Sumo - The beautiful art of fat people fighting

Osaka. Not much to report. Our hotel was a little in the sticks which gave us a few headaches trying to find. In the end after catching the wrong train, getting off at the worng station and then finally getting somewhere only to find that the station we wanted was run by a different company and so was located a few kilometers away, we surrendered. Called a taxi and told them to take us home. Exhausted by this adventure we were adament that we would rest a while (all this walking we have been doing has been taking it's toll - not sure we are as young as we used to be) when we realised that there was a Sumo tournament in town! Whoop! How could we resist. Off to town we headed, paid our money and took our seats.

Sumo is sooo cool. Wrestling with ancient rituals, salt throwing, hairstiles which were fashionable when sumurai were still around and semi-naked men in nappies. What is not to like? It was just as we imagined it would be. The crowd were not quite as enthusiastic as lets say, a football match or a boxing match, but when the big names of the day came on they at least raised themselves from the reclined position that most were in to clap and cheer. Obviously not having a clue who anyone was we just supported anyone we liked ... the big guy with a bandage on his knee, the one in a purple outfit, and the skinny white guy who suprisingly won over the big Japanese guy. Then at the end the funky dance which I am sure has some deeper meaning, but looked like a one man Japanese Haka.

All in all a perfect way to end our trip to Japan.