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[threecol_two]Sword-wielder lops off realtor’s arm, wounds two others before capture: This is the second time in as many months I’ve come across a story about an old guy going nuts and attacking people with a samurai sword. I guess they’re more spry than I gave them credit for. Remind me to watch my back next time I piss off some oyaji. [via News On Japan][/threecol_two] [threecol_one_last]Star of film ‘Hachiko’ to be celebrated with bronze statue: A new statue of Hachiko, the legendary Japanese dog whose loyalty extended beyond his master’s death, is being dedicated in Rhode Island, of all places. The Rhode Island town was used as a location for the movie Hachi: A Dog’s Tale, making the new statue part homage to the film, part tourist trap. This also brings the worldwide Hachiko statue count to just under 300 (outside Japan). [via Japundit]

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[threecol_one]Japan storm over ‘Beat’ Takeshi anti-gay comments: On the heels of US president Barack Obama openly endorsing gay marriage, Japanese celebrity “Beat” Takeshi compared gay marriage to marrying a dog. I mean sure, bestiality isn’t even remotely comparable to committing to a long-term relationship with another person but hey! He’s famous so he must know what he’s talking about, right? [via Japundit][/threecol_one] [threecol_one]Kyokutenho beats Tochiozan for title: Sumo wrestler Kyokutenho made history last week by becoming the oldest sumo wrestler to earn a title. At age 37, Kyokutenho’s victory gives hope to other, older people. You hear that, older Tofugu coworkers? Your lives aren’t over yet! [via News On Japan][/threecol_one] [threecol_one_last]The Quattro Prestige, a $50 Pizza From Domino’s Japan: First, KFC Japan opened up a restaurant that serves many varieties of whiskies, now Domino’s is offering up a $50 pizza? What’s next in this line of Japan fast food chains offering upscale items? Is McDonald’s Japan going to introduce an authentic Kobe beef burger? [via Reddit][/threecol_one_last]

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[threecol_one]Annular Solar Eclipse: Japan was lucky enough to witness a rare solar eclipse last weekend, bringing out people from all over the country to stare up into the sky with their specially-designed eclipse glasses. Check out some stunning pictures and video of the eclipse from our good pal Hikosaemon, News On Japan, or Kirainet. Missed out? You’ll have to wait till 2023 for the next Japanese eclipse.

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These guys definitely aren’t vegan.

Have you ever envied the physique of a sumo wrestler? Who hasn’t? Sumo wrestlers can not only intimidate with their girth alone, but are also revered as celebrities in Japan because of their weight. (Or rather, how they use their weight.)

And like celebrities everywhere, there’s fascination with every aspect of their lives: what they wear, who they date, what they eat. But with sumo wrestlers, it’s the reverse of what we might ask about western celebrities. Instead of asking “what does he eat to stay so thin?” you might ask yourself “what does he eat to get so big?”

Sumo wrestlers live in houses (called stables) with one another where everything is extremely regimented. Not only are there the daily workouts to build up the brute strength of the sumo wrestler, but there are tons of other aspects to sumo life that are pretty routine too.

Part of the routine is the sumo diet. Unlike most other forms of wrestling or boxing, there aren’t any weight divisions in sumo wrestling. Because of that, sumo wrestlers pretty much want to be as big as humanly possible so they can use their weight to push around opponents.

But you can’t gain a whole lot of weight on the traditional Japanese diet, so to bulk up, sumo wrestlers eat their own special type of food. It’s called chankonabe. Chankonabe is essentially a stew served in a giant pot (nabe means pot) and is a staple of the sumo wrestler diet.

What Makes Chankonabe?

The unique thing about chankonabe is that there isn’t really a set recipe. Chankonabe changes depending what sumo stable you’re in, what the cook has on hand, and what the wrestlers like to eat. There are a few rules of thumb to making chankonabe: it has to have a ton of protein (tofu, chicken, fish, beef), and lots of veggies. Everything else – what kind of veggies, broth, meat – is completely up to the cook (or the most senior wrestler).

Some wrestlers have superstitions about what kind of meat to use. Fish and cows can be considered bad luck because unlike chicken, they don’t stand on two feet like a good sumo wrestler should. That’s why at many sumo tournaments, chicken is the only choice of meat when it comes to chankonabe.

Chankonabe is sometimes served precooked, but often it’s brought to the table along with a hot plate and a bunch of ingredients for you to cook yourself, shabu shabu style.

Putting on the Pounds

But it takes more than just a special diet to gain the kind of weight that sumo wrestlers put on. In order for them to pack on the weight, they’ve got to go above and beyond. There are several little tricks that sumo wrestlers use to assure that they put on (and keep on) those pounds (or kilograms).

Sumo wrestlers do things like exercising on an empty stomach and sleeping after eating in order to keep on the fat. Whether these old traditions have any scientific basis is a bit dubious, but it’s still very much a part of the sumo wrestler routine as much as their morning exercises and junior sumo wrestlers doing chores for their elders.

