I remember being a high school student. I remember myself and my peers at that age, and I remember none of us having the presence of the students at Mukainooka Technical High School's Sumo Club in Kanagawa, Japan. Large and powerful, unflinching, determined, resilient, and unfailingly respectful — at only 15-18 years of age.

 

With this series, I hope I've managed to capture something of the calm moments before a bout, the furious flurry of movement as they use a range of techniques to down or remove their opponent from the ring, and the end of class where practice continues, but also where jokes are cracked and smiles appear — their youth (something easy to forget when watching them train).

 

I photographed them during several visits through 2016-2017 and came away humbled and full of admiration for them and for sumo.