Fuelled by social media and a rare visit by Japan’s elite wrestlers, growing numbers of Britons are taking part in the centuries-old sport
It is a centuries-old Japanese tradition, steeped in ceremony, with roots deep in the ancient faith of Shintoism … and it also happens to be super popular on TikTok.
Sumo is finding a new audience in the UK and, not only that, many Britons are now donning a loincloth – or mawashi – and taking up the sport themselves. So much so, in fact, that amateur wrestlers from across the UK and Ireland are gearing up for the first ever British Isles Sumo Championships, due to be held in six weeks.
It comes after sumo’s elite professionals captured hearts in October when they visited from Japan for a grand tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London. They were pictured wholesomely visiting Horse Guards Parade, enjoying Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross station and riding Lime bikes around London.
The competition, only the second time it has taken place outside Japan, sold out immediately and fans were treated to bouts from the most famous wrestlers in the sport. This included two grand champions – or yokozuna – Japan’s Ōnosato Daiki and his rival, the Mongolian Hōshōryū Tomokatsu.
