Sumo wrestlers enjoy the view of London before their match

This week, the official Grand Sumo Championship will be held outside Japan for the first time in 20 years. London’s Royal Albert Hall is the venue for the highly anticipated five-day event, which begins on Wednesday. This is the second time the iconic 154-year-old Kensington venue has hosted sumo. Forty wrestlers flew to the UK to compete and judging from their photos, they seemed to make the most of the trip.

Visiting the Royal Guards (left) and the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum (right) | Image via crane018511 on X

Sumo wrestlers appear at iconic London attraction

Hard to miss, Londoners have spotted them all over the city, including at the National Museum of History, shopping at Marks & Spencer, holding the famous The tram squeezes into a red telephone box in front of platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross station. They also stopped to take photos with locals while visiting some of London’s most famous sights, such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, the Elizabeth Tower with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Two of the sport’s biggest names – overall champions Onori and Hōryu – have also been keeping an eye on it. They posed for a commemorative photo as they crossed Westminster Bridge over the Thames in front of Big Ben. This is a recreation of the 1991 photo of the legendary Akebono and Wakada. “I saw that photo from 34 years ago,” explain Ono smiled. He was also seen sharing hot dogs with rival Hoshoryu.

Visit Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station | Image via isenoumibeya on X

Harry Potter fan Ono is delighted to be in the UK

Onori, 25, was promoted to the highest yokozuna rank in May after winning the Grand Sumo Championships in the summer. Ishikawa-born Daiki Nakamura achieved the feat in just 13 professional matches, making him the fastest person to achieve the prestigious rank in the modern era. When asked about his first impression of London, he replied: “Cold.” However, he added that he was happy to be in the city because he is a fan of Harry Potter.

Fellow overall winner Hoshoryu was also delighted to be in London and said he was “surprised” by the warm reception they received at the airport. The highlight of his trip so far is the Horse Guards Parade at Buckingham Palace. He was among the second group of wrestlers to arrive at Heathrow Airport on Sunday. The first shipment arrived a day early. Most of the touring wrestlers are visiting London for the first time.

Competitors gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to hear the opening speech of the championship | Image via sumokyokai on X

Authentic sumo experience

The Royal Albert Hall originally planned to resume hosting exhibition matches in 2021, but had to cancel due to the epidemic. It ensured the event was as realistic as possible, using real soil and sandy soil (rings), and a roof “reminiscent of a shrine”. Tickets sold out immediately. The last major sumo tournament held overseas was in October 2005 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

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