Sumo

A French poet once called it “the miracle of balance.” While traveling around the world, Jean Cocteau observed that in this sport, the strongest does not always win. He marveled at the essence of this contest, saying: “The rikishi are pink, youthful giants, as if they have stepped down from the ceiling frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, a rare race of people.” Somewhere between the Edo period and the future, today as well, on the dohyo, the rikishi strive to keep their balance and to topple their opponent’s. They wrestle endlessly, forgetting to return to Michelangelo’s ceiling.