Top sumo wrestlers stomp in the New Year

Jan 11, 2016 Three top-ranking sumo wrestlers recently performed a traditional foot-stomping ceremony at a Tokyo shrine to usher in the New Year.

Mongolian-born Hakuho, Harumafuji and Kakuryu visited the Meiji shrine to participate in the ceremony.

The crowd applauded as each wrestler entered the shrine accompanied by two lesser-ranked sumo wrestlers from their place of training.

Hakuho, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest sumo wrestlers of all time, having won 33 top division championships said:

“I will enter the tenth year in my career in May after the summer tournament, and so it felt great to participate today looking back on my start ten years ago,”

Mami Nasuda, a 53-year-old piano teacher, dressed in traditional Japanese kimono spoke at the event saying:

“Under the situation that many Japanese people have been apart from sumo, I sincerely appreciate these (Mongolian) sumo wrestlers truly love Japan and inherit Japanese culture,”