Asashoryu Akinori, Yokozuna and all-around bad ass of Sumo wrestling,

has returned to Mongolia to be treated for stress and depression after being slapped with a two tournament suspenion.   

I have to admit I feel partially responsible; surely my absence as Lead Stalker in the bowels of the Osaka stadium started him down the path of despair. 

To make up for my slack then, I’ll be drinking from my Asashoryu coffee mug only from here on out,

and I’m pullin’ out the big guns and calling on the almighty; if anyone can fix this mess, then it’s my man Shibble!

Here’s a video taken at a revolving sushi bar in Osaka where The Ig, myself, and Lincoln from Toronto gorged ourselves.

Heaven, absolute heaven…

Although the sign I’m holding in the previously posted photo says, “Kobe”,

working for food was literally what my friend Baudewijn and I were doing; an active hitchhiker, Baudewijn let me tag along to Kobe, where we intended to indulge ourselves in a little of the world-renown Kobe beef.

Standing near the entrance to the freeway, it wasn’t long before a carload of young people stopped and gave us a ride.

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Just found another batch of sumo pics in a different folder, so I created a random photos page under “Sumo”.

They’re close-ups–WOOT!

It was last May when The Ig started watching sumo on the tube while stuck in Beijing waiting on our visas. 

At first I snickered at him for his new fascination with big guys in thongs, but it wasn’t long before I found myself sucked in and jonsin’ for the next match as well.  And A.T.?  He’s just as hooked.

Most of the rules and rituals were a mystery to us, but it didn’t matter; they stomped, they squatted, they pushed each other around, and they did all this seemingly oblivious to the fact they were almost completely nekkid.

Now however, we have a bit of an understanding of what’s going down in the dohyo (sumo ring).

[read on]