Some years ago, at my brother-in-law’s wedding, I was informed that the father of the bride was a sumo fan, and so I sought out Ralph Tsuha at the reception and we had a wonderful conversation about the sport and our favorite rikishi. Ralph was a gentleman, and a gentle man; small in stature, he [...]
Archive for the ‘Sumo’ Category
Ralph’s Zabuton
Posted in Sumo, War on February 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Soul
Posted in Photography, Sumo on August 5, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Kiyokuni and Kashiwado at the moment of impact, photographed by Otani Koukichi in his book, Sumo (1965). In the preface, translated by Masuo Yamaguchi, the author and photographer notes: “My camera is a Nikon F. The lenses I use are F4 x 200 mm, F 2.5 x 80 mm, and F 2.5 x 105 mm. [...]
Yokozuna, 1903
Posted in Postal History, Sumo on June 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Umegatani Totaro II (1878-1927) was sumo’s 20th yokozuna, and this is one sweet postcard from 1903, the year Umegatani was promoted to the sport’s highest rank after the May basho.
Mitoizumi, The Salt Shaker
Posted in Sumo on May 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
One of my favorites in sumo was Mitoizumi, who for his version of the salt-tossing ritual was known to his fans as The Salt Shaker. I was reminded of his style recently while reading David Benjamin’s deliciously irreverent Sumo: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Japan’s National Sport. “No discussion of salt-pitching, however, is adequate without [...]
Konishiki
Posted in Advertising, Sumo on April 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
When Konishiki is your celebrity spokesperson, you get your money’s worth. Above, as “Mr. & Mrs. Lawson,” and below, for Tower Records, on a mousepad.
I’m a Steamroller, Baby
Posted in Sumo on April 10, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Kushimaumi Keita is ready to rumble in this sumo card from 1998, #82 in the BBM (Baseball Magazine) series for that year, and for some reason, I find this image the most daunting of that set. He went 12-3 in that basho, and I think you can see why. The three who won, they must [...]
Quickness
Posted in Literature, Sumo on March 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Sumo, David Benjamin’s revised and updated version of his Joy of Sumo, is as irreverent and delicious a read as was the original. I share an early passage from a chapter in which he is discussing the four basic sumo body types — Jocks, Hippos, Butterballs, and Cabdrivers: “Nobody would ever beat Hippos if they [...]
Sumo Christmas Card
Posted in Art, Religion, Sumo on January 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Sumo Season’s Greetings from my nephew, Sean Winship, in Nara, Japan. It doesn’t get much better than this.
