Sumo! and other stuff

So, this weekend I went to Tokyo to see some sumo matches. Here are some pictures.


This is the stadium. We got there a little early.


This is the first part of the ceremony - where all the guys in the same class (who are about to wrestle) come out. There's a lot of ceremony for a sport that consists of two guys in diapers trying to push each other out of a circle.


Then this guy comes out and purifies the ring by screaming and stamping his feet.


When the wrestlers come out, they line up and look at each other.


Then they stamp their feet.


Then they go to their corners and throw salt onto the ring to purify it.

They do this several times - going to the center, looking at each other, and then going back to their corners to stamp their feet, slap themselves, and throw salt.

When their ready to fight, they go back to their corners - to get psyched up.


Like this guy right here.


Then they fight - like these guys.


Then someone ends up on his face - like this guy.


Or thrown out of the ring - like this guy.


This guy had a lot of sponsors.


On Sunday, I went to Harajuku where things happen on Sundays.

First, there's the Rock-a-Billy guys with the big hair.


They're there every Sunday.


They have big hair.


And they dance around.

There are also a ton of bands that gather along the sidewalk leading from the train station to the park.


Like these guys.


And this guy.


And his fans, who all know to lean back in unison.


This band is cool. They're an all female (except for two guys) calypso, steal-drum band.


And of course - this band.


In the park, there was a Jamaican/Reggae festival going on. The music wasn't great, but the food was good, and the crowd was interesting.



Check out this group


Um...



More crowd.


And, that's that.