US Navy personnel have tried their hand at Sumo wrestling during their visit to Tokyo (Picture: US Department of Defense).
US Navy personnel have tried their hand at sumo wrestling during their visit to Tokyo (Picture: US Department of Defense)
Navy

A heavyweight challenge: US Navy personnel take on sumo wrestlers on trip to Tokyo

US Navy personnel have tried their hand at Sumo wrestling during their visit to Tokyo (Picture: US Department of Defense).
US Navy personnel have tried their hand at sumo wrestling during their visit to Tokyo (Picture: US Department of Defense)

US naval personnel have been trying their hand at sumo wrestling in Toyko as part of a campaign to boost their wellbeing while they are stationed in Japan.

Members of the service were filmed stepping into the ring to try Japan's national sport during their visit to a restaurant in the Ryogoku district of the city.

In footage released by the Department of Defense, a member of the service can be seen attempting to wrestle their much larger opponents, however they found the task a little difficult.

Described as a "once in a lifetime experience", personnel and their families were invited to watch and dine with the sumo wrestlers.

Donning their sumo suit, a member of the crew can be seen trying - but also failing - to defeat the much larger wrestler.

The experience also provided them with the opportunity to learn more about the tradition of the sport, that dates back thousands of years.

A US serviceman being thrown to the ground by a Sumo wrestler (Picture: US Department of Defense).
The US serviceman gets thrown to the ground by a sumo wrestler (Picture: US Department of Defense)

The sumo evening was offered by an organisation called Morale Welfare and Recreation Yokosuka.

The MWR is a network of support and leisure programmes which aims to improve the quality of life of service members and their families.

The event was supported by US Fleet Activities Yokosuka, a naval base that hosts both logistical and recreational services for the US Navy in the country.

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