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Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport that still enjoys immense popularity today. In sumo, two wrestlers face each other in a ring. The wrestler who brings his opponent down to the ground or pushes him out of the ring is the winner.
Another traditional sport is kendo. In kendo, two fencers wearing protectors, including masks and chest guards, each hold a long bamboo sword and compete by attempting to strike the opponent's mask or chest with the sword.
Yet another is aikido, a martial art in which an attack with bare hands or with a weapon, such as a sword or spear, is repulsed by utilizing the strength of the attacker against him or her.
Judo, which is now part of the official sports program at the Olympic Games, is also a traditional sport. In judo, two wrestlers compete with various throwing and grappling techniques.
Additionally, karate is a traditional sport that is a combination of kempo martial arts from China and "te", the ancient martial arts of the Ryukyu Islands (now Okinawa). In Japanese archery, or kyudo, archers use a Japanese-style long bow to aim and shoot arrows. There is also a sport called yabusame where archers take shot after shot while riding on a horse.
Photos:Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kodokan Judo Institute, and Japan Karate-do Federation