Sumo in Nagoya

First published: 25 Jun 2013

A pair of rikishi battle in a sumo contest.

In July last year, I finally had a chance to experience Japanese sumo-wrestling first-hand.

Not in the ring, mind you (that would be mental), but as a spectator. The venue would be in Nagoya (which I raved about in my blog post here), and I would be travelling with my good friends and fellow Kagawa JETs Jasper, Arran and Chaz. As Jasper would imminently be leaving Japan at the end of July, he was keen to see as much "culture" as possible, and sumo was definitely on that list.

Wrestlers perform a small ceremony in preparation of a bout.


Two rikishi square off.

We would be watching the Nagoya Basho tournament, one of six honbasho professional sumo tournaments held annually. The honbasho differ from exhibition tournaments in that these are the only tournaments which count in terms of official rankings. Honbasho are fifteen days long, and we would be arriving on the first day at the start of the tournament for a full day of watching sumo.

However, all was not quite well. Whilst travelling down on the night bus with Arran and Jasper the evening prior, I was shocked to discover that I'd left my ticket at home, as I'd been using it as a bookmark in a book which I had forgotten to pack. I was more than a little anxious. Jasper did his best to reassure me; Chaz would be arriving the next day, whose Japanese was far beyond our own abilities. Jasper had the receipt for four tickets, and we'd be arriving with three out of four of them. Surely it wouldn't be a problem?

Fingers crossed.

Chaz snipes some shots from the sides.

After arriving in the early morning and going for a brief stroll through local shrines and temples (and Family Mart for breakfast, naturally), we made our way to the sumo arena in time for the beginning of the tournament. As Chaz had not yet arrived, I opted to wait outside so he could help explain the ticketing fiasco with me, rather than attempt to clumsily explain my lack of a ticket and simply be rejected. Arran and Jasper went in ahead of me while I watched Scott Pilgrim vs. The World on my iPad (just as well I'd downloaded it the evening before, I reckon). Chaz arrived within around an hour, and after calling in the lads inside, the four of us explained the situation and I was provided with a replacement ticket with minimal hassle. I have to say kudos to Chaz, who communicated our situation effortlessly. Without competent language abilities, I doubt I would have been able to have made it in (a motivation to continue studying Japanese if ever there was one).

Luckily, I hadn't missed too much. The early morning of the tournament provded to be very quiet. The stalls were mostly empty and it seemed as if the atmosphere was simply warming up. The tournament-proper seemed to be commencing in the afternoon. Very relaxing. Jasper picked up a bottle of Japanese sake for us all, and we spent the early hours of the day knocking back alcoholic shots and enjoying the sport (I have to say I felt very grateful for Japan's lenient alcohol licensing laws).

The lads at the sumo.


Sake and sumo. Nice.

I couldn't help but marvel a little at seeing rikishi (sumo wrestlers) for the first time in real life. These unique athletes were somewhat mythological to me at this point - so embedded in the iconography of Japan but also with a rarity and mysterious allure. Watching the initial sumo bouts unfold felt a bit like being in the uncanny valley. The sensation passed, however, and it wasn't long before I was enjoying opening of the tournament with a wide grin on my face.

A group of rikishi in preparation for the afternoon bouts.

Jasper tries to blend in.

After a brief exit for lunch, we witnessed a parade of rikishi walking by, adored by a league of fans.We stepped inside and witnessed a spectacular change. Where previously the stadium had been fairly empty, it had drastically filled, now bursting at the seams almost without enough seats to cater for everyone. It was quite literally packed. We fought our way back to our seats (with another bottle of sake in tow), and soaked up the atmosphere (and, of course, the alcohol).

The full arena, now packed.

Grappling for glory.

Sumo matches themselves proved to be a very unique spectacle. The match is preceded by a lengthy ceremony which encompasses many Shinto elements. The rikishi throw salt over their shoulders and try to intimidate each other with posturing, with salt used for purification. The grappling itself is over rather quickly, with the two opponents normally finishing a match within around ten seconds or so. The thrill, for me at least, is partially in the speed. After so much build-up, witnessing two opponents charge at one another with such speed and intent is really quite a spectacle.

