down, a practice said to scare away any demons.  It also makes the crowd go nuts!!  It is also a way for them to intimidate their opponent.  It shows their strength and flexibility.

 Here are the boys outside after the match was over.  The flags behind them contain the names of the rikishi performing that night.

 Sumo wrestlers are HUGE, HUGE, HUGE celebrities in Japan, equivalent to NFL football players in America.  Here is Christopher comparing his hand to a rikishi's hand.

 Logan comparing his hand.

 The hand prints and these yokozuna's portraits were in the train station near the sumo stadium.

Another highlight of the evening: meeting these cool sumo wrestlers at the train station!  You know how in America, you have the Minors and the Majors for baseball?  These rikishi were in the Minors, but they are sumo wrestlers just the same!!  They also got on the train at the same time, so the boys got to be in their presence for a little while!

Did you know that rikishi stop cutting their hair when they become sumo wrestlers?  They do not cut it again until they retire.  Just another little bit of trivia.

Here's what the boys thought about their day at the sumo wrestling tournament:

Christopher:  At the beginning, I was kind of mad because we forgot our tickets and had to run home and get them.  I thought we weren't going to make it.  I really enjoyed the food Dad got us and the matches we watched.  The names of the sumos were weird, yet cool.  I really enjoyed watching the yokozunas fight, and I really enjoyed watching the ozeki (rank under yokozuna) beat the yokozuna. 

I really enjoyed the match that lasted for about five minutes.  They were just fighting for a long time and trying to push each other out of the ring.  One would regain his balance and push the other one in the middle of the ring.  They got so tired they couldn't really move, so the referee, said, "O.k., guys, stop pushing."  He marked in the dirt where they were, and then let them take a break.  After their break, they came back and put their feet in the exact spot in the dirt where they had been, and they fought for another couple of minutes.  Then, finally one lost.  (this hardly ever happens, so being able to see that was pretty special)

One of the snacks in the trail mix that we ate at the match has dried fish that is about two inches long.  It's a whole fish, they didn't even gut it.  The tail was o.k., but the middle to the head was disgusting!  Especially the head.  It made me sick.  I can't believe I ate it.  It still makes me tingle inside.

Logan:  I thought it was cool to see the sumo wrestlers push each other out of the ring.  It was awesome to see the yokozunas fight. 
I think it would be embarrassing to be a sumo wrestler because of what they wear. 
 

Tokyo Fire Museum

This week was a rainy week--we didn't go out much.  By Friday, the kids were beside themselves.  They were like caged animals and needed to get out.  So, we went to the Fire Museum in Yotsuya.

The sun was shining.  The kids were excited to get out of the house.  I had all the information on what trains to take to get there and back on my ipad.  I also had my google map app ready to go so I would know where to walk.  We were set.  It was going to be a great outing.

And then, I met a very strange man at the Hiroo Station.  He was very feminine and had three adorable little Japanese kids with him.  (he was white)  I think he was these poor kids' nanny, and from the look of his teeth, he's done drugs frequently.  He struck up a conversation with me and was curious to know where we were going and if all of these kids were mine or my cousins.  When I told him they were mine, he grabbed his belly and exclaimed about the stretch marks I must have.  We were a little put off by him, to say the least.  He told me that I was going the wrong way to get to Yotsuya, and then took my ipad and  messed up all of my information.  As we raced through Tokyo on the Stupid Metro, he told me how HE would get there and then gave me back my ipad. 

Well, we got off that train as soon as we could, and then I found another line that would take us to Yotsuya Station.  We had to walk a mile more than I had planned, but we found the Fire Museum thanks to the gps on my Google map app.  The kids were grumbling by the time we got there.....

 ...but it didn't take long before they were having a blast!  Brace yourself for a lot of pictures, because this place was amazing!  (Nathan, Chris, and Logan in pic)
The Fire Museum is set in the Fire Dept. Station, and it's a huge building.  The museum is mixed with the fire dept. offices, and the museum part covers 5 floors.  The kids learned a lot and had a blast!

