In Seiyo City, Ehime Prefecture, the traditional sumo tournament "Otoi Grand Sumo Tournament" opened for the first time in 3 years with spectators from outside the city, and started with a two-day schedule.
“Otowa Grand Sumo” is a traditional event in Nomura Town, Seiyo City that has been held since the Edo period, and this year marks the 171st time.
In the past two years, due to the influence of the new coronavirus, the period was shortened to only one day and the scale was reduced. Open to the public, amateur wrestlers and elementary and junior high school students participated, and the two-day event began on the 26th.
Many spectators came to the venue, Otoi Kaikan, from the morning, and in the team competition, in which teams of three elementary school students competed, the children showed a heated effort on the ring, and from the bleachers, There was loud cheers and applause.
A man in his 80s from Seiyo City who visited the venue said, "It's great that the children are working so hard. There were various things like Corona, but Otoha has a long history, so I want it to be held on a grand scale every year." I was talking to
Iwao Ohno, chairman of the sumo section of the Seiyo Nomura Tourism Association, said, ``Last year, there was an impact from the corona virus, but this year the children were in the ring and the parents were looking forward to it, so if possible, I would like to do this every year. I want to continue the competition in shape," he said.