Sumo Size Me!

Yesterday was an office (boring) day, but this time there were 4 of us there instead of the usual 2. We went to Kyoko’s restaurant for lunch and she offered to come pick us up at 2:45 to take us to see some sumo wrestlers present at an elementary school. So, she calls our supervisor and he said ok. Kyoko’s family owns a Chanko (sumo food) restaurant and they are well acquainted with a number of sumo wrestlers. The sumo tournament is going on now so their accommodating a few of them. The presentation was good. The kids got to ask questions then they got to wrestle. Then it was our turn. I put up a good fight but he picked me up and put me outside the rink! SO MUCH FUN! As you can see I’m whipping his tail in the ring. Then, he cheats (ok so it’s not really cheating) and picks me up to put me out of the ring. So, as far as I’m concerned, I WON! Tonight, we had dinner with them at Kyoko’s restaurant. When we neared the door of the banquet hall, there were two huge vats of Chanko Nabe (soup with veggies and meat that is a staple of the Sumo diet). The people at the door gave me a bag for my shoes and showed me to my table in front. I got to take pictures with two more wrestlers (one of whom is 2nd in the nation...or maybe in his bracket...I'm standing next to him) and the man who appears to be in charge of their particular sumo stable (wearing green).

I had a good time aside from one case of sexual harassment, which they seem to have no concept of here. By Western standards, it’s out of control. An old man came to our table and while talking to us, he pointed at me and made a comment about my chest and gestured. I’m so mad that I don’t know how to be rude in Japanese. So I stopped smiling and talking until he finally left the table.

Note to self: Learn to tell someone “where they can go/what they can do when they get there” in Japanese!!!

Everyone else was really nice and the food was good. Kyoko called me and another English teacher to the microphone to introduce ourselves. I messed up and did mine in Japanese and everyone wanted to stop me to talk on the way back to my table! We took pictures with a bunch of the guests and the sumo wrestlers. I bought a calendar so the guest of honor could sign the page he was on. There was a raffle so people won cases of fruit, fish, etc. And near the end of the night they came over and shared their stuff with us which was so nice of them. I came home with a persimmon, a huge apple, assorted mochi, and a bunch of bananas…As well as an unwanted business card from some old man who wanted me to email him. Ha! Yeah Right!!! Drunk and old are a combination that prove fatal for my interest in talking/listening to Japanese men. And I sure as heck won’t be emailing any.