[1/7] Nadine, a 43-year-old tourist from the U.S., wearing a sumo wrestler costume, tries to spar against former sumo wrestler Towanoyama on the sumo ring before tourists from abroad, at Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka in Tokyo, Japan June 30, 2023.
Beneath its vaulted roof is a sumo ring and 14 tables where patrons pay 11,000 yen ($76) to eat breaded pork cutlets before watching - and joining - the action.
Another former sumo wrestler, Yasuhiro Tanaka, started the restaurant after founding a company to give ex-wrestlers a second career as actors in commercials and movies.
"But no, it was really, really amazing."
"As sumo wrestlers, we couldn't really play around at all," said Tanaka, 47, who admitted he wasn't a particularly strong competitor.
Persons:
Nadine, Towanoyama, Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka, Issei Kato, Ohtori, Yasuhiro Tanaka, Jose Aguillar, Jumbo, Aguillar, Fumio Kishida, Tanaka, Rocky Swift, Gerry Doyle
Organizations:
REUTERS, Netflix, Thomson
Locations:
U.S, Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Koto, Monterrey, Mexico