This year marked the first in-person event in four years, navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and coinciding with renovations to the sumo arena.

In an era where online streaming has become the norm for all forms of spectating and theatrical events, it was crucial to reiterate to the local residents, who had distanced themselves due to the pandemic, the unique thrill of witnessing the grand battles the athletes unfold on-site.

For a local event in rural Japan, the budget is $13,000. With a limited budget, impactful strategies were sought after.

Sumo, a sport where matches are decided in mere seconds.

Yet within those few seconds, the year-long efforts of the athletes are condensed and packed.

Their massive bodies, imbued with strength and dignity, are forged through grueling training sessions that make them cough up blood every day.

We deliberately excluded dynamism and chose to capture the silence of the momentary battle.

This silence evokes overwhelming power, presence, and the weight of time.

And since this tournament is also the ultimate showdown to determine the best in Japan, we liken the two competing wrestlers to "majestic mountains."

The swirling monochrome photographs, inspired by ink wash landscape paintings and photographs of mist-covered high mountains, capture the tension of the summit showdown.

In contrast to the distant perspective of ink wash landscape paintings, close-up shots looking up at the wrestlers authentically reproduce the unique sense of presence and the grandeur of the mountains, providing a sensation that online broadcasts cannot convey.

In both shooting and retouching, we aimed to strike a balance between showcasing the sumo wrestler's physique and creating an appearance reminiscent of a mountain. The layout was kept to a minimum of necessary information and size.

The newspaper advertisement was delivered to local residents on the day of the tournament. At the venue, this mountainous visual welcomed players, cheerleading squads, and spectators to the summit.

As a result, on the day of the tournament, the newspaper coverage reached approximately 300,000 people, mainly among the local residents, and the venue was almost full. The number of attendees increased by about 125% from the previous in-person event, reaching approximately 10,000 people.