Mr. James’s Reviews > The Way of Salt: Sumo and the Culture of Japan > Status Update

A tokoyama applies bintsuke to a yokozuna's hair and pulls it into a tight ponytail. The oil is repeatedly combed in until it's absorbed evenly. The tokoyama ties a topknot, and with careful precision, sculpts a symmetrical bulge, crowning the yokozuna's head. An efficient tokoyama will have practiced for ten years, but a master will apply bintsuke until death. The yokozuna is now ready, not to win, but to dominate.

Haruto is in a minka sitting cross-legged; an elderly man sits across from him: eyes partially closed. A bowl of ramen is between them: chopsticks stand erect in the middle. Two days ago, the man said, "Eat when you're hungry." On the third day of sitting, Hartuto grabs the bowl and brings it to his lips. The man smiles and nods. Haruto pauses, puts the bowl back between them, and waits.

"Rikishi are people who make decisions and live with the consequences." -- Ash Warren "After the rain, the earth hardens." -- Japanese proverb

"The rikishi face each other and ideally their minds are perfectly clear. There is no thought of winning, no fear of losing, and there is no plan. They know that whatever happens next is going to happen completely naturally." -- Ash Warren

"These roads don't have goals or endpoints. When you are on the road, you just 'keep on walking.'" -- Ash Warren

"If you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book. The teacher is the needle, the disciple is the thread. You must practice constantly." -- Miyamoto Musashi

This was the largest human being I have ever seen, before or since. I suddenly had a deep understanding of how a Hobbit feels, and at the same time wondered what kind of guts you'd need to get up on the dohyo and see him staring at you." -- Ash Warren