New York Times: SUMO

For my Capstone class, called "Picture Story and the Photographic Essay" we'll be posting to our blogs almost weekly. It's won't always be photos that I've taken, because most of our assignments are more long-term. However, that means we'll be looking at other peoples works and talking about story and style.

I found a slideshow/essay on the New York Times, published January 24th, 2010, on Sumo Wrestling in Japan. I found the coverage to be different that what I thought it would be. When I think of sports, I often picture peak action moments, but photographer Ko Sasaki showed us a little more. It's a mini essay on Sumo's presence in Japanese culture. What strikes me the most is the parallel you can see between American sports and Japanese Sumo. The 3rd photo can be seen in any sporting event, yet it is unique and speaks for the culture of Sumo. The 7th photo also caught my attention. Again, it speaks to a culture that is similar in many ways to our own, but completely different. Most American pound hotdogs and beer, but you'll never see a platter of sushi at a Yankees game. I find that the essay is presented in a much more comprehensive manner than most essays/stories that come out of sporting events.

Photo © Ko Sasaki for the New York Times