Sumo Restaurants

After a sumo wrestler’s career ends, it can be tough to start a new one. After all, if the only thing on your résumé is “can push dudes around real good,” then you might not be the most employable person in the world.

What do you like in your stew? Oh, everything?

Fortunately, chankonabe is so awesome and delicious that many former sumo wrestlers can earn a living off of making the stew. Lots of former sumo wrestlers open up restaurants that specialize in chankonabe because after all, they’ve had years of experience making the stuff.

These restaurants are usually around the Ryogoku area of Tokyo, the Mecca of sumo wrestling. Ryogoku not only has sumo restaurants, but tons of sumo stables and a huge sumo stadium.

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Have you ever been to a chankonabe restaurant? Visited Ryogoku? Let me know in the comments!

P.S. Bulking up on chankonabe? Follow us on Twitter.
P.P.S. Wish there was a “diet” version? Like us on Facebook.

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I’m guessing most of you know what Sumo is. Along with karate, ninjas, and Hello Kitty, Sumo is about as Japanese as it gets. Over the last week or two, there’s been a ton of hub-bub about a big, nasty Sumo-related scandal. So what in the world (er… in Japan) is going on here?

What happened

In criminal investigations, police have discovered through text messages sent among wrestlers in the Japan Sumo Association (JSA) that matches have been rigged. Wrestlers have been caught buying and selling victories, or just outright trading them.

Police discovered these text messages after investigating the JSA for another scandal – illegal gambling on baseball games. This baseball gambling scheme revealed seedy connections between the JSA and the Yakuza. These text messages showed wrestlers deliberately throwing matches for money or future victories. One wrestler, Kasuganishiki, was caught red-handed, sending a message to another wrestler saying “I’ll go with the flow and put up at least a little resistance.”

The real mystery, though, is figuring out how these Sumo wrestlers were texting. I mean, c’mon. Big thumbs.

Why is this a big deal?

This is the equivalent of a Starcraft match-fixing scandal in Korea – that is to say, it’s huge. Sumo is tremendously important sport in Japan for a lot of different reasons.

The JSA is regulated by the federal government so any scandal in the JSA looks bad for the government too. Sumo even gets guaranteed coverage by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Japan’s equivalent of the BBC.

Sumo is also a very significant cultural institute in Japan. The sport is hundreds of years old, and has deep roots in Shinto traditions.

People have suspected match-fixing in sumo for a long time. Some statisticians have speculated that the numbers just don’t add up, and former wrestlers have claimed that most matches in the JSA are fixed. What makes this scandal so different is that for the first time in JSA history, people have concrete evidence that matches have been rigged.

This is SO huge (haha, huge, get it?) that the spring Grand Sumo Tournament has been canceled, the first time a major sumo tournament has been canceled in over 60 years. This is disappointing to many sumo fans, who feel like they’ve been betrayed by both the wrestlers and the JSA.

What’s Happens Next?

Chairman of the JSA, Hanaregoma (who in typical, badass sumo fashion only goes by one name, kind of like Madonna) has apologized to the public, and the organization has opened its own internal investigation. If the JSA’s investigation isn’t enough, the matter could be escalated to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Some think that the damage may have already been done to the sport. This scandal has been compounded by many others, including sumo ties to the Yakuza, deadly hazing, and drug use. Many Japanese have become jaded with the sport, or prefer more Western sports like baseball or soccer. Despite all this, it’s hard to imagine a Japan without sumo.

Any hardcore sumo fans out there? What do you guys think about this scandal?

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Yep, that’s the same exact reaction I’d have if Akebono pulled that crazy stunt on me. WTF, Akebono-san? I’m just a kid (though I think Segata Sanshiro still wins in the unnecessary child-beating category). And is it just me, or does the “So Fun, So Fox” sound like something else? Now, you’ll have to forgive me, because I’ve really only seen part of one episode of Glee, so I don’t really know what it’s all about (they did well at the Golden Globes, right?), but I do know that they’re using one of my favorite people, Akebono Tarō, who is the first non-Japanese wrestler to make it to the top sumo rank of Yokozuna. That and he is a very large human.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc4hfhj8VoI']

I’m pretty sure this kind of behavior would be enough to put you in a psych ward, or at the very least out on the streets. Really though, who cares that Glee is coming to Japan? This is really just a great excuse to watch an (awesome) ex-sumo wrestler dance and sing. He’s looking good, too. I think he may have lost some weight.

It’s a bit interesting, though – we keep sending dramas their way (CSI, 24, Glee, etc) and they keep sending anime our way. Who will win this battle of television takeover, I wonder? Though, I can’t help but think that this 24 commercial puts America on the winning side.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga4nNSqsYp0']

My favorite line from the second song is “My phone bill is crazy, but my job pays for it…” Now that I actually watch it, though, I feel like there’s no way this could be an actual commercial… then again, Japanese commercials can get really, really weird.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUgJ9hEufGU']

P.S. Everyone’s gotta love Bob Sapp.

P.P.S. You should follow Tofugu on Twitter!

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