Starring: Yonezawaryu Daiku, Terunofuji Haruo, Kosei
Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing (2026), directed by Erik Shirai, is a beautifully shot Japanese documentary that offers insight into the world of Sumo Wrestling. Shot digitally, the documentary uses a warm black-and-white monochrome, giving it an old-school Japanese look and feel. The action largely takes place within a Sumo training institution in Japan, where viewers are introduced to the trainees who must spend 6 months here for intensive training before becoming competing Sumo wrestlers. Most notably, we meet Hiradoumi Yuki, an up-and-coming sumo wrestler who is beginning to climb the ranks. Hiradoumi’s story leading up to and following the Sumo championship is a large, and very gripping narrative of the documentary.
Viewers are provided with just the right amount of background information on the sport. The rules are summarised briefly- opponents are simply required to remove their competitor from the ring, or bring another part of their body, that isn’t their feet, to the ground. There is also an important inclusion of the way that Sumo Wrestling is quickly declining. The sport is so closely tied to Japanese ancient tradition, including religions, ideologies and mythologies. In a time when the country is rapidly modernising, these spiritual ideas tied to Japan’s historical identity are left behind. The documentary provides some stats on how starkly the number of Sumo wrestlers is dwindling, and shows how this is detrimental to the wrestlers, who are not only fighting for their victory, but also their deep-rooted passion to keep the sport alive.
The centering of wrestler Hiradoumi is an inspiring and brilliant and artful choice by the filmmakers. He is currently one of the highest ranked wrestlers, and the documentary explores the trials and tribulations he went through, including the failures he faced. Viewers also see his home life and sense how important Sumo is to him, and how he will always dedicate himself to the sport despite the costs.
Another wrestler who is in the spotlight throughout is Kosei. Kosei is among the youngest and smallest of the wrestlers. His body type is very different, making him quite sympathetic. Rather than using brute force and intimidation, which the majority of the wrestlers use, his lack of strength and size puts him at a high risk of injury, therefore, he must use his agility and speed to catch his opponents off guard.
As well as the obvious risk of injury during wrestling, the documentary touches insightfully on the impacts of Sumo on life expectancy. Due to the extreme weight gain and intense training, Sumo wrestlers’ life expectancy is reduced by 20 years. Wrestlers ’ bodies are put through extreme strain, they must eat around 10,000 calories a day, mostly consisting of plain rice. The documentary presents how this is a real struggle for the students of the Sumo institution, particularly Kosei, who expresses his nausea after eating in such large volumes and yet is told he must eat more.
There is some interesting exploration into the influence of Japanese culture, and the way that Sumo stands out as such a unique sport compared to Westernised sports. Whilst Sumo is the biggest sport in Japan, the tournaments themselves are extremely civilised. The winners do not celebrate; there is no huge crowd reaction, rather there is a continuous respectful quiet and order throughout. This demonstrates how important the sport is to the Japanese people who care about it, watching it for them like a religious ceremony where a manner of politeness and composure is necessary. The competitors themselves are also very composed, there are never any arrogant demonstrations, and students speak about the way that becoming obsessed with victory will be poisonous to their ability to compete.
Overall, Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing (2026) is a brilliant portrayal of one of the most unique and interesting sports in the world. Sumo stands out through its iconic, recognisable form, of the wrestlers, their uniform, and the arenas themselves. Sumo has been honoured for over a century and continues to hold symbolic importance, being practised in the same traditional fashion to respect its heritage. It is fantastic to have an in-depth insight into such a private world, played out engagingly and usefully for those who are interested in learning more.
Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing was selected for the 2026 London Film Festival.