Under the name Sumi-Yume Hokusai Tournament, the art project Dondoko! Giant Paper Sumo Wrestling (rolled out by artist unit KOSUGE1-16 across Japan) is being held in Sumida, a place strongly associated with sumo.
Workshops dubbed “jungyo” provincial tours will take place at four heya “training stables” set up in four locations across Sumida-ku. Each team of children comes up with ideas and creates life-size “sumo wrestlers” made of cardboard. The children’s rich and imaginative ideas produce sumo wrestlers with unique “shikona” ring names and “tokui waza” signature techniques. At the “honbasho” official sumo tournament, a total of 32 “wrestlers” will gather from each “heya” for a sumo match in the style of a real tournament, with the children pounding on the edges of the ring to move the wrestlers and determine the strongest one.

Featuring commentary by oyakata “stable masters,” a taiko performance by the “yobidashi” ring announcer, sumo jinku folk singing and a demonstration of the yumitori-shiki bow twirling ceremony, the event will serve as an introduction to the Sumida area’s living sumo culture. The event is being held with the cooperation of people associated with sumo together with the local community: for example, local businesses will be awarding prizes in their role as “tanimachi” sumo patrons.