Photographing a Sumo Event in Tokyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan
Sumo wrestling has been an integral a part of Japanese tradition for hundreds of years, and its tournaments have captivated audiences all around the world, some intensely , others puzzled however amused by what they’re witnessing.
*A bit of warning for individuals who don’t need to see an excessive amount of flesh, the photographs inside this text do showcase quite a lot of pores and skin. I’ve tried to {photograph} the occasion tastefully and used inventive methods to make the pictures a bit of extra arty…hopefully you’ll take pleasure in seeing a peek inside this fascinating Japanese sport.
On my current journey to Tokyo, I used to be fortunate sufficient to order a ticket to the September event at Ryogoku Kokugikan, the nationwide sumo area of Japan. I reserved the seat on-line, picked up the tickets at an area 7-Eleven retailer and had no concept as to the place we’d be sitting, however assumed it will be very removed from the motion as a result of they have been roughly $20AUD.
Spoiler, we have been within the very again row, however this truly ended up being ideally suited for somebody who had no concept what was occurring and wished to {photograph} as a lot as attainable with out getting in anybody’s means.
So, let’s chat about sumo wrestling, a phrase I by no means thought I’d be typing. I need to supply an perception into what it’s prefer to {photograph} at a sumo event, some pictures ideas to assist plan what lenses to pack and what digital camera settings work finest, plus a bit of perception into what the heck is definitely occurring once they step into the ring, or extra particularly, dohyō.
One of the crucial outstanding sumo tournaments is held yearly in September in Tokyo, only a few blocks down from the Tokyo Skytree at Ryogoku Kokugikan Nationwide Sumo Enviornment. This occasion not solely showcases the bodily prowess and talent of sumo wrestlers but additionally pays homage to the wealthy custom and historical past of this revered sport. The sector, the environment and the evident tradition present an enchanting perception into each the rivals and the followers.
Sumo wrestling dates to historical Japan, with its origins deeply rooted in Shinto rituals. Thought of a sacred occasion, it was believed to be a option to entertain the gods and produce luck to the neighborhood. Over time, it advanced right into a extremely expert sport that calls for immense energy, agility, and psychological self-discipline. At present, sumo tournaments are held in grand arenas known as “kokugikan,” which interprets to “nationwide sport corridor,” symbolising the importance of this historical custom.
The September Sumo Event in Tokyo
The September sumo event in Tokyo is among the most prestigious occasions on the sumo wrestling calendar. The event, referred to as the “Aki Basho,” attracts followers from all over the world who collect on the Ryogoku Kokugikan to witness the extreme battles between sumo wrestlers, or “rikishi.” These wrestlers, carrying nothing greater than loincloths and an emblem of their steady’s crest, preserving the simplicity and sacredness of the game.
I have to admit to being a bit of shocked after I first placed on the 40-150mm F2.8 professional lens and paired it with my MC-20 2 x teleconverter to get nearer to the motion…hiya pores and skin!
The event spans over fifteen days, with every day’s matches divided into numerous divisions, ranging from the lowest-ranked wrestlers, referred to as “jonokuchi,” to the highest-ranked, known as “makuuchi.” The competitors progresses in a round-robin format, the place every wrestler fights in opposition to each different wrestler inside their division. The aim is to win as many matches as attainable to safe a better rank within the following tournaments.
The principle matches with the makuuchi begin round 4:30pm and final roughly an hour and a half. Nevertheless, the day begins at 9am and you may enter the stadium to look at the decrease ranked rivals too. We arrived at 11am, as a result of I wished time to get adjusted to the circumstances, attempt to work out what was happening and the way the whole lot flowed. By arriving early, we had loads of house round us as a lot of the crowd didn’t arrive till 3-4pm, it meant I may transfer round in my seat with out bothering anyway and gave me an opportunity to check out come inventive methods with quite a lot of matches.
Within the morning, the environment contained in the Ryogoku Kokugikan was actually fairly relaxed, as soon as the larger matches began occurring round 5pm although, it’s electrifying, with the group chanting the names of their favorite wrestlers and waving indicators.
