They’re not the first tourists to pose on Abbey Road’s famous crossing. But they’re probably the biggest.
These four giant sumo wrestlers recreated the iconic image of the Beatles on Wednesday as they took in the sights of London before competing at the Royal Albert Hall.
The capital is hosting only the second ever professional sumo wrestling event held outside Japan.
Some 40 of the country’s top wrestlers will take part over five days – and four of them hit the streets in traditional dress, riding hire bikes through Mayfair and sampling pints of Guinness.
Yesterday a gyoji, who referees the bouts, blessed the sumo ring at the Albert Hall, which also hosted the last overseas ‘basho’ in 1991 when the stage was adapted to ensure it could bear the weight of the wrestlers.
Sumo is considered more than just a sport in Japan, with a ceremonial-religious aspect dating back more than 1,500 years.
