Sumo! [相撲]　(Daniel) So I know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone ... and in this way I was able to get a ticket to see a Sumo match for FREE  I headed over to  Ryogoku , which is the Tokyo area famous for everything Sumo related. It is also where the Sumo wrestlers live and where the Sumo matches are held. That entire area is a mini Sumo world full of Sumo shops, Sumo museums, and even Sumo restaurants with big Sumo rinks in the center. "Hey, I'm tired of eating  chanko-nabe.  Let's go wrestle."  The  Kokugikan  is the name of the stadium where the Sumo matches happen. It seats up to 10,000 people and holds three of the six annual Sumo tournaments per year. Kokugikan You immediately realize that you're in a Sumo stadium the moment you step inside of the building because the entire perimeter is covered in huge pictures of Sumo wrestlers. Alright! Let's watch some Sumooooo! ♫ "Gee, they're all so bi...

Seijinshiki [成人式]　(Daniel) No, I did not just bang the keyboard in the heading to make the title say " Seijinshiki ."  Seijinshiki  is an actual Japanese word, pronounced say-jin-she-ki, which is the name of the Coming of Age ceremony in Japan. In Japan, a person is considered to be an adult when they turn 20, and a ceremony is held especially for them. On that day, the 20 year old girls wear  kimonos , boys wear suits or  hakamas , and they go to the Seijinshiki ceremony at a local city office. One evening a few months ago, I received an invitation from the Japanese government inviting me to participate in Seijinshiki, too. Even though I won't be 20 until March, I was still invited because the Japanese school year is from April to March, placing me in the same grade as everyone else who already turned 20. The Japanese expression used in this situation is " giri-giri safe " [which means "just barely made it".] My host sister, who g...