Picture Ideas for Sumo Wrestling
Firstly, no flash pictures is allowed (until you’re a registered member of the press), and also you’re not permitted to stroll the aisles attempting to get a greater vantage level. Basically, you’re taking your seat and {photograph} from it.
Because of the format of the world, it’s very easy to {photograph} from virtually any seat, as I mentioned, I used to be within the very again row and nonetheless cherished the expertise and got here away with quite a lot of pictures I used to be actually proud of.
- Pack a zoom lens, in the event you’re like me and find yourself within the again row, you’ll want all of the zoom you will get in the event you’re in search of nearer pictures of the rivals. I had the OM SYSTEM OM-1 digital camera paired with the 40-150mm f2.8 professional lens and the MC-20 2x teleconverter on for a lot of the day.
- There are many matches all through the day, so watch a couple of first to see what facets you need to {photograph} and begin to generate some inventive concepts for the way.
- Go searching to see what different parts you possibly can embody inside your pictures, I cherished bending barely in my seat to include the golden glow of the banister. At first it felt prefer it was in my means, however then I discovered a option to compose the pictures and produce some inventive pictures that includes the rivals and a little bit of golden bokeh.
- Don’t be so consumed by taking photographs that you simply miss the expertise and participating within the environment.
- Loads of the matches are over inside mere seconds, so it may be useful to set your digital camera to seize a number of frames. I used to be utilizing the OM SYSTEM Professional Seize as soon as the matches obtained actually spectacular!
- The press pit is situated proper beside the dohyō, in the event you’re sitting reverse, it may be enjoyable to time your pictures with their flashes to assist create a picture that highlights the spectacle and provides an extra pop of sunshine to set the scene.
- It’s possible you’ll want to extend your ISO to round 1600 and shoot with a quick shutter velocity to comfortably seize the motion with out blur. It’s comparatively well-lit inside the world, nevertheless relying on the place you’re seated, the decrease mild could make issues a bit of trickier.
- Earlier than every match, the sumo wrestlers will stretch and do the identical routine. This can be a nice likelihood to seize portraits and experiment with numerous angles, compositions and topics.
Inventive Problem – Photographing Motion
There are a bunch of matches all through the day, so many that you simply’ll ultimately need to experiment and get a bit of inventive along with your images.
Give lengthy exposures a go to seize the motion and movement of the athletes, but additionally the custom. Between matches somebody will come out to make use of a brush to comb the floor, for every stage of competitors, there’s a parade of rivals and the motion right here is extremely enjoyable to seize as they stroll across the dohyō with the colorful crests.
As soon as the higher-ranked sumo wrestlers take the stage, you’ll discover a parade of banners earlier than every match begins. These are sponsors, and the extra money on the match, the extra vibrant banners are paraded round. It’s truly fairly enjoyable to see as a result of it might start with three banners, then an additional six will come from a distinct course and the group goes wild with cheers. Throughout this time the sumo wrestlers are getting ready so you possibly can seize the motion of the banners whereas they’re within the body.
Get Sumo Tickets
The schedule for the yr’s tournaments may be discovered on the official web site right here, the positioning additionally states when tickets are launched and learn how to buy them.
For the September event, I truly bought mine about three weeks prematurely, nevertheless there was solely the one date left, and the seats have been within the again row. When you’re hoping to have a bit of extra selection by way of date and seat allocation, you should definitely reserve your tickets the second they’re launched, sometimes about 6-8 weeks earlier than a event.
Reserve your tickets right here – https://www.sumo.or.jp/EnTicket/ (The English model must be seen, if not, there’s a language tab on the high of the display screen)
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Hi there! I’m the founder and photographer behind The Wandering Lens.
With 17+yrs expertise as knowledgeable journey and panorama photographer, all recommendation discovered on this web site is from my private expertise on the highway. I hope it’s helpful to your personal travels and would love to listen to within the feedback about your journeys and experiences all over the world.
