Sumo Wrestlers Featured in Movies

[Amamaniac 2,079]

Recently, I have stumbled across some new-ish movie releases featuring sumo wrestlers (retired or otherwise).  Not finding a suitable existing topic (perhaps the moderators can assist), I decided to start a new topic to draw attention to sumo and sumo wrestlers featured in pop culture, specifically movies.

My first offering is a Chinese movie called "Gong Shou Dao".  This 20-minute movie stars Jack Ma (mega-rich CEO of Alibaba Group).  As in Bruce Li's "Game of Death", he faces off against various famous martial artists from around the world.  That's where Asashoryu comes in, along with Tong Jaa, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen.  Jack Ma definitely lacks Bruce Li's prowess and star quality, but somehow he is able to match if not better all his opponents.  Interestingly, Asashoryu, in a yellow mawashi, fairs the best against Master Ma...

If you want to jump straight to Asashoryu's appearance, go to 5:16.  There is another sumo wrestler behind Asa when he emerges from the barbershop.  (He has a nasty scar on his belly.)  Anyone want to do the ID honors?

 

[rhyen 1,846]

Those are his personal Mongolian bodyguards/entourage.

and we already posted this in asashoryu’s thread in another subforum.

 

perhaps this should go into off topic?

[Amamaniac 2,079]

Some of these items are so buried that it is easy to miss the fact that they have already been posted.  I did a search for Gong Shou Dao prior to starting this topic, and nothing came up...

But, as a topic, I hope this can collect all movies featuring sumo wrestlers, retired or otherwise, Asashoryu or whomever.

The other movie that goes in this list is the recent Netflix release: "The Outsider".  Forgive me if this too has already been discussed.  Not only does it feature Hiro (ex-Wakazakura) retired sumo wrestler turned actor/comedian, but also a host of others.  Hiro portrays yakuza muscle, whereas five other retired sumotori portray sumo wrestlers in presumably post-war Osaka.  The latter are: Kiyoseumi, Matsubayama, Hakunishiki, Kasugasato, and Kumao.  Interestingly, the last four wrestlers all left sumo in November 2016.  Could that have had anything to do with the opportunity to appear in "The Outsider"?

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by Amamaniac

[ryafuji 815]

2 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

 Interestingly, the last four wrestlers all left sumo in November 2016.  Could that have had anything to do with the opportunity to appear in "The Outsider"?

 

Weren’t they part of that group that retired in protest when  Kasugayama beya got shut down?

 

 

[ALAKTORN 346]

Thermae Romae had Kotoōshū and I think a few others?

[Amamaniac 2,079]

5 hours ago, rhyen said:

Those are his personal Mongolian bodyguards/entourage.

They are not credited in the movie credits.  Sigh.  One of the two (the bearded one on the right) does not appear to me to be Mongolian.  I am interested in knowing who they are in real life, rather than what roles they are playing in the movie.

[WAKATAKE 2,671]

Wasn't Yamamotoyama in John Wick?

[inhashi 2,363]

Here's a link to Off Topic Films/Movies  with a few others.  

[rhyen 1,846]

4 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

They are not credited in the movie credits.  Sigh.  One of the two (the bearded one on the right) does not appear to me to be Mongolian.  I am interested in knowing who they are in real life, rather than what roles they are playing in the movie.

 

[Yamanashi 3,903]

4 hours ago, ALAKTORN said:

Thermae Romae had Kotoōshū and I think a few others?

Thermae Romae 2 had several rikishi; the Roman bath architect (Hiroshi Abe) transports to modern Japan and ends up taking a stable of wrestlers back to ancient Rome. 

Akebono had a major role as the unbeatable gladiator in the Roman Circus (his name was -- I'm not kidding -- "Akebonus"); he acquitted himself well!

Kotooshu had a less major role.  He was probably chosen because the location scenes for the Roman countryside were shot in Bulgaria.

The IMDB article for the movie has several rikishi listed under the full credits, including Azumasato, Daishi, Isoazuma, Sadanokuni, Mutsukaze, Hatachijo, and Hakkairyu.

 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

10 hours ago, rhyen said:

Those are his personal Mongolian bodyguards/entourage.

Based on the photo that you kindly provided, I will have to admit that they are indeed the "suspects" I was looking for.  You have a keen eye, sir!

[Swami 245]

Sadanoyama was in the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice".

 

Swami

[Yamanashi 3,903]

Many of the Hawaiian rikishi ended up in American movies, mostly playing sumo wrestlers in TV dramas.  Taylor Wily (Takamishu) was well-known for a recurring part in the reboot of Hawaii 5-0.  Robert Suetsugu (Matsuyuyama) played sumo in two movies, and became a chef in Washington state.  Reid Asato (Wakayashima) played sumo wrestlers, and was the Cyclops in a 1990's TV telling of The Odyssey.

Edited April 11, 2018 by Yamanashi

[Amamaniac 2,079]

10 hours ago, inhashi said:

Here's a link to Off Topic Films/Movies  with a few others. 

Thanks for the link.  Clearly, I have duplicated the topic you started back in 2015.  Apologies...

[Rob S. 42]

Konishiki was in a few movies. 

"Check It Out, Yo!" (2006), "Rimoto" (2002) and "The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift" (2006).

 

 

[Kaiomitsuki 408]

9 hours ago, Swami said:

Sadanoyama was in the James Bond film "You Only Live Twice".

 

Swami

Sadanoyama... and Taiho (two Yokozuna !)

... and a fight between Kotozakura (who was a Sanyaku and will be Yokozuna in 1973) against Fujinishiki (Komusubi in 1960 and Maegashira in 1966)

 

 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

1 hour ago, Kaiomitsuki said:

Sadanoyama... and Taiho

If memory serves, Taiho did not appear in the film, but Connery did get to meet him – as the photo attests.  

I think I would have loved "You Only Live Twice" twice as much if Taiho had made a cameo.  

[Amamaniac 2,079]

14 hours ago, WAKATAKE said:

Wasn't Yamamotoyama in John Wick?

That's right, but to be precise it was John Wick: Chapter 2.  (btw, there is going to be a Chapter 3, but Yamamotoyama won't be appearing in that, for obvious reasons.)

See the Topic Yamamotoyama makes a big splash

 

[Kaiomitsuki 408]

17 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

If memory serves, Taiho did not appear in the film, but Connery did get to meet him – as the photo attests.  

I think I would have loved "You Only Live Twice" twice as much if Taiho had made a cameo.  

 

Sadanoyama... with Taiho

(Taiho didn't want to talk in the movie. He just made a cameo) 

And the fight 

;) 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

So there was a scene (albeit brief) in the shitakubeya, and sure enough Taiho was there in the background!  Since the film was released in 1967, I can only assume that the sumo scenes were shot at the Kuramae Kokugikan.  Bond appears to sit down crosslegged (with his shoes off) in a boxed seat of sorts, but when the woman joins him, she sits down without removing her shoes.  The set up at this stadium seems slightly different than that at the modern Kokugikan.

Edited April 12, 2018 by Amamaniac

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

How about music videos?

This was posted years ago, but some of our newer members may have missed it.

 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

Just saw Yamamotoyama (and two other sumo wrestlers) featured in Episode 6 of Season 6 of the TV program "Elementary".  Go to 11:21/42:51.