A 9-meter strip of silk (sekitori) or cotton (lower divisions), folded six times and wrapped tight around the waist. The only thing the wrestler wears in the ring. Grabbing it is the most powerful position in sumo.

Stiffened silk strings tucked into the front of the mawashi. Decorative, traditional, and just for matches - they fall out frequently and are reset between bouts.

A heavy embroidered silk apron worn for the dohyō-iri (ring-entering ceremony) before each day's matches. Sponsored by patrons - often featuring sponsor names, hometown imagery, or pop culture motifs.

The ginkgo-leaf-shaped topknot that only sekitori (top-two-division wrestlers) may wear in matches. Lower-division wrestlers wear a simple chonmage knot. The hairstyle is undone at retirement (danpatsu-shiki).

Each Makuuchi rikishi throws a handful of salt into the ring before the match - a Shinto purification ritual. Famous big-throwers (like Mitakeumi) become crowd favorites for the spectacle. Average ~45kg of salt is used per tournament day.

Before stepping into the ring, the wrestler claps, extends his arms with palms up then down, and rinses his mouth with chikara-mizu (strength water). Signifies he carries no weapon and is purified.

Wrestlers crouch facing each other up to four times before charging - mental preparation, intimidation, and audience theater. In the top division, the limit is 4 minutes total of pre-match rituals.

When both wrestlers' fists touch the clay simultaneously, the match starts. The collision is one of the highest-impact moments in any sport - measured at 1.5+ tons of force for big rikishi.

The wooden paddle the referee carries. He points it toward the winner's side. Senior gyōji wear color-coded tassels; the top tate-gyōji carries a tantō (short sword) at his belt.

A square clay platform with a 4.55m circle marked by half-buried rice-straw bales. Built fresh from clay imported from Ibaraki for each Tokyo basho - takes a team of yobidashi three days.

When a yokozuna performs the ring-entering ceremony, two attendant rikishi accompany him - one carrying his sword, one as the dew-sweeper. The ceremony is one of the most distinctive sights in pro sumo.

Not attire but essential gear-of-life. A nutrient-dense hot pot of meat, fish, tofu, and vegetables eaten in massive portions. Junior wrestlers cook for the seniors. Many retired rikishi open chanko restaurants.