New Sumo movie in the works

[Kintamayama]

The Asahi Shimbun

HIROSHIMA--Dubbed the ``master of X-rated films,'' director Toshiki Sato is refocusing his efforts on another subject involving flesh: the centuries-old sport of sumo.

Or more precisely, how a university's once-famed sumo club was revived by the most unlikely bunch of candidates-two lightweight foreign residents and Japanese women.

Considering the history of Japan's more than 1,000-year-old signature sport, which still bans women from entering the dohyo, or ring, the story may seem fanciful.

But a visit to a sumo training session at Hiroshima University quickly puts matters in perspective.

The university's sumo club was founded in 1985.

A decade later it was still going strong, picking up third place in the national and public university sumo tournament in 1996 and again in 1998.

But by the spring of 2001, the club was without members and on the verge of having to close when an unlikely cluster of two men, one from Brazil and the other from the Netherlands, and two Japanese women, all students of the university, decided to step up to the dohyo.

The club soon became even more of a melting pot when a Moroccan student and another from Mexico signed up.

After learning of this unusual story, a movie production company decided it was worthy of the big screen.

``I am interested that it was foreigners and (Japanese) women who protected the Japanese national sport,'' says Sato, who is known both here and overseas for his adult films.

The ``Chanko'' crew started shooting the roughly 100-million-yen movie on the university's campus in Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, last month.

Named for sumo wrestlers' food of choice, chanko-nabe, the film starts off with a scene of the Brazilian student, the sole member of the club at the time, working the campus in an effort to recruit fellow wrestlers.

Some of the club's current members feature in the film, performing alongside popular actor Atsuro Watabe, who plays the team's coach, and four Americans and an African who play the foreign students. Hiroshima University President Taizo Muta also appears.

And as the cameras roll, the club, now with five members, including a Spanish captain and one woman wrestler, can be found in the gym twice a week practicing their sport of choice.

``All members tackle sumo seriously,'' says 21-year-old Chie Shimizu, a third-year student of the university's Faculty of Medicine and the club's only female. ``I hope the movie crew is able to capture how seriously we have grappled with sumo.''

The film will be released nationwide in mid-October.(IHT/Asahi: June 2,2005)

[Jakusotsu]

``All members tackle sumo seriously,'' says 21-year-old Chie Shimizu, a third-year student of the university's Faculty of Medicine and the club's only female. ``I hope the movie crew is able to capture how seriously we have grappled with sumo.''

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And I hope the movie doesn't deteriorate into the director's familiar terrain (a popular poster at the off-topic section springs to mind... B-))

Some kind of "Kick it like Beckham" would be nice though.

[Takanorappa]

Sounds an awful lot like "Sumo Do, Sumo Don't", though with a more varied cast.

I like the university angles, but, surely, Ozumo has created some stories that are movie worthy. What I'd really like to see, though, is a feature film on something like Taiho's win streak, the Taka-Akebono rivalry or maybe the life of Futagoyama, etc. There's the rise of the Hawaiians and/or Mongolians (lot's of character possibilites there, what with the cultural differences & firsts foreigners, etc) . How about something on Mainoumi or Terao (the little guy does good story)? Lots of possibilites... But where is Spielberg when you need him? B-)

[Cammy]

Spielberg doing a movie on sumo...ummm don't see that happening.

"And I hope the movie doesn't deteriorate into the director's familiar terrain (a popular poster at the off-topic section springs to mind... )"

If it turns into a sumo porn i would be scared.

[Phelix]

Wouldn't you love to see a couple of cameos from the rikishis?

[Sasanishiki]

At Hiroshima-dai there was also a Taiwanese-NZer training during her year as an exchange student in Japan. She was injured in training before she was supposed to compete, but I have some footage of her (courtesy of her) being interviewed and her participation in the training sessions on TV. She has since gone back to study at the university but is too busy to take up sumo again.

[Cammy]

I would be interested in seeing the videos...do you have a link to them?

[Mark Buckton]

was on TV a few years back- but all students (3) were listed as Italian - even remember it being on Fuji TV. 1 female was the coach (Japanese)

[Petr]

I have been training with all the actors for about four months. They have been attending the Harigaya trainings to learn sumo. Arguably, they trained harder then the Hiroshima team. They also look stronger.

There is an article with pictures about the current team (and a bit about me) in the last week's edition of Shunkan Bunshun.

[Sasanishiki]

was on TV a few years back- but all students (3) were listed as Italian - even remember it being on Fuji TV. 1 female was the coach (Japanese)

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There have been several programmes, particularly on local TV in Hiroshima. That is where I have the videos from. Sorry, no links.