Taking a piece from the Maple Loaf first, its sweet and fragrant aroma reminded Ikuna of the caramel sold at Disneyland. Having no plans to eat a whole bread roll by herself, however, Ikuna proceeded to cut chunky slices from each loaf for taste-testing. ▼ I know it’s not the same, but why does this remind me of canned bread? After all, who has time to eat a pound of bread when you could use it to defend yourself? Rather than bread, Ikuna felt she had bought bludgeons of carb instead, and she had to especially resist the amusing thought of brandishing the Adzuki Red Bean Loaf as a weapon. ▼ … and the Adzuki Red Bean Loaf weighing a whooping 553 grams (1.22 pounds). ▼ … the Maple Loaf at a slightly heavier 376 grams (0.83 pounds)… ▼ The Yokozuna Toast at 343 grams (0.76 pounds)… Wondering why her arms had hurt so much carrying the bread home, our reporter whipped out her handy portable scale and weighed each loaf, receiving a shocking revelation. With the bread now obtained, one would think perhaps the first action Ikuna would take is to try a morsel of each loaf, but she had other plans in mind. Imprinted onto the Yokozuna Toast’s front was a tsuna, or a heavy strand of rope typically worn by sumo wrestlers who achieve yokozuna status, which is the highest rank in the world of sumo. The Maple Loaf and the Adzuki Red Bean Loaf were roll-like, whereas the Yokozuna Toast had a more familiar shape. Setting the purchased bread side-by-side, Ikuna compared the loaves. ▼ Is this how people feel after having a great pull in a gacha game? There was something disarming about seeing a former sumo champion in a baker’s apron, and Ikuna thought perhaps this temporary shop in the Ryogoku Sumo Hall was the most nerve-wracking bakery in the world. She had to restrain herself from scrambling away immediately after getting her purchase of bread, and her heart raced in her ears as she hurried home for the taste test. When it became her turn to trade her tickets for bread, the most nerve-wracking part had come: receiving the freshly baked rolls from Onokuni himself. ▼ Another view of the pop-up bakery from the Japan Sumo Association itself. Rather than bread, the baked goods seemed more like cake or manju. As Ikuna slowly approached the line’s front, she couldn’t help but notice the bread arranged neatly in gray containers, and how thick each bread roll was. ▼ No bread shall go un-taste-tested here! Ikuna rushed to the line’s end and before she could start the internal, mental ping-pong battle of whether it would have been better to use the washroom afterwards, a bakery worker reached her and Ikuna had to suppress a yell of joy for she was able to buy all three of the bakery’s bread loaves. A ticketing system was in place with a bakery worker going down the line, confirming people’s purchases and handing out tickets for the bread. Panic struck our reporter-it was only 16 minutes past noon and the line seemed to snake all the way down the hall. Figuring that she had plenty of time to spare before the pop-up bakery opened at noon, Ikuna decided to use the washroom first, although when she came back… Ikuna examined the hall, and though she was more than ready to purchase this bread, bakery workers were still setting up temporary shop. Delicious bread personally baked by a sumo champion! Our reporter knew she needed to try this bread. Noting the 500 yen (US$4.58) price point per bread roll and how there were only three varieties to choose from, “Yokozuna Toast,” “Maple Loaf, and “Azuki Red Bean Loaf,” Ikuna’s excitement increased twice-fold. Emblazoned on its front was the baker Onokuni himself and a slogan in bold print: “There’s nothing wrong if a man has a sweet tooth!” A mixture of excitement and anticipation bubbled up within her-what could this supposedly delicious bread taste like and would she be able to buy every type of bread offered by the bakery?Įntering the Ryogoku Sumo Hall, one of the first things that caught our reporter’s eye was a poster for the bakery. On a sunny mid-morning with clear skies, Ikuna arrived at the stadium, greeted by the sight of colorful banners waving outside. And one of our very determined reporters, Ikuna Kamezawa, never one to miss out on an unique experience, had set her heart on trying all of the bakery’s goods. While the arena is most well-known for hosting the nation’s jazzed up tournaments, it’s also a special home to a pop-up bakery opened up by former sumo champion Onokuni Yasushi, who once competed within its esteemed grounds. Seated in the heart of Tokyo is Ryogoku Sumo Hall, Japan’s largest venue for the traditional Japanese sport of sumo wrestling.
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