Wrestling cheek to cheek

PHOTO: REUTERS

Sumo wrestlers competing in the annual Honozumo ceremonial sumo tournament dedicated to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. Nearly 8,000 spectators attended the event on Monday.

The history of sumo, Japan's national sport, can be traced back over 1,500 years to its roots in a religious ritual conducted in Shinto shrines to pray for abundant harvests.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 20, 2016, with the headline Wrestling cheek to cheek. Subscribe