[ad_1]
Wild sumo wrestlers seem! Picture: 株式会社ポケモン/公益財団法人日本相撲協会Over the years, Pokémon has performed an array of collabs, together with New Period, Oreo, Levi’s, and Casio. Some have been extra fascinating than others. However lastly, Pocket Monsters is teaming up with sumo wrestling. It’s about time!Give it some thought. This makes excellent sense. In sumo, you’ve gotten two wrestlers going through off to see which one is extra highly effective. Type of like Pokémon, no?“Pokémon is celebrating its twenty fifth anniversary this yr, however in comparison with sumo, which has an extended historical past and custom, it’s nonetheless the start,” mentioned Tsunekazu Ishihara, president of The Pokémon Firm, in an official assertion. Ishihara added his respect for the game and his want to point out the enchantment of it and Pokémon. The Nihon Sumo Kyokai, the game’s official group, is saying that this collab is a “historic first.” The Pokémon Firm is sponsoring kensho banners at upcoming official sumo tournaments. As The Japan Occasions explains, these colourful kensho banners are carried across the ring previous to high-ranked bouts. (Full disclosure: I’m a columnist at The Japan Occasions.) For these fights, there may be as much as fifty completely different kensho banners and, typically talking, sponsors should shell out for one every day of the event. “The banners signify prize cash staked on that bout by company sponsors,” writes The Japan Occasions. “Every one prices ¥62,000 ($545) with ¥56,700 ($499) going to the winner of the match and ¥5,300 ($47) deducted for prices and charges.”Kensho banners comparable to these will probably be carried on the tournaments. Graphic: 株式会社ポケモン/公益財団法人日本相撲協会The Pokémon banners will probably be displayed on the November sumo event in Fukuoka in addition to on the January one in Tokyo. Every banner will probably be completely different, that includes issues like field artwork for video games like Pokémon Crimson and Inexperienced or portrayals of Pocket Monsters, together with Pikachu and Makuhita. In complete, over 200 banners will probably be showing on the tournaments. The Pokémon Firm can even be sponsoring kesho-mawashi, that are the ceremonial, embroidered apron-like garb worn by wrestlers after they enter the ring. Sponsors can put their company logos on them for publicity. For instance, at one sumo event I attended, the Bulgaria-born sumo wrestler Kotooshu wore a kesho-mawashi embroidered with the Japanese yogurt model Meiji Bulgaria Yogurt. (That is nonetheless one of the best company sponsorship I’ve by no means seen in Japan.) G/O Media could get a commissionThere have already been anime and manga themed kesho-mawashi, so the Pokémon collab isn’t completely surprising to be trustworthy. It’s nonetheless fairly fascinating, nevertheless!On the January event, the sumo referee can even don a particular Pokémon themed outfit. Doubt the costume will probably be a full-on Pikachu go well with as a result of it could be too onerous to guage the struggle, however one can at all times want and dream.
[ad_2]