Los Angeles Grand Sumo Tournament, Jun. 7-8
Cultural News, May 2008
Top ranking sumo wrestlers of the Japan Sumo Association will compete in the two-day Los Angeles tournament. (Courtesy of 2008 Los Angeles Grand Sumo Tournament)
The Los Angeles Grand Sumo Tournament with 42 top ranking sumo wrestlers from the Nihon Sumo Kyokai (Japan Sumo Association) will be held on June, 7-8 (Saturday and Sunday) at 4 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, 3939 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90037.
Tickets are $420, $250, $140, $80, $35. For tickets, call (213) 620-9723 or visit www.sumotour.com.
Considered as the major league division in the sumo circle, 42 Makunouchi rank sumo wrestlers include yokozuna (Grand Champion) Asashoryu and yokozuna Hakuho.
This event marks the return of Japanese professional sumo wrestling to Los Angeles for the first time since 1981. The Los Angeles Grand Sumo Tournament was made possible by the efforts of Japanese businessman Shigemitsu Inohana of Hawaii. Inohana also brought the Grand Sumo to Honolulu on June 2007.
In Japan, there are six Grand Tournaments a year, there are held in Tokyo, one in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. A tournament lasts for fifteen days, each sumo wrestler fighting once every day with a different opponent. The winner of the tournament, in other words the sumo wrestler with the best record of wins over losses, is awarded the Emperor’s Cup on the final day after the last match.
In the Los Angeles Grand Sumo Tournament, the winner of the two-day tournament will be awarded the Sakura Cup sponsored by Osaka-based Cray-Pas oil pastel distributor Sakura of America in Hayward, California.
The Los Angeles Tournament will bring not only sumo matches but also the Shokkiri show prior to the games. The Shokkiri would demonstrate the kinjite, or prohibited moves in a comical way. The Shokkiri are never performed at the regular six tournaments in Japan. The pre-game entertainment by sumo wrestlers can be seen only in tour tournaments between the regular schedules.