Wakayama: Sumo Wrestlers Come on Autumn Jungyo Tour; 3,600 Fans Attend Performance, Meet Athletes Close-Up

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:11 JST, November 2, 2024

WAKAYAMA — A large group of sumo wrestlers recently visited Wakayama City for an event called the Wakayama Basho as part of their autumn jungyo regional tour. The event took place at Wakayama Big Whale multipurpose hall in the city on Oct. 20, attracting about 3,600 sumo fans.

In addition to the Grand Sumo Tournaments, sumo wrestlers travel to various locations around Japan on the jungyo tour in April, August, October and December. This is the second consecutive year in which the Wakayama Basho has taken place, following the one last October.

About 180 sumo wrestlers, including ozeki Kotozakura and Hoshoryu, took part in the event along with gyoji referees. The crowd cheered every time the two ozeki, or other popular wrestlers, such as Tobizaru, appeared for training sessions and bouts.

Between matches, the wrestlers performed Sumo Jinku, in which they sang sumo folk songs while others clapped and chanted along, and shokkiri comedy routines featuring forbidden sumo moves.

The wrestlers also took pictures with fans and signed autographs.

“Being able to have up-close encounters with wrestlers is one of the attractions of the jungyo tour,” said a 40-year-old woman, who took a picture with komusubi Daieisho.