Twenty-one summer school students enjoyed watching the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament live at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium on July 17. They were accompanied by Assistant Professor Yutaka Nakatsuka of the Faculty of Regional Studies and nine students of the Japanese Language and Culture Studies Course of the International Student Center.

Watching sumo tournament is part of the Japanese Culture Experience Class of the Summer School 2015. Associate Professor Shingo Hashimoto lectured the students on sumo wrestling one day before the Tournament and the students were able to review what they have learned about sumo while watching each bout.

The students were very surprised when they saw the traditional sumo ritual by Yokozuna Grand Champion called, "Dohyoiri (Yokozuna's performance of entrance ceremony, consisting of leg exercises and ceremonial handclapping)." They were also impressed by strongly-built sumo wrestlers and roaring applause from the spectators. Everything was totally new to the students. When the bouts started, the students caught a breath and kept on clapping their hands for cheering. The students also conversed with the people in the next seats in Japanese to share their joy. All the students enjoyed watching sumo to their fullest together with the rest of the spectators.

Program for watching sumo is the last activity of the Japanese Culture Experience Class of the Summer School Program 2015.