You wouldn't want to mess with these guys.

In recent years, sumo has become a much more international sport with many overseas competitors, primarily from other Asian nations. It's interesting to see a sport so closely tied to Japanese identity and culture opening it's borders to foreign participation. While the sport is intrinsically Japanese, it is gratifying to know it is not embedded with nationalism and has developed along with the country's move to globalization.

A sleepy Jasper catches up on lost hours prior to another night bus.

While I wasn't aware of what the overall matches meant in terms of league table or overall importance to the tournament, these rounds themselves were mesmerizing. If you happen to be in Japan during a sumo tournament, make a point of tracking down some tickets. You'll be wrestling with regret if you fail to do so.

Nagoya

First published: 28 Feb 2013

The Mode Gakuen Spiral Towers in Nagoya.

The interior contains both educational and shopping facilities.

Nagoya is Japan's third-largest city (though fourth in population); a huge urban area with some absolutely stunning scenery. It's much closer to my home in Takamatsu than Tokyo, and only a stone's throw from other revered cities like Osaka, Kobe and Nara. Despite this, Nagoya has never seemed to have had quite the same level of hype or enthusiasm attached to it, and people in my local community often seem somewhat indifferent towards it.

I find this surprising.

In my limited experience, Nagoya is one of the premier destinations in Japan, and my time there is certainly one of the highlights of my travels in this country thus far.

 The busy lobby of Nagoya JR Station.

The famous golden clock in Nagoya station; a popular meeting point.

My first and foremost reason for visiting Nagoya was to catch up with an old university friend of mine named Henry. We had both worked together at the University of Stirling on the student newspaper, 'Brig', where he held the position of Sports section editor at the same time I was editing the Film section. I remembered him fondly from my university days, and was very happy to hear he had moved from England to Japan to work as an English teacher (though not on the JET programme). As such, I'd made it a point to ensure catching up with him while we were both in the country. As the best opportunity happened to be May, a plan was made.

However, one slight hiccup! It transpired that Henry would need to spend the Saturday of my visit at work, and that I would only be able to catch up with him in the evening. No matter. It was still a great opportunity to see a new city on foot; particularly one I knew so little about. As I may have mentioned before, I enjoy exploring Japan by myself, and this was a great opportunity to do so.

Travelling from Takamatsu early on Saturday morning, I arrived in Nagoya just before midday with a rumbling belly. I was overwhelmed by an urge to eat, but luckily, the train station provided the perfect location. The large JR Central Towers were a huge structure built directly upon the central station. After getting slightly lost walking around the perimeter, I was moving several stories high to see gardened verandas and fine dining aplenty on the upper floors. The grandeur of the facility is impressive, and certainly puts the facilities of train stations within the UK to great shame.

The JR Central Towers in Nagoya.

Inside the JR Central Towers.

Quite something to think this is above a train station!

Climbing to the highest floor, I took sanctuary in a small cafe named 'Café Du Ciel', where I enjoyed a very indulgent lunch of waffles, berries and ice cream with coffee. Seated directly next to a pane-glass window while eating on a transparent, glass table was initially daunting but ultimately exhilarating. The view was simply spectacular, with completely, unobstructed exposure to the city skyline. After indulging in lunch, I stayed to treat myself by taking a few photographs.

Café Du Ciel in Nagoya JR Towers.

Not a bad decision for lunch!

After exploring the station area, I made my way towards Ōsu Kannon; a huge temple in central Nagoya with a bit of a complicated history. Originally built in 1333, it was moved to it's current location in 1620, and despite heavy fire damage in the 1800s, was fully restored in the 1970s into it's current form. It's incredibly popular - the place was full of visitors, tourists and pigeons. The scale and structure are very distinct and impressive, while the interior was packed full of Japanese men and woman making Buddhist prayers by ringing the large bell.

Ōsu Kannon temple in Nagoya.

Breathtaking.

I stayed for quite some time without realizing it, only remembering belatedly about the time. I had also wanted to visit Nagoya Castle, though time was quickly getting away from me, and so opted instead to visit somewhere a little different.

After a bit of a trek on the trains, I arrived at the Toyota Techno Museum.

It's technical.

This was quite a unique and interesting place.Not knowing much about cars, or Toyota as a brand in particular, I thought it was a unique opportunity to learn a bit more about something I had no knowledge of prior to to my visit. My visit was brief, as I had a lot to see in only a short space of time before the museum closed for the evening, but I certainly managed to take more than a fair share of photographs and learn a few things.

Cars!

...wait, Toyota made this too?!

Two particular bits of information struck me completely unawares;

(1) Toyota started life purely as a textile machinery manufacturing company, with archaic spinning weaves and different types of cotton on display from the company's formative, pre-car years.

 

It all makes sense now.

(2) The founder of Toyota was actually a man named Sakichi Toyoda. With a "D". His son Kiichiro Toyoda subsequently moved the business into automobiles.

Pretty interesting!

Old school Toyota.

Special highlights included full scale replications of the assembly line in action, and a whole cost of classic Toyota cars on display. I especially enjoyed this little concept car near the end of the exhibition;

This is a car...?

I'd thoroughly recommend exploring this museum to anyone. It really caught me unawares as perhaps the highlight of my time in Nagoya. I would say that finding the museum was a bit of a challenge, though! While only a few stops away from the central Nagoya station, I got slightly lost on foot trying to find the museum. Google Maps on your smartphone is recommended.

Leaving the museum in early evening, I made my way over to a couple of final destinations which happened to be right next to one another; the Oasis 21 complex and the Nagoya TV Tower.

Oasis 21!

The wide, open floor space of Oasis 21. It's quite something.

I decided to head for the tower first, as the light would be fading soon, and I wanted to see the view before it got too dark. However, I couldn't help but take a quick look over the balcony towards the floors of Oasis 21 below. The large open floor space was architecturally striking, but what struck me most was the presence of large dinosaurs formed out of hedges. Normally this would have been completely bizarre, but after all this time, it felt perfectly at home within Japan.

Rarrr!!

After taking a couple of snaps of the impressive, oval-shaped architecture, I made my way to the tower.

Nagoya TV Tower.

The upper floors offered a spectacular view over the city, perfectly aligned to the grid system below. As the night started to creep in, I managed to see some beautiful images as the people became silhouetted against the sky and the lights of the city began to light up the dark. It was mesmerizing, and beautiful (and somewhat romantic, thanks to the appearance of a giant wire-frame love heart that was present).

Inside the Nagoya TV tower at nightfall.

The tower offered equally as stunning imagery from the ground level. It was like a mini-Eiffel tower. Definitely a worthy travel destination (though it is worth noting there are several TV towers of this nature throughout Japan!).

Nagoya TV tower at night.

Nagoya by night; as seen from the Nagoya TV Tower.

Returning to Oasis 21, I only had time for the briefest of walks around the shops, pausing again for a few photos here and there (particularly of the dinosaurs). My priority lay on the roof; a stunning transparent floor of water which looks down upon the centre beneath, distorted by ripples in the water.

Women in kimono stroll on the roof of Oasis 21,

with the Nagoya TV Tower visible in the background.

Peering through water and glass to the floor below.

From the roof, the stunning view of the TV tower was breathtaking, with a peaceful atmosphere away from the busy city life. The bright city lights (including a ferris wheel in view) were being enjoyed by only a few small parties of people walking by, including few women walking around in kimonos. Relaxing with the sights and a cool breeze, I felt perfectly content within this city. It was around this point that it cemented itself as one of my favourite locations within Japan.

The roof of Oasis 21, as seen from the Nagoya TV Tower.

At last, I made my way back through the train lines to find Henry.

Henry had just finished work when I found him outside of his work; wearing a formal suit and with surprising energy for a man just off shift. Having not seen him in years, I was greatly looking forward to catching up. He led me to his local yakiniku restaurant, only a stone's throw from where we were. We relaxed and chatted about Nagoya, Japan, work and university days gone by.

Dinner time!

