Sumo is not simply a sport: Like kabuki theater, it's a tradition and an important cultural heritage with a long history. This exhibition showcases nearly 100 sumo-e, ukiyo-e prints of sumo wrestlers, which date back to the early 19th century and are selected from the Kazuyoshi Ishiguro collection.
Many of the prints are portraits — such as Kuniyasu Utagawa's Nishiki Tatsutaro, a sumo wrestler whose handsome appearance made him particularly popular, and Kunisada Utagawa's depiction of Ikizuki Geitazaemon, who was famous for being 2.3 meters tall; June 1-June 26.
Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art; 1-10-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Harajuku Stn. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. ¥700. Closed Mon. 03-5777-8600; www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp
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