There are not many sports that can keep an audience enraptured through 45 minutes of ceremony before the first point is even contested. And yet, the intricate traditions unfolding in a small clay ring - virtually unchanged in hundreds of years - managed to do just that.
Welcome, then, to the Grand Sumo Tournament - a five-day event at the Royal Albert Hall featuring 40 of the very best sumo wrestlers showcasing a sport which can date its first mention back to 23BC.
London's Victorian concert venue has been utterly transformed, complete with a six-tonne Japanese temple roof suspended above the ring. It is here the wrestlers, known as rikishi, perform their leg stomps to drive away evil spirits, and clap to get the attention of the gods.
Above all this ancient ceremony, a giant, revolving LED screen offers the audience all the stats and replays they could want. Sumo may be ancient, and may have strict rules governing every aspect of a rikishi's conduct, but it still exists in a modern world. And that modern world is helping spread sumo far beyond Japan's borders.
The London tournament is only the second time the event has been held in the city, attracting fans like Sian Spencer, who discovered the sport through random online videos and became captivated through dedicated YouTube channels about sumo stables.
Other fans like Julia and Cezar from Edinburgh found their passion for sumo during a trip to Japan and have taken to communities online to connect over their love of the sport. The event in London served as an opportunity for them and many others to experience sumo live, something many had never done before.
The electric atmosphere of the matches reveals the speed and power of the rikishi, creating unforgettable moments, especially when wrestlers fall into the audience or perform elaborate entering ceremonies.
Despite past controversies in the world of sumo, enthusiasm and community spirit remain strong among fans, enriching the experience of witnessing this blend of tradition and modern fandom.
Welcome, then, to the Grand Sumo Tournament - a five-day event at the Royal Albert Hall featuring 40 of the very best sumo wrestlers showcasing a sport which can date its first mention back to 23BC.
London's Victorian concert venue has been utterly transformed, complete with a six-tonne Japanese temple roof suspended above the ring. It is here the wrestlers, known as rikishi, perform their leg stomps to drive away evil spirits, and clap to get the attention of the gods.
Above all this ancient ceremony, a giant, revolving LED screen offers the audience all the stats and replays they could want. Sumo may be ancient, and may have strict rules governing every aspect of a rikishi's conduct, but it still exists in a modern world. And that modern world is helping spread sumo far beyond Japan's borders.
The London tournament is only the second time the event has been held in the city, attracting fans like Sian Spencer, who discovered the sport through random online videos and became captivated through dedicated YouTube channels about sumo stables.
Other fans like Julia and Cezar from Edinburgh found their passion for sumo during a trip to Japan and have taken to communities online to connect over their love of the sport. The event in London served as an opportunity for them and many others to experience sumo live, something many had never done before.
The electric atmosphere of the matches reveals the speed and power of the rikishi, creating unforgettable moments, especially when wrestlers fall into the audience or perform elaborate entering ceremonies.
Despite past controversies in the world of sumo, enthusiasm and community spirit remain strong among fans, enriching the experience of witnessing this blend of tradition and modern fandom.
