Sumo wrestling is a very popular sport in Japan. It is actually the national sport of this country. It is year round, having a Grand Tournament in each of the odd months. There are six Grand Sumo Tournaments, also known as basho. Each tournament lasts for fifteen days.

If you ever want to go and watch a sumo wrestling match, you need to know how they play. Two men meet in the middle of the ring. The age of the fighters vary between twenty and thirty-five years old. You rarely see a wrestler that is under 285 pounds. The men wear thick belts that are made of silk. They wear these around their waist. The object of this game is to make the other person touch the ground with anything other than his feet. Who ever touches first loses. The wrestlers can pull hair, gouge eyes, punch, push, trip, slap, or throw themselves onto the opponent. These fights usually only last up to a few seconds, and in rare occasions, up to a minute or more.

In the year 712, the earliest written mention of sumo wrestling was found in the Kojiki, which, in English, means Record of Ancient Matters. In the seventeenth and eighteen century, sumo wrestling evolved into a popular sport. Today, it is mostly a jest in the United States, but in Japan they take it very seriously and do it with honor.