Inside the Sumo Wrestling Party at Brooklyn Kitchen

All photos by Clay Williams
The crowd that gathered on the second floor of Brooklyn Kitchen last Thursday was big and enthusiastic, fixated on a projector screen; almost 7,000 miles away, two rikishi (sumo wrestlers) were colliding into each other with a deft force, and we all had our favorite. My (friendly) bet was on the smaller and slimmer wrestler, but in just a few seconds, the more rotund opponent did a side-step to swiftly push my guy out of the ring.
Japan was in the middle of Septe