They dressed up in the fireman clothes....

 ...marveled at the helicopters and....

 ...old fire trucks.

 This hose had a bamboo basket on the end of it.  That was so they could strain the water.

 Checking out an ambulance.

 These fire trucks were from 1929.

 I loved that they had the cranks on the front to start the engine.

 We also noticed that one of them had the steering wheel on the left side instead of the right side.  Not sure why?  In Japan, the driver sits on the right side of the car, and they drive on the opposite side of the road from the Americans.

 Pretending to drive a fire truck.

 Tayla and Chris got on the gear so it would feel more authentic.

 There were videos on the training of firemen.  It was awesome to see them climbing walls, putting on gas masks in record time, and practicing with their hoses.

 All of the kids enjoyed this display.  It was a model of a town, and there were buttons to push to maneuver a fire truck through the town.  A blinking light would go off somewhere in the town signaling a fire, and you had to drive the fire truck to the fire, put it out, and then drive it back to the fire station and park it.

 The fire truck was cute. 

 And the highlight of the museum was this helicopter.  There was a screen right in front of the windows, and when you pushed a button, it would play a video that made you feel like you were flying over Tokyo.  A bunch of smoke would start billowing in front of you, so then the helicopter lowers.  You watch a fireman on a rope in the air rescuing someone from the top of a high building that is on fire, then you fly off into the sunset.  The kids thought it was the best thing ever!

 Here is the simulation at the beginning.

 Logan and Christopher flew first.

 Tayla said she was "Uncle Derek", which meant that she sits behind the pilots and watches for any electrical issues that arise.

 Nathan and Caitlin watched from the back.  This went on for a few simulations, and then they changed seats.

 Nathan and Audra's turn to fly the helicopter.

Nathan and Audra flying us around Tokyo Tower at night after a hard day of rescuing people from burning buildings.

This display was pretty creative, and we spent a lot of time here.  It was a movie about fire safety and what to do if your house or your neighbor's house catches on fire. The movie was playing on the screen above it, but it was also being acted out in the display below.  There were screens on the homes that showed the action.  The house in the middle caught on fire.  When the family got out, the bushes in the front of the house flipped around and you saw the family outside in the p.j.'s waiting for the fire trucks to arrive.  The fire trucks, a police car, and an ambulance suddenly came out of no where and drove out on tracks.  They saved the day and then went back to the fire station, with the ambulance heading off to the hospital with the family.  It was in Japanese, but was done so well, that all of the kids understood the message anyway. 

 This is a display of how fires were fought during the Edo period.  There wasn't really any type of organized team to fight the fires that would break out.  If a fire happened, it was up to the feudal lord to take care of it on his own property.  In this display, the feudal lord is riding the horse....

 ....and his subordinates would walk with him bringing tools and supplies to fight the fire.  See that big thing they are carrying?.....

 ...It's a water pump.  They had one on display.

 There were several scrolls that were very old that described fighting fires in times long ago.  For centuries, Tokyo was always burning down because they mainly built out of wood and paper.

 It was the job of samurai to fight fires as well.  They would wear special clothes to protect them.  These are some of them. 

 This box had wheels on it.  I've seen these here at antique shops.  During the Edo period, people would have a box like this in their home, and would put their valuables in it.  If a fire broke out, the people would push or pull the box out of the fire to save their precious possessions.  However, these boxes were forbidden after 1683 because they would get in the way on the street and increase the damage from the fire.

 We didn't know what these things were, but they looked cool and must be important because there were a lot of them.

 That big fork would be used to break down doors when there was a fire so that the feudal lords and their servants could get into the burning buildings to fight the fire.

 There was a play area, had to take your shoes off before getting on the mat.

