Sumo Bullies
The daily routine of a sumo wrestler is highly regimented: getting up at 4:30 in the morning, training, lunch, siesta and then dinner. Sumo training sessions include a number of traditional rituals and the highest ranked wrestlers are served by the trainees. Unfortunately these trainee sumo wrestlers are often the target of violent bullying, as I witnessed at a session with the world’s top ranked sumo wrestler. Japan appears to have turned a blind eye towards these practices until recently, in June 2007, the suspicious death of a young 17 year old sumo wrestler aroused strong public interest in the training conditions endured by young sumo wrestlers.Photos and text ©Andrew Mc Leish/LightmediationContact - Thierry Tinacci Lightmediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry[at]lightmediation.com
