It's been a pretty boring couple of days around here, which is why I didn't bother to update.
Until now that is.
I mean, I could tell you about making chili and playing piano for Rachael before hanging out with Evan last night, or the fact that the Japanese really nearly messed up my upcoming trip to Hokkaido by changing all our days off...
but those things aren't really that life-changing.
However, today was a life-changing day. Maybe a better word would be life-affirming.
I don't know why. I'm not really sure what about watching giant men wrestle each other around a ring and Brazilian BBQ would seem inspiring on the surface. But there it is.
I'm awash in inspiration today.
Everything around me just seems new and exciting and inspiring to the artist in me. Which is probably why I got that incredible photo of an ume (Japanese plum) barely blossoming from my camera this afternoon!
Guess I'm finally getting out of my funk, ne?
I had the incredible opportunity to go see one of the 3 major Sumo tournaments at Kokugikan today with a friend of mine. Now going into today, I didn't know much about sumo wrestling except the 5 minutes I had seen on TV the other day, the fact that giant men in loincloths try to knock each other over or out of the ring, and that going to one of these semi-annual 15-day tournaments is really awesome.
So, we got 2nd level seats for Day 10 of the tournament, and I did a ton of reading late last night on the website before heading there this morning.
As it turns out, sumo is really a fascinating sport that grew out of ancient Shinto rituals and was refined and regulated by the Shogunate in the Edo Period. And by the end of today, I learned that the sport is much more fascinating and awe-inspiring than it appears on the surface.
Yes, there is a lot of waiting in between the matches, which are usually about 10-15 seconds long. But it is limited to 4 minutes, and by the end of the day, the waiting during staredowns only adds to the excitement and anticipation of which rikishi will prevail. And you get to watch about 100 matches over the course of the day that only get better as the day progresses.
I guess over the years I've just found other country's sports so interesting. I got completely wrapped up in cricket and the Ashes Test when I was visiting Australia 3 years ago, and today I was completely wrapped up in sumo. And I think that's because when I stop and take the time to learn about the culture and rules and regulations behind a sport with someone who understands it and can explain it, the more I delve into it, the more I become a fan.
So I had the incredible experience of learning about the levels of wrestlers, and touring the museum which showed off the two years when 4 yokozuna (the ultimate level of Sumo of which only 69 men have reached in the past 300 years) were competing at once.
And I was in awe. Of how incredible these men are.
And despite being giant oversized men who fight for a living, they are surprisingly kind and generous and artistic individuals.
So today, I felt like a Japanese citizen watching these men wrestle in a sport that has heavy roots in the spiritual culture of this country. And boy did I get mad when all those gai-jin were behaving like jerks.
Except the awesome ones who are sumo wrestlers. They knocked my socks off.
And after that, I ate Brazilian Barbeque until I was stuffed. But I don't think I'll be eating chicken hearts again. That was just too much for my brain and stomach to handle.
And now, with a full belly and a day watching Japan's national sport (when I've never been to an NFL game), I feel incredibly inspired and fortunate at a life that has led me to this -- living in Japan and experiencing unbelievable new and foreign things.
And that my friends, was a pretty awesome day.
And I'm going to the Ghibli (JapAnime) museum tomorrow.
Seriously. Who could ask for anything more?
Enjoy the video below of the day! It includes a sumo match, part of the pseud0-"zamboni-ing" of the dohyo (including an awesome watering can!), and some of the rituals that lead up to a match...