 On the top floor, there was an observatory where you could look at views of the city.  Had a good view of the Tokyo Sky Tree--the world's highest stand-alone communication tower.

 

While we were up there, we heard a siren and looked down to see what was going on.  We saw an ambulance trying to get through the traffic.  It amazes us how the traffic doesn't get quickly out of the way of ambulances and other emergency vehicles here. It took way too long for this ambulance to be able to move through the traffic.

 

We also had plans to go to the Tokyo Toy Museum, but we spent way more time at the Fire Museum than we thought we would.  When we got there, it was only going to be open for another 30 minutes, so we decided to forego it and went out to play on the playground for a few minutes before heading back home.

 

I didn't have any instructions on my ipad thanks to the weirdo on the Stupid Metro, but in spite of being lost, we managed to get back to Ebisu Station.  When we were about two blocks from home, Tayla realized that she had left her camera on the bench at the Toy Museum playground. 

 

We went home and I grabbed Ray (he had spent the day studying at the house with Kirstin) to go back to the museum with me.  We went on the bus since I had learned that day that it was an easier way to get to the Fire Museum than the Stupid Metro.  We got to the Toy Museum almost 3 hours after we had left it.

 

Now, I know that Japanese people have a lot of integrity.  They leave stuff all over and people don't ever take it.  But, I just couldn't believe that someone wouldn't take Tayla's camera.  I hoped that it would be there, but wasn't sure. 

 

We checked the playground, but it wasn't there.  We went into the museum and Ray asked some gentlemen if Tayla's camera happened to be in the Lost and Found.  Wouldn't you know it?  It was there!  I was so relieved that I started to cry.  Tayla was so upset when she realized she had left it.  I DID NOT want to go home without it and see her disappointed face.  The men were surprised by my reaction.  Raymond explained to them that in America, that camera would be long gone.  There is no way that it would ever be turned in to a Lost and Found.  They were surprised by that, and bowed to us as we said our thank you's and good-byes.

 

There are three big things that we have often talked about as a family that amazes us about Japan.  This is arguably the largest city in the entire world--and yet....

1.  Japanese people are honest to a fault.  It is refreshing and makes one feel liberated!  You really don't have to worry about anyone taking your stuff.

2.  They are so respectful.  Japanese people bow to each other in greeting, doesn't matter who you are or who they are, doesn't matter if you are a friend or a stranger, a bow is a common courtesy--it's like saying hello.

3.  They are so clean.  They sweep their streets, sometimes even mop them.  We can't get over how tidy and clean everything is.

These things leave us to wonder--Why can't America be more like this?  Why can't we get our act together and be more honest, more respectful to each other, and pick up after ourselves? 

 

Something to think about. 

 

Here's what the kids thought about the Fire Museum:

Caitlin:  I thought it was going to be just looking at fire trucks, but it ended up being much more entertaining.  It was funny to see Chris in the helicopter.  He was in his element.

Tayla:  Most of it was boring, a few parts of it were fun, like the helicopter and the fire truck that you could drive around the town.  I also liked the top where you could look out and see Tokyo. 

Christopher:  I want to go back to see the helicopter again...really bad.  I thought it was a lot of fun.  I liked the helicopter because I felt like I was actually flying around and it was like it was real.  I like the ambulance but the driver was creepy.  I liked the fireman uniforms that we got to put on.  I liked the house that taught about fire safety and taught us that we shouldn't leave cigarettes around and stuff like that.  I liked driving the little fire truck around the town.  I liked the samurai fighting helmets and learning about fighting fires through history.  When are we going back?  Can we go back?

Logan:  I thought it was cool, awesome to see the old fire trucks and the old things that they used to put out fires in Japan.  I liked the water pumps. 

Nathan:  I liked the whole thing! 

Audra:  Good.  There was a big truck!  I drive a little bit. I drive a helicopter.  A little bit. And I come back to see you.  I loved all of them!  I liked the movie and the helicopter.  It's so cute.