SUMO!

Sumo wrestling is Japan's national sport, dating back 1,500 years.  Sumo is also more than just a sport, it's an art form presenting pageantry, showmanship, and to put the cherry on the top, it's beyond entertaining to watch.

Before we booked our flight to Japan we had already purchased tickets to see "opening day" of the Grand Sumo Ryogoku Kokugkikan tournament, which is supposed to be one of the busiest tournament days of the two week event.  When we arrived, we scoped out our surroundings and then decided to sit down with our fellow spectators for a bowl of chanko stew made of vegetables, meat and potatoes.  Sumo wrestlers eat this meal to "beef up" and we thoroughly enjoyed these fortifying bowls of hearty deliciousness.

Once we had our fill, we strolled to our seats to catch the Jyuryo bouts.  These wresters are considered sumo professionals, but have not obtained the status of Makuuchi or the top division yet.  Sumo wrestlers come in various shapes and sizes, so the matches are entertaining and we tried to guess who would win each bout.  Jenn based her selection on the flexibility demonstrated by each wrestler during their pre-match stretching.  Often the smaller wrestlers won, literally demonstrating the concept that the bigger they are, the harder they fall. 

After the Jyuryo bouts, there is a brief break where the Makuuchi Entrance occurs during which the top division sumo wrestlers enter the ring.  These matches offer increased ritual and showmanship including the salt purification tradition in which salt is thrown in the ring to remove all bad energy.  There is also sizing the opponent up, slapping of the belly, arms, face, and foot stomping. 

As a foreign spectator, it is not necessary to understand what was being said, simply sit back with a local brew, watch the bouts, and cheer with the crowd while enjoy the amazing sport of sumo.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Tsukiji Fish Market, Japan

It doesn't get any fresher than this!

No trip to Japan would be complete without enjoying fresh sushi, and the Tsukiji Fish Market in Chuo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan offers some of the freshest fish in the world!  Every day at 4:00 AM the market opens to receive the latest catch for processing, wholesaling, and auctioning.  We did not attend the pre-sunrise activities, but arrived in-time to enjoy an incredible early lunch thanks to the generosity of Jenn’s previous employer, QEP Resources – IT Department.

The scene at the huge market was delightful; market workers moved about hurriedly wearing their waterproof Wellies, the shops near the market were abuzz with activity and the distinct smell of fresh fish was in the air.  We headed over to a row of small, nondescript buildings next to the hustle and bustle to find a small sushi bar / restaurant.

We entered; saddled up to the bar, and requested sushi and sashimi sample plates accompanied by dry sake...it was surely noon somewhere in the world.  We savored familiar flavors and tried some pieces which we didn't recognize along with a two inch long raw squid that, when bitten, popped to reveal its inner juiciness.  The sushi chef must have been impressed because he offered us samples of fresh eel, compliments of the house.

While sitting with the locals and enjoying the flavors we acknowledged our meal as the best, freshest sushi / sashimi available.  When we couldn’t eat any more we left to walk-off our healthy, though nontraditional, breakfast.  It was still early and the day beckoned, so we explored the stalls and gawked at the food, fine cutlery, and oddities available for purchase.

We extend our appreciation to the IT Team at QEP Resources for their generous funding of this one-of-a-kind experience in the Land of the Rising Sun - It was truly one of the best meals of our trip.

Now That’s Convenience!

Beer Vending Machine - Super Convenient!An item on Matt’s Japan to-do list was recently accomplished when he enjoyed a frosty libation from one of the convenient beer vending machines located throughout Japan.  This task was relatively simple to accomplish while visiting the city of Kyoto, and the price of $2 or $3 (US) made it a refreshing bargain.  While these vending machines aren’t terribly prevalent, we encountered them on city streets and in multiple hotels, offering a nice way to use up pocket change after a day of subway rides, site seeing, shopping, and dining.

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour – Asakusa Neighborhood, Tokyo, Japan

Hidden Jem in TokyoDiane recently surprised us by sponsoring “Bring Back Cocktail Hour”, requesting that we “Enjoy the Local Brew”.  We located a tiny restaurant with a lot of personality in a very well lit building where we secured two of the seven bar stools.  The friendly, casually dressed cook directed our attention to a colorful machine near the entrance.  It turned out to be a handy device which receives food orders, prints coupons for the selected items, accepts cash, and makes change.  After studying the device for several moments we secured our coupons and passed them to the man behind the counter.

Simple and affordable food is often some of the most enjoyable.  We devoured a plate of wontons topped with onions, scallions, peppers, and a pesto-style sauce before we moved on to succulent, boneless fried chicken which came with a cabbage slaw and a dollop of mayonnaise.  We toasted Diane’s generosity with Suntory Premium Malt draft, the perfect libation to go with tasty Japanese comfort food.

Remembering The Forgotten War

Before leaving South Korea, we visited Seoul's War Memorial.  The building and grounds house a broad collection of military equipment, statues, and memorabilia which span several wars and many centuries, but our attention was drawn primarily to the Korean War exhibits.

The Korean War is referred to as "The Forgotten War" and with good reason.  Our exposure to this conflict was minimal prior to visiting the memorial, having likely learned more from watching MASHthan from high school and college history courses.  It is hard to believe that a protracted battle of three years with 35,000+ U.S. casualties, thousands of MIAs, and many hundreds of thousands of others killed in action can be footnoted as a blip on the historical radar between WWII and the Vietnam War.  We felt fortunate to have the opportunity to expand our knowledge of this specific conflict while in Seoul, a city with more than its share of battle scars.

The memorial was well presented and impressive.  It shared its message through:

1. Outdoor displays of military hardware (tanks, trucks, planes, missiles, etc.)
2. Impressive commemorative statues paying tribute the the many sacrifices of war
3. Well presented indoor displays exhibiting physical memorabilia and interpretive memorials, both informative and moving

The displays were English language friendly as were the numerous video installations.  One portion of the museum presented a large collection of personal items that had been donated by Korean War veterans and their families.  Uniforms, medals, diaries, letters, sketches, and coins, the miscellanea that one might stash away for a lifetime after living through something so traumatic.  These artifacts provide direct links to the people who wore or carried them into battle.

We left the memorial appreciative of what we had seen and learned, greatly pleased to find that admission is free of charge, making it readily available to the people of Seoul and the world beyond.