Don’t like football and tennis? Why not throw your weight behind a Japanese sport with more, shall we say, head-on impact?
      Mind you, there are some prerequisites. First, you must be male*. Second, you might need to quadruple your Body Mass Index. Third, you compete dressed in only a traditional loincloth. Fourth, you will need fierce dedication to endure rigorous training that begins at 4:30 a.m. every morning. Finally, you will have to take a Japanese name.
      Sumo, Japan’s national sport, is one of the most quintessentially Japanese things imaginable. Dating back
Hawaii-born sumo champion Akebono, the very first foreign-born yokozuna (left), defeats ozeki Musoyama (Courtesy of Kyodo)
to the 8th century, its rules and etiquette have remained virtually unchanged over the ages. Even so, quite a few non-Japanese have sought to become professional sumo wrestlers in Japan.
      The first three to succeed were all Hawaiian. In 1972, Takamiyama (born James Wailani Kuhaulua) became the first foreigner to win the top division championship. In 1987, Konishiki (born Saleva’a Fuauli Atisano’e) used his unstoppable 270-kg frame to reach ozeki, the second highest rank in sumo. Then, in 1993, Akebono (born Chad Haaheo) wrestled his 2.03 meters and 235 kilos into sumo history as the first-ever foreign-born yokozuna, wrestler of the highest rank.
      Today, there are about 60 foreign-born professional sumo wrestlers, with birthplaces ranging from Brazil to Mongolia, the home country of the two current yokozuna. Behind their success lie countless grueling training hours and the overcoming of huge cultural and linguistic barriers.
      If you still want to try, but prefer to wait for English-language training and slightly lazier mornings—well, stick to badminton. The Japan Sumo Association guards the sport’s traditions carefully; at present, only one foreigner is allowed per stable.
      But, you can always watch the titans clash at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. Trust us, it’s an earth-shuddering experience.

*Professional sumo in Japan is strictly men-only; women are prohibited from entering the ring. However, the International Sumo Federation has opened sumo to both genders as part of its bid to make it an Olympic sport.