Meiji to Heisei: Japan using past glories to build towards new era

As Japan prepares to enter the new Reiwa Era, the country has immersed itself in a period of reflection about how past events and people shaped recent times, including those in the world of sport where certain figures came to define their generation.The country's national sport of sumo dates back many centuries and along with other martial arts such as judo have long played a role in forming the collective character of Japanese athletes.Modern sports came about in Japan after the 1868 political revolution known as the "Meiji Restoration," which resulted in an era of unprecedented westerniza…READ FULL ARTICLE