Objection! The judges protesting against the call the gyoji (the main judge in orange in this pic) made. Grand sumo also uses photography judging.
Sprinkling salt Since ancient Japan, salt is believed to have purification effect.
This is another ritual purifying the dohyo (ring).
Sacred meanings are woven into the smallest movements of the rikishi.
Several matches of the maku-uchi rikishi went on, and when the match of the star rikishi Kotooshu came the audience roared with excitement and the holler " matte mashita! "
(literally meaning, "we were waiting for you!").
To explain the situation to those of you who don't know Kotooshu, he is a Bulgarian rikishi and because of his handsome features he is called "Beckham of the kakkai (=the sumo world)" (N.B. Beckham, the English soccer player is very popular for his handsome looks among Japanese especially women).
Basically many Japanese sumo fans cheer for wrestlers from the local neighborhood, but Japanese people particularly women tend to like men of slender figure like him.
He won the match this day and the audience seemed to be really happy.
To the right in the light blue mawashi (belt) is the Bulgarian rikishi Kotooshu.
You can see that as compared to the "chubby" figure of most other rikishi he is rather slender.
This may be another reason he's so popular among women.
Kotooshu carrying himself lightly escaping the attack of the opponent rikishi.
Strength is not the only essence required for a strong rikishi.
The moment of Kotooshu's victory.
When a part of the rikishi's body except his feet touch the ground, he loses.
