There are few things that say 'Japan' so clearly as the word Sumo. Along with the word 'sushi', it is probably the most recognizable word to come out of this country, and the image of the wrestlers themselves is impossible to remove from our idea of what Japan represents.

Perhaps that is why, when one attends a Sumo tournament these days, there are a disproportionate number of foreigners in attendance. The culture, the speed, the ferocity of the fighters and, well, the weirdness of it all are irresistable for the tourist...but hardly a pull for the average Japanese.

Of the roughly 50 students that I asked, only one had ever been to a live sumo event, and not many more than that followed the sport on television. Maybe part of the reason is that the matches are televised live at around 4pm, and finish up neatly by 6pm...just in time for the average fan to get home from work. There is widespread concern over the diminishing popularity of the sport, but for the time being the beat goes on.

The object of the sport, for the uninitiated, is for one wrestler to either topple the other or to force him from the ring. Though many of us have a somewhat rosy picture of Sumo wrestling and our image of it is somewhat comic (inflatable sumo suits in Canada don't help on that score), the process is rather fast and sometimes shockingly violent.

We don't generally associate athleticism with such girth, but the fighters demonstrate remarkable speed and agility, and they often crash together with considerable force when they leap from their starting positions. Though the image above pretty much sums up the general picture of the Sumo fight - men tossing eachother by their giant over-sized underpants - I never realized the more forceful methods they use to actually come to that position.

Advantageous holds are often won by attacking with a flurry of open hand slaps to the face, and it is not uncommon for a wrestler to be pushed from the ring not by his waist garment, but by his throat.

The result is a sport which is far more interesting to watch than you would think. Really, given the speed with which the matches are generally concluded - usually in less than 30 seconds - it is surprising that it has not caught on with the MTV generation. The action is fast and furious, and the level of skill displayed by the wrestlers themselves is impressive to say the least.