[sumo] Fwd: [Sumo news] - The Paris Koen- retrospect

[Jeff A]

Moti


Best regards,
Gaijingai - sorry if you missed it.

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these:
It might have been.
- John Greenleaf Whittier

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Moti Dichne <niramiai at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Aug 8, 2026 at 5:18 AM
Subject: [Sumo news] - The Paris Koen- retrospect
To: Sumo Newsletter2 <sumo-newsletter2 at googlegroups.com>


A deeper look at the Paris Koen and stuff:

Ozumo has deep ties with France The relationship between France and Ozumo
dates back to the late President Jacques Chirac, who was an avid sumo fan.
In 1986, when he was Mayor of Paris, he brought the first Ozumo koen in
Europe to Paris, ahead of London. With the help of the popularity of
Chiyonofuji, who was the sole Yokozuna, the popularity of Ozumo spread
rapidly. Later, in 1995, during his presidency, a second koen was held in
Paris, and since 2000, the "Jacques Chirac Cup" has been awarded to the
rikishi who wins the yusho at a basho. Currently, a giant macaron is
awarded as the "Japan-France Friendship Cup". France has a deep connection
with sumo, and this Paris koen, marking the 40th anniversary of the first
one, was the first in 31 years. The venue remained the same as the first
koen: the Accor Arena in Bercy Park in the 12th district of Paris.
Originally an area lined with wine warehouses, the arena opened in 1984 as
part of a redevelopment project. It is a massive postmodern building with a
sloping exterior wall covered in green grass, designed to blend into the
landscape like a hill. Jean Prouvé is among the architects.

The Accor Arena was filled with excitement on the day of the koen. The area
around the Accor Arena was bustling with fans carrying towels and placards
bearing the names of their favorite rikishi. The first day began outside
the venue with the opening drum performance by the yobidashi , followed by
a commemorative photo session with the rikishi in their black crests, the
Oyakata, and the gyoji. There were many fans not only from within France
but also from abroad. The rikishi entered the venue directly by bus, which
disappointed fans who had hoped to see them arrive, but Tobizaru, who has
many overseas fans, surprised them by suddenly appearing outside the arena.

The dohyo set up in the center of the arena was made from clay soil from
the outskirts of Paris. The suspended roof was omitted, but there was a
purple mizuhiki curtain and tassels at the four corners, with a large
screen installed above them. Just like in the main tournaments in Japan, a
"dohyo matsuri" was held to invite the "god of the dohyo." The salt
scattered on the dohyo was "Guérande salt," a specialty of the Brittany
region famous as a gourmet salt. The grains were a little on the larger
side. The program began with drumming, followed by attractions such as
sparring with children and sumo folk songs, before moving on to the
dohyo-iri and matches. It was a knockout tournament, with Kotozakura
winning on the first day and Houshouryuu winning on the second day. In the
final round, Kotozakura won, becoming the winner of the 3rd Paris koen.

Official events included an exchange with Parisians, such as the "JAPAN
VILLAGE" where a group from Tokushima Prefecture performed Awa Odori dances
and rikishi  interacted with local sumo clubs. Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji
paid a courtesy visit to the Parc des Princes, the home stadium of Paris
Saint-Germain football club. Abi and Wakamotoharu visited an elementary
school, where they did sumo and answered questions from the children,
proving to be very popular. When a little girl asked, "Can't women become
rikishi?", Wakamotoharu encouraged her by saying, "You should be the first
professional female rikishi," further entertaining the children. The trip
lasted 7 nights and 8 days.

During their time off, they seemed to have energetically done some
sightseeing despite jet lag. In addition to classic landmarks such as the
Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Louvre Museum, some rikishi also
traveled further afield. Atamifuji, Shoudai, Ichiyamamoto, and Wakamotoharu
were among those who went to Disneyland Paris in the suburbs. Tamawashi,
Daieishou, and Tobizaru were among those who ventured to Mont Saint-Michel,
a journey of over four hours by car. Kirishima even made the trip to Mont
Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, an adventurous feat that nearly
resulted in altitude sickness. Takayasu, accompanied by his wife, enka
singer Mori Konomi, enjoyed a grown-up date in Paris.

What did he learn in Paris? We caught up with gyoji Kimura Motoki and asked
for his impressions. In London, he said, "The people were so cheerful and
kind. I want to emulate that." But what about Paris? "I was fumbling with
my ticket at the Metro when a complete stranger quickly touched their card
and paid for me. I was so impressed that they disappeared without even
taking the money." Incidentally, he was wearing casual clothes, not his
gyoji attire.

The emotional impact of travel can be found in these small things. The
rikishi left a big impression on Paris, and each of them likely learned
something from the experience. The Kyokai plans to continue actively
holding overseas performances, and has received multiple offers. Sumo, with
its 1600-year tradition and religious significance, is also seeing an
increase in the number of international rikishi, and its role as an
international goodwill ambassador is expanding.

Interview and text by Megumi Yamashita. Edited by Akira Kamiya (GQ)

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