In a rebuilt stable in Soma, wrestler Oazuma throws his sparring partner to the ground during group practice.[Photo/China Daily]

Flesh explodes against flesh as two gargantuan men collide and try to push each other out of a 16-square-meter ring. Sweat drips as they lock arms in the Japanese sport known as sumo. Sumo wrestling, a traditional Japanese sport steeped in history, is still practiced professionally in Japan. Deeply rooted in history and tradition, sumo draws heavily from Japan's Shinto religion, with rituals in and out of the ring such as throwing salt on the floor for purification. Wrestlers trained and raised in stables are conditioned through simple techniques such as stone lifting and pushing against each other. However, sumo as a sport is going through a tough time with a decreasing fan base especially among the young, who are distracted by popular sports such as baseball and soccer. On top of a shrinking audience, there have been corruption charges and even the hazing death of a trainee. Rebuilding sumo as a sport has not been easy - but with Japan as a nation healing from the effects of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster, sumo wrestlers are eager to regain their reputations as well as lift the spirit of the people. Wrestlers belonging to a stable in the Soma region of Japan, an area devastated by the March 11 earthquake, have returned to train and to inspire their countrymen.