Sumo Tournament July 1942, Merced Assembly Center

Ahonda

Published: April 16, 2014 Modified: April 11, 2025

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Sumo Tournament July 1942, Merced Assembly Center

Merced Assembly Center, Gathering of Sumotori's (July 1942, Sumo Tournament in Merced Assembly Center.)

As far as I can tell, this could be the first Sumo tournament (1942) during the Japanese American Internment period.  An article from JANM showing a group of sumotori's in Merced County dated 1945 may have been a later Sumo tournament. 

Walnut Grove Sumo Team (Walnut Grove Sumo Team 1942)

Sitting: 1. "Peanut" F. Harai, 2. Ben Goto, 3. Don Honda, 4. Minoru Imamura, 5. Tom Uemoto, 6. Mr. Inouye, 7. Ben Kubota, 8. Mr. Tsumori, 9. Ken Kinoshita.

Back Row: 1. Geo Tekeda, 2. Jim Kuyomi, 3. Hiko Yagi, 4. Takao Toro, 5. Hideo Arai, 6. Hatsuo Mamura, 7. Yutaka Kobuke, 8. Ken Arimoto.

This was taken at Merced Assembly Center, Merced County, CA.  July 1942.

Walnut Grove, CA. Sumotori Champions

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My Dad didn't lie to me about being a Sumotori.  He's the short one on the very right, Don Honda.  Picture taken July 1942.

These photo's were handed to me at a Judo tournament I was coaching on 4/13/2014

Like most Nisei dad's they didn't say much about their past and my dad was just like that.  But, I do remember him telling me he practice Sumo and Judo but liked Sumo better. 

At his funeral, a old man told me "your dad knock a guard out at camp.  He saw your dad teaching Sumo and said that ain't wrestling.  The guard chanlleged your dad to a match.  When we said Go, your dad did a Sumo Slap and knock the guard out."  Then the old man said something about my dad being in the guard house.  Go figure.