When we made it back to Henry's house, there was time for only brief video-game amusements (of the Mario Kart Wii variety - clearly inferior to it's N64 sibling). Henry had a mission; the West Ham game was on, and as a massive fan, it was the evening's mandatory entertainment. While I was rather passive towards the game (I only really care for Raith Rovers or Scotland international games), Henry's ongoing change in facial expressions were fun to document. He maintained an ongoing Skype text chat with his father throughout, and their shared burning enthusiasm was palpable.

Despair. Hope. Passion. 

The next morning, Henry and I had a small jaunt around town. Henry had intended to take me to Ōsu Kannon, but of course, I had already seen it. Despite this, I decided it would be fun to go again, regardless. And so we found ourselves back at the same location as the previous day, which I didn't mind at all, as it was a great chance to get even more photos of this particularly beautiful location.

Henry tries his hand at Buddhist prayer in Ōsu Kannon temple.

Ōsu Kannon is located right next to a very busy network of intertwined shopping arcades, which Henry had also wanted to show me. We made our way along the bustling streets, bearing witness to all manner of shop fronts and interesting locales. There was plenty to navigate, which took up a huge chunk of our day!

The busy streets of Ōsu.

Something for everyone, it would seem...

For lunch, Henry and I popped over to a chain of restaurants he insisted upon showing me; "山ちゃん" (Yama-chan). This local chain (which I have never yet seen outwith Nagoya) specialised in tebasaki - essentially chicken-wings with a spicy seasoning. Henry tried to convince me this chain could eventually take over the world a la McDonalds, but I have my reservations. I'm fairly certain the brand wouldn't fare as well internationally as KFC, and it's yet to even spread further outwith Japan itself! Having said that, the food was fantastic - some of the best chicken wings I've ever had. I thoroughly recommend anyone in the Nagoya area to make a stop here for lunch.

 

I approve.

Our main highlight of the day was the evening's rooftop Futsal tournament.

Futsal!

As I said before, Henry is a passionate fan of football, and plays it's 5-a-side variant - futsal - every weekend. Henry had invited me along to get involved in a mini tournament that was taking place that evening; including teams representing Scotland and England. Naturally, I found myself playing for Scotland and Henry for England.

Henry and the England squad.

It is often said that Nagoya has one of the largest foreign communities in Japan, and on this evidence alone, there were quite a few. There was a great turnout of people for the tournament - including several ex-pat Scots who now lived in Nagoya that were playing for the Scotland team. It was fantastic to meet them, listen to their accents and talk about their experiences since moving to Japan.

Passionate players.

I'm not particularly good at football, despite having a lot of affection for the game. I was slightly dreading the experience, as I've always found a few people can take these tournaments very seriously, and was worried a poor performance from me would let my side down (whilst representing my country, no less!). Happily, I don't think I performed all too badly - as I voluntarily kept myself in goals for most of the night. I didn't score any goals, but I kept a few out for our opponents, so that's all that counts!

Staying somewhat out of trouble.

These guys are pretty good.

In our international friendly against England, I'm pleased to report that the Scotland team was victorious! It must be said, of course, that Henry was a far superior player to myself.

Skills.


The evening winds down.

Leaving the tournament, it was a bit of a mad rush to get to the station in time for my late train that would take me back to Takamatsu. I had school the next day and was departing Nagoya around 9pm, so the Shinkansen would be my only sanctuary. After a small jaunt over to the station, which was thankfully not too far away, Henry and I said our farewells. He would shortly be heading off to London for the 2012 Olympics, and I wished him all the best on his travels. It had only been a brief reunion, but a very enjoyable one. Though I haven't seen him since, I'm hopeful that I'll be able to see him again before I make my final departure from Japan.

Luckily, I made it home in time thanks to the marvellous speed of the Shinkansen. Wonderful.

Nagoya's AKB48 variant.

It would only be a few more weeks before I'd be back in Nagoya, as I would be heading back in July to see a Sumo tournament for the first time (!). On this occasion alone, however, Nagoya had impressed me. It truly is a wonderful city, filled with excellent tourist destinations and plenty of chicken wings.

A damn fine place to visit.

Don't overlook it.