At the time, I did not know who Konishiki was, yet Aya's reaction indicated to me that sumo wrestlers must really enjoy popularity in Japan (why, otherwise, would a 19-year old Japanese girl so readily recognize the obese man on the back of a CD?). ... However, because sumo nowadays is performed so often and so consistently as a ritual embodying symbols that represent "old Japan," it is easily seen as a truly remarkable living legacy of the past. ... In identifying with such symbols, the Japanese are reaffirming their cultural identity, implicitly or explicitly assuming a unilinear inh...

• Word Count: 6746
• Approx Pages: 27
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate