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John Gunning
SUMO
Nov 15, 2018
Sumo 101: Shitakubeya (dressing rooms)
Whether in the Kokugikan in Tokyo, or at one of the regional tournaments in Osaka, Nagoya or Fukuoka, sumo wrestlers warm up and prepare for their bouts in dressing rooms called shitakubeya.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 14, 2018
Sumo 101: Tokoyama (Hairdressers)
Outside of wrestlers and stablemasters, there are three main jobs in the Japan Sumo Association: gyoji (referee), yobidashi (ring announcer) and tokoyama (hairdresser).
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 13, 2018
Sumo 101: Nobori
Go to any sumo tournament and the first thing you'll notice is the array of giant colorful flags on bamboo poles in front of the stadium.
SUMO
Nov 12, 2018
Sumo 101: Chanko
Sumo wrestlers don't eat before training.
Japan Times
SUMO
Nov 11, 2018
Sumo 101: Shonichi
The first day of the basho brings plenty of optimism — and ceremony — for competing wrestlers.
SUMO
Nov 7, 2018
Higher-ranked wrestlers in driver's seat in Kyushu
November is upon us and that means the final sumo tournament of the year is just days away.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Nov 7, 2018
Wrestlers settle into unique Kyushu location
The ring purification ceremony for the upcoming Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament takes places at Fukuoka Kokusai Center on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 10 a.m.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 31, 2018
Sumo dominance down to heart over matter
The newly-released banzuke (rankings) for the upcoming Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament see Hakuho back in his old familiar 'Yokozuna 1 East' position.
Japan Times
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 24, 2018
Sumo boasts rich history of multiculturalism
Visitors to Japan, encountering sumo for the first time, are often surprised to learn that not only are there rikishi from places as far afield as Georgia, Mongolia and Hawaii, but that foreigners have dominated the sport for the better part of a decade and a half.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 17, 2018
Kyushu Basho an underrated gem for fans
Sumo's Autumn Regional Tour has reached Kansai and will continue winding its way westward until it arrives in Yamaguchi prefecture at the end of the month.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 10, 2018
Departed yokozuna Wajima brought charisma to ring
Last week's column featured links between sumo and American football, including a mention of how yokozuna Wakanohana took up the latter sport after retiring from the raised ring.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Oct 3, 2018
Sumo skills applicable on the gridiron, not in the ring
Former top-division wrestler Osunaarashi fell to 45-year-old actor Bob Sapp in his mixed martial arts debut this week.
SUMO / INSIDE SUMO
Sep 26, 2018
Takanohana's departure marks end of era for sumo
Takanohana's retirement, announced on Tuesday, brings to an end the Hanada dynasty's 72-year-long involvement in sumo.
SUMO
Sep 23, 2018
Sumo 101: Hobbies
All sumo wrestlers get a week off starting the day after a tournament ends.
SUMO
Sep 22, 2018
Sumo 101: Senshuraku
The last day of a sumo tournament is called senshuraku and it's packed with all kinds of ceremonies and events not seen over the preceding 14.
SUMO
Sep 21, 2018
Sumo 101: Yokozuna
Yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo.
SUMO
Sep 20, 2018
Sumo 101: Winning techniques
The Japan Sumo Association lists 82 different ways to win a bout. These winning techniques are called kimarite and the applicable one is announced in the arena immediately following each fight.
SUMO
Sep 19, 2018
Sumo 101: Sumo school
Sumo is a Darwinian world, but even in this harsh unforgiving environment, new recruits aren't given a "Battle Royale"-style "here's your mawashi — try to survive" induction.
SUMO
Sep 18, 2018
Sumo 101: Heya (Stables)
Sumo isn't really a sport in the true sense of the word. It's a combination of sport, religion and entertainment wrapped up in a quasi-monastic and militaristic lifestyle.
SUMO
Sep 17, 2018
Sumo 101: Ryogoku
Sumo is Japan's national sport and can be seen from one end of the country to the other in both official tournaments as well as regional tours.
Japan's biggest beef bowl chain Sukiya to shut nearly 2,000 stores after rat and bug contamination
Zensho Holdings, operator of fast-food chain Sukiya, said it will close all of its stores in Japan, except for a small number in shopping centers, between Monday and Friday following recent contamination incidents.
Alert raised for volcano in southwestern Japan
Shinmoedake, a volcano located between Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, in November 2019
Japan considers all possible options as Trump threatens new auto tariffs
Subaru cars awaiting export at a port in Yokohama on Thursday.
Nankai Trough earthquake could kill 298,000 people, government says
Residents participate in an evacuation drill held with West Japan Railway in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, in January 2024 to prepare for a Nankai Trough earthquake and a possible tsunami following the quake.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
A Canadian made a weekend trip to Costco a Japanese pastime
Under the watchful eye of Ken Theriault, Costco representative director and Japan country manager, the American membership-model wholesaler has flourished in Japan.
Tokyo tech failures lean into misfortune, mistakes and missteps
Tsuyoshi Domoto in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on March 28. As an entrepreneur, Domoto experienced plenty of setbacks but maintains a positive attitude and continues to pursue his dreams.
Who among the opposition would join the ruling coalition?
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba enters his office in Tokyo on Friday.
Traveling the Three-Star Road, the tourist route made from thin air
Scenes like this snow-covered bridge leading to the village of Shirakawa-go are what make the Three-Star Road worth traveling — its name notwithstanding.
Recent spate of wildfires in Japan and South Korea linked to climate change
Smoke and flames rise from a wildfire in Andong, South Korea, on Tuesday.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

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The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan
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