The ninth edition of the All Japan Women’s College Sumo Championships took place on Sunday in Tokyo, featuring intense and heated action inside the ring that mirrored the sweltering conditions outside it.
For the second year in a row, the event was held at Nihon University (Nichidai) sumo club in Tokyo's Suginami ward, returning to its traditional mid-summer slot after the 2021 tournament was held in November.
With the mercury hitting 36 degrees Celsius and no air conditioning available, mask discipline soon slipped among those watching the event, as coaches and family members gasped for air inside the cramped dojo.