Sumo returns to Paris after three decades for a two-day tournament at Accor Arena with 62 wrestlers and elaborate logistics

The tournament

More than three decades after their last visit, the top echelon of Japanese sumo returns to Paris this weekend for a two-day exhibition at the Accor Arena in Bercy. The event, organised with the Japan Sumo Association, will draw 62 wrestlers from the highest divisions, including Hoshoryu Tomokatsu, Onosato Daiki, Asakoryu Takuma and Wakatakakage Atsushi, who won the Tokyo Grand Tournament in May. The public will watch over 40 bouts per day on a dohyo built inside the arena, with the first contest starting at 15:45 on Saturday and at 15:30 on Sunday. A grand final between the two daily winners is scheduled for late Sunday afternoon and will be broadcast on France 3 from 17:20.

Logistics on a grand scale

Bringing a 150-strong delegation, including around 60 athletes, from Tokyo to Paris required an operation comparable to a state visit. The wrestlers were divided between two aircraft for capacity and safety reasons, a practice organisers liken to protocols for heads of government. Seating followed the sport's strict hierarchy: champions travelled in first class, intermediate wrestlers in business, and lower-ranked competitors in economy, where they received two seats each to accommodate their build. At the venue and the team hotel, toilets had to be reinforced to bear the athletes' weight. Months earlier, Japanese emissaries tested the mineral content of Paris tap water to ensure it would not damage the elaborate topknots styled with special oil. The water was approved; had it failed, mineral water would have been used.

Building the dohyo and transporting ritual salt

Ten tonnes of earth sourced from the Paris region were analysed by an agronomic engineer to replicate the soil used in Japan for the dohyo, the circular ring of 4.55 metres in diameter. The structure also incorporates 150 kg of sand and an equal amount of cement. For the purification rituals rooted in Shinto tradition, 200 kg of Guérande sea salt were shipped in, alongside drums for the opening ceremony.

Tradition over entertainment

The tournament will be punctuated by ceremonies that underline sumo's status as a living tradition. Before the bouts begin, drumming will be heard outside the hall. Inside, spectators will witness the belt-tying ritual and the bow ceremony, in which a wrestler swings a bow fitted without a string to close the day.

“Sumo must always be considered a tradition. It is not just a sport and it is not entertainment.”

The promotor of the tournament, David Rothschild, stressed this ethos to AFP. Afternoon sessions will also include playful demonstrations on the rules and techniques of sumo, helping newcomers understand the martial art's depth.