Sumo wrestlers are preparing to take their sport to Thailand, with a three-day exhibition planned there next June. The tournament will be held in Bangkok to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and Thailand.
On Friday, children in the capital got up close and personal with sumo wrestlers at an event held to drum up interest in the upcoming competition.Two wrestlers, known as rikishi, visited a school in Bangkok. The children got to test their strength in a tug-of-war.
A boy commented admiringly on their strength.
A girl said, “On TV, the wrestlers don’t look so big, but they’re actually very big and tall.”
Also on Friday, rikishi gave a performance at the Thai foreign ministry. Sumo is Japan’s traditional sport, with a history dating back 1,500 years. The exhibition will be the first in Thailand, and the third consecutive overseas performance following one in London last year and another in Paris this year.
Source: www3.nhk.or.jp
