The Tokyo Traveler

A fun article by a fellow Japan blogger on the history behind why you have to remember to Keep to the Left! in Japan.
Check out some of the videos on the Japan National Tourist Organizations YouTube Channel.
Have you heard about the banana diet fad in Japan?
Allegations of fixed matches and more in the world of Sumo Wrestling.
Tokyo – Eat Like a Local is featured in the October issue of Budget Travel.
Lastly, read about the Jenns family travels in Japan at Intelligent Travel.
Image Credit:  Wikimedia, Iwasa Katsushige 001

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A recent scandal rocked the Sumo world in Japan when three foreign born wrestlers were banned for life from the sport for smoking marijuana.  The chairman of of Japan’s Sumo Federation has resigned and The Mainichi Daily News reports on this and other recent scandals and provides some insight into the closed nature of the Sumo Association in Japan.
Japanese drink maker Yakult will begin selling Probiotic drinks in at Fry’s stores in Arizona following successful launches in central and southern California and the San Francisco Bay area.
Food scandals are making the news in Japan – Firms are being caught selling …read more

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The September Sumo Grand Tournament will be held between September 14th and 28th at the Kokugikan in the Ryogoku area of Tokyo and will be your last chance to catch a tournament in Tokyo this year! 
If you will be in Tokyo during this time, this is one event that you will definitely want to include in your itinerary.  Book your tickets in advance or get to the the ticket office early in the day as tournament day chair seats (general admission) are limited to around 400 and go on sale at 8:30AM.
If my enthusiasm for this event hasn’t made …read more

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Sumo was in Los Angeles this past weekend.  NPR has an interesting article and an audio report. (via Japundit)
Japanese women in the San Francisco art scene talk about creative freedom and the differences in the culture.  Hiroko Sakai, one of the artists features says that Japanese women are like willow trees, “They can be bent easily, but it is very hard once you try to break them.”
Einstein’s 1922 visit to Japan was very successful and created an interest in scientific study.  What came shortly after was the exploitation of science for financial gain.
Japan seeks answers on knife attack in …read more

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The 2008 May Grand Sumo Tournament will be held from May 11th – May 25th at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. Sumo tournaments are held six times each year but only three of the tournaments are held in Tokyo (January, May & September). So if you want to see some Sumo in Tokyo this is your last chance until September!
Some highlights of a day at the tournament include:
Free entrance to the Sumo Museum on the premises which houses a fascinating and informative display covering various aspects of the sport.
Famous Sumo bouts of the past will be shown daily, …read more

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This past weekend, at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, 84 babies participated in the ‘crying’ sumo contest or Nakizumo. The first baby to cry or the loudest crier is deemed the winner! Like the other traditions surrounding Children’s day, this event is held to pray for children’s healthy growth.
CNN has put a photo show up documenting the event. It is worth a look as some of these babies are just too cute!
Photo Credit: Flickr, Baby crying competition

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This past Friday, I went to Hono-ozumo at the Yasukuni shrine near Kudanshita Station. It was a ceremonial Sumo tournament and much more. I’ve never seen Sumo live before but I’ve watched it on TV, a lot, and let me tell you that it’s pretty impressive live! The event at the Yasukuni Shrine covered everything from the blessing of the ring right through to the closing ceremony.
The event started at 9AM and ran until around 3PM. I got there a bit early and snagged a good seat – actually there are no seats so I placed …read more

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