Greetings from a Japanophile in Belgium

[Yumenofude]

So, hajimemashite!

Despite residing in Belgium, I'm actually from the US. We've lived here for about 12 years - and due to my devotion to things Japanese, and my loving spouse's support of my madness, we acquired a subscription to JSTV (a sort of aggregation service associated with NHK, based in London).

One weekend about 2 years ago, we turned on the Japanese tv channel, and saw our first broadcast of sumo - not knowing much more than how to recognise that, yes, this was indeed a sumo match.

We got into it immediately after that, and whoa! it's been a *trip*! It's been a good focus for my (still not very good) Japanese reading skills, which Loving Spouse appreciates because I can read off the names of the contestants as they come on the screen. (And if I'm having trouble, I can consult the Sumo Association's own website... I try to make it to the day's matches listing before they start, so no results have been filled in. We do our best to preserve the surprise within the house.)

We hope to make it to Japan for a tournament - the current hope is towards the end of this year, so something like Fukuoka, probably.

Other interests include shodō, aikidō, science fiction/fantasy, a variety of Japanese dramas, cats,...

Ijō desu. O-negai itashimasu.

Yumenofude/夢の筆

[Swami]

Hearty salutations from the Swami!

 

Swami

[Asojima]

11 hours ago, Yumenofude said:

... (And if I'm having trouble, I can consult the Sumo Association's own website... I try to make it to the day's matches listing before they start, so no results have been filled in. We do our best to preserve the surprise within the house.)...

Here is another good source.

[Yumenofude]

Arigatō gozaimasu!