Sumo comes to town

Osaka — Kansai is about to pound to a sumo beat again. Around 700 of Japan’s biggest gladiators will be descending on Osaka for the annual Osaka Sumo Tournament between March 10–24, triggering explosions of colliding flesh that will reverberate around the entire Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Namba. Those loath to trust their kanji skills should obtain tickets directly from the venue, with sales commencing on Sunday February 3. Meanwhile, kanji readers can purchase tickets from machines at Sunkus, Seven-Eleven and Pia stores, or the Pia website: http://t2.pia.jp/feature/sports/sumo/sumo.html.

The action runs from 8:30am–6pm on days one to thirteen (starting later on the final weekend), with top-division matches beginning around 4:15pm. Weekdays are much less crowded than weekends. Official sumo ticket information: www.sumo.or.jp/eng/ticket