The airline had to add an extra flight for sumo wrestlers because it was too heavy to fly

When it comes to sumo wrestling, one of Japan’s oldest and most sacred sports and pastimes, the rule is often: “Go big or go home.”

But a group of sumo wrestlers hoping to compete almost had to go home when they boarded a flight together to exceed the weight limit.

Japan Airlines, the country’s flagship airline, took the “rare” step of adding an extra flight for the athletes, who each weighed about 120kg – a weight slightly above the average of 70kg.

According to the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, two groups of the 27 athletes reserved seats on separate flights on October 12.

A departure from Haneda Airport in Tokyo and Itami Airport in Osaka Prefecture, a slightly smaller domestic airport.

Flights 659 from Haneda and 2465 from Itami were both scheduled to land at Amami Ōshima Island in Kagoshima Prefecture for the Special National Sports Festival.

But when the airline learned that Rikishi was on the flight list, employees feared that the two planes – smaller planes typically used for domestic flights – would not be able to carry enough fuel due to weight restrictions.

The athletes attempted to board two Boeing 737-800s with a capacity of 165 passengers.

Instead, mapping a larger aircraft was not an option, JAL said, because Amani Airport’s runway was not wide enough.

With no other choice, the company set up an additional service for 27 sumo wrestlers, with 14 athletes flying from Itami to Haneda to board the special flight.

A JAL spokesperson told regional news agency Minami Nippon Shimbun: “Due to the weight limitations of this aircraft, it is extremely rare that we operate special flights.”

The sumōtori flew back to Fukuoka from Amani on October 15, when the festival ended, before boarding a second, particularly larger plane to fly to Haneda.

Three sumo athletes from Gunma Prefecture told CNN affiliate TV Asahi that they sat next to each other on the flight home.

It was tight: they weighed 140, 130 and 110 kilograms respectively.

One student said, “I think the middle seat was the hardest.”

A representative of the Gunma wrestlers added: “I joked about the possible weight issues, but it actually became an issue.

“We’ve had great support, even if we’re a little tired.”

In sumo, with rings tied in top knots, you see nearly naked wrestlers, usually wearing only loincloths, forcing each other out of a ring about 15 feet in diameter.

There are no weight restrictions in sumo, meaning fighters can get into a fight with someone twice their size.

Weight gain is an essential part of training. But as the number of potential professional wrestlers dwindles, Japanese sumo tournament organizers last month lowered their minimum recruitment requirements to 167cm tall and 67kg in weight.

The roots of sumo go back far in Japanese history. Some historians attribute this to harvest rituals associated with Shinto, an indigenous religion that worships spirits found in all objects, both animate and inanimate.

Ceremonies believed to be similar to sumo fights were held at the imperial courts in the 8th century, before becoming a way for samurai warriors to make money in peacetime.

Today’s sumo wrestling – complete with stomps and side kicks before turning – evolved into a professional sport in the 20th century.

One of the heaviest Japanese sumo wrestlers in history is Ryuichi Yamamoto, better known as Yamas, who weighs almost 270 kg.

The world title goes to Ōrora, a Russian-born rikishi who weighed almost 293 kg in his prime.

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