My boys have been waiting in anticipation for the Japan stop of our world culture tour just for Sumo wrestling! A couple of months ago I ordered Sumo wrestler suits, which have been sitting in boxes near our front door, taunting my boys, ever since.
At first, they sounded like Brad Pitt from Seven, frustratedly asking, "What's in the box??" When I finally told them, their excitement was almost tangible.
So much so that they had me rearrange our stops on the tour. Southeast Asia (Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia) was supposed to be our next stop after China. The boys couldn't take it anymore, though. So, "here" we are in Japan.
2 Words: "Suit up", and they knew what I meant. They ran and opened the boxes.
What is Sumo wrestling though? The boys had to know that before wrestling each other.
Sumo wrestling started in the 700s as a way wrestlers (or rikishi) could display their strength in bouts but also has origins with the Shinto religion in which Sumo wrestling was done as a ritual. Two wrestlers fight with full-body contact to force one another out of a circular ring. Whoever is forced out (or voluntarily steps out) first, loses.
With this knowledge, the boys were ready.
The rest of our Japan stop on the World Culture Tour:
Movies:
Karate Kid 2
Godzilla (2016)
Gung Ho
Ponyo
Last Samurai
Wolverine 2
TMNT 3: Turtles in Time
Black Rain
47 Ronin
Grudge
Ring
Big Hero 6
Detective Pikachu
Sadako and the 1000 Cranes
Ran
Howl’s Moving Castle
Fist of the North Star
Vampire Hunter D
Ninja Assassin
Flags of Our Fathers
Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo
Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
Nature doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJCi8IuumLw
Japan history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh5LY4Mz15o
Suicide Forest Explanation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4j2gIaotgg
Kabuki Theater - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67-bgSFJiKc
Food: Teriyaki, Hibachi, Udon, miso, tempura, Umaibo
Music: Koto, Shomyo, Gagaku
Stories: Urishima, magic slippers, snow woman, tree of blossoms
Craft:
Japanese Fan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bELLRpoLBX0
origami
Custom:
Do a Kata - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auavC2MGnMU
Sumo wrestle!!
Karaoke
haiku
Here's a little something to leave you with!
Click to see more of the World Culture Tour!