The Ring of Spirit and Form: My Reflections on Sumo in Sendai
Watching Sumo Wrestling was one of my favorite pastimes during my years in Sendai. I would eagerly follow the Ōzumō Honbasho—the official grand tournaments held throughout the year—watching from beginning to end, rooting for my champions Takanohana and Akebono-san. Their intense matches were not only gripping but stirred something deeper in me, beyond sport. I was inspired to sketch, study, and reflect.
Sumo was more than just entertainment. It became a source of artistic and spiritual inquiry.
My sketchbooks from that period are filled with studies of Sumo wrestlers—their forms, movements, gestures. To me, they represented the ideal male figure studies for any serious art student. Their bodies, massive and grounded, moved with a grace and deliberateness that defied their size. Each movement seemed to come from a deep inner stillness.
But what struck me even more than their physicality was the ritual. The ring-entering ceremony, both group and individual, mirrored the Zen practice of entering a Zendo—deliberate, mindful, rooted in awareness. The throwing of salt before a bout, a seemingly simple gesture, resonated with me as a form of spiritual purification, akin to rituals across the East and other sacred traditions. Salt neutralizes the space, dispels negativity, and prepares the ground for clarity and presence.
Looking back, I now understand that Sumo is not just a sport—it is a living shrine ritual. Every element of it, from the foot stomping to the bowed exits, is imbued with Shinto spirituality and Zen consciousness. It is a dance between presence and force, mass and silence.
The figures of Takanohana and Akebono were iconic in the 1990s—a clash of tradition and change, both champions in their own right. Takanohana, the stoic and precise native son of Sumo lineage; Akebono, the Hawaiian-born powerhouse who entered this sacred tradition with humility and strength.
In the ring, they were a clash of two Mountains: East and West.
Their rivalry was mythic, yet full of mutual respect.
I also spent time reading up on the history of Sumo, its Shinto origins, and its transformation into Japan’s national sport. What started as an offering to the gods for a good harvest evolved into a cultural emblem, yet retained its spiritual depth and ceremonial power. This fusion of art, spirit, and culture inspired me endlessly.
Now, years later, as I revisit my Sendai sketchbooks, I will begin to post select works on this blog, as part of a visual and written homage to this beautiful practice. These drawings carry not just form, but memory, insight, and gratitude.
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