A Normal Life. Chronicle of a Sumo Wrestler plot
For young Japanese, professional sumo wrestler can be a lucrative career choice. Eighteen-year-old Takuya gives in to his father's wishes and leaves for a sumo school, even though he would have preferred to become a judoka. Takuya exchanges his trendy clothes for the traditional kimono and moves to Tokyo. His father warns him when he leaves: "Do you realize there will be no more room for you when you return?" Debut filmmaker Jill Coulon followed the boy during the first nine months of his training. The camera records the preparations for tournaments, sponsor dinners and the routine at the sumo school and shares Takuya's new experiences with the viewer. Training, eating a lot and hard work are hard for the boy.