Sumos wrestling
NATSOT WRESTLING
In sumo, size does matter.There are techniques and skills that need to be mastered, but there’s no doubt bigger is better.
Sumos eating
NATSOT EATING
To get it on, and keep in on, sumos eat two massive meals a day… each includes three bowls of stew, five big bowls of rice, tempura, noodles and several side dishes.
Kobayashi eating hot dogs
NEW YORK NATSOT
The sumos might be big, but when it comes to eating, they’re lightweights compared to this man. Takeru Kobayashi is Japan’s – and the world’s – king of conspicuous consumption.“The Tsunami” as he’s known, only weighs 60 kilograms – one third of what some of the sumos do – but inviting him to dinner could be a very costly mistake. At a recent international competition, he devoured fifty and a half hotdogs in just 12 minutes… leaving much bigger competitors wallowing in his wake.
IN: “Jibun no genkai ni...”
OUT: “...sonomono o buki ni suru.”
IN: “jonju gohan kande…”
OUT: “…juitten hachi kiro.”
GRAB
TC 01: 01:27 “There was once a battle to see how much weight you could put on in 45 minutes. I put on 11.8 kg in that time.”
TC 01.01.42That’s the best I’ve ever done.”
Restaurant montage: flashing signs, exteriors, plastic food, people eating
MUSIC STING – RESTAURANT MONTAGE
In Japan, food is taken very seriously… almost to the point of obsession.
PTCTC 00.01.50 “There are 200,000 restaurants and cafes here in Tokyo alone, and Japanese television is dominated by cooking programmes.They’re not just the standard “how to cook chicken surprise” variety, either – many of them turn food into sport.”
Eating curry in a hurry
NATSOT
Some of the most popular programmes feature gladiators who eat as much as they can, as fast as they can.To these guys, gluttony isn’t a deadly sin – it’s a passport to fame and wealth.
Working out
GYM NATSOT
And that’s where the Tsunami comes into his own.He’s a professional food fighter.For this man, food is something to be destroyed, not enjoyed.
TC 01.02.59 “I like to challenge my own limits and use my body as a weapon. I find it’s a stimulating sport.”
TC 01:03:08 He spends several days a week in the gym, building up the muscles that help him eat.
IN: “00.25.38.14 ‘donokurai tabemonoga…’
OUT: “…katari kakeruyouni shimasukedo.”
NATSOT
Today, the Tsunami is training for the next big TV tournament.
Practicing drinking
GRAB
TC 01:03:20 “ I can tell how much I have eaten without knowing the real weight of the food. My stomach has become super-sensitive. In fact, my stomach has developed its own personality. I take care of my stomach and I like to talk to it.”
Drinks and slams down bottle
TC 01:03:46 The workout doesn’t end there. Kobayashi spends hours carefully honing his drinking techniques. The grip, the angle of the bottle, the breathing… all must be just right.
Walking down street
RINK NATSOT
Practicing pigging out can be very expensive, so the Tsunami likes to frequent all-you-can-eat restaurants.The problem is that not many of them will let him in…
Sit down at sushi bar
Plates are put down
NATSOT
Tonight, though, we’re in luck. Eyebrows are raised when Kobayashi places his order.Any distractions are removed so that the master can focus on his work.
I leave
NATSOT
Then, it’s down to business. This guy gives the expression “fast food” a whole new meaning.
Starts eating
IN: “jibun de sport sensyu to…”
OUT: “…athlete to shite mite moraitanode.”
NATSOT GRAB
TC 01:04:38 “I think of myself as a sportsman. I want the world to see me as an athlete.”
TC 01:04:46
NATSOT EATING
One hundred and fifty pieces of sushi later, the training run comes to an end.
NATSOT TV INTRO
One hundred food fighters begin the competition… but in the early rounds, all are swamped by the Tsunami.
Cooks...doctors
NATSOT COMMENTARY
Dozens of cooks work feverishly behind the scenes to keep the food coming. Doctors are on stand by in case anyone bites off more than they can chew.No such worries for Kobayashi san, though… he gets through to the final with an intimidating display of power eating…
IN: “Shijou saikyo no ibukuro..” … OUT: “…niju san sai!!!”
NATSOT COMMENTARY
TC 01:06:07 “This is the man with the strongest stomach in history. Kobayashi Takeru 23yrs old!”
TC 01:06:13 EXTENDED NATSOT EATING
Kobayashi san ploughed through the strawberries…
NATSOT
…but when it came to the dim sims, he made a crucial tactical error – using chopsticks rather than a fork. An upset stomach is always a possibility in a gluttony contest, but until now, an upset win had been unthinkable.
NATSOT OTHER GUY WINS
NATSOT OF CROWD LOOKING DISAPPOINTED
NATSOT OTHER GUY’S ARM HELD UP
But the Tsunami is a glutton for punishment … and he vowed to redouble his efforts for the next competition.
IN: “Tsunami san…”
OUT: “…deshita ne.”
NATSOT
TC 01:07:13 “Tsunami san – you must be pretty disappointed. Are you OK?”
TC 01:07:18
IN: “Jibun no pace ni…”
OUT: “…tarinakatta to omoimasukedo.”
GRAB
TC 01:07:18“Yes, it was disappointing. I have to find a new goal.”
TC 01:07:23 In the meantime, he and his entourage are off to discuss what went wrong – over dinner.
WALKS OFF
NATSOT WRESTLING
In sumo, size does matter.There are techniques and skills that need to be mastered, but there’s no doubt bigger is better.
Sumos eating
NATSOT EATING
To get it on, and keep in on, sumos eat two massive meals a day… each includes three bowls of stew, five big bowls of rice, tempura, noodles and several side dishes.
Kobayashi eating hot dogs
NEW YORK NATSOT
The sumos might be big, but when it comes to eating, they’re lightweights compared to this man. Takeru Kobayashi is Japan’s – and the world’s – king of conspicuous consumption.“The Tsunami” as he’s known, only weighs 60 kilograms – one third of what some of the sumos do – but inviting him to dinner could be a very costly mistake. At a recent international competition, he devoured fifty and a half hotdogs in just 12 minutes… leaving much bigger competitors wallowing in his wake.
IN: “Jibun no genkai ni...”
OUT: “...sonomono o buki ni suru.”
IN: “jonju gohan kande…”
OUT: “…juitten hachi kiro.”
GRAB
TC 01: 01:27 “There was once a battle to see how much weight you could put on in 45 minutes. I put on 11.8 kg in that time.”
TC 01.01.42That’s the best I’ve ever done.”
Restaurant montage: flashing signs, exteriors, plastic food, people eating
MUSIC STING – RESTAURANT MONTAGE
In Japan, food is taken very seriously… almost to the point of obsession.
PTCTC 00.01.50 “There are 200,000 restaurants and cafes here in Tokyo alone, and Japanese television is dominated by cooking programmes.They’re not just the standard “how to cook chicken surprise” variety, either – many of them turn food into sport.”
Eating curry in a hurry
NATSOT
Some of the most popular programmes feature gladiators who eat as much as they can, as fast as they can.To these guys, gluttony isn’t a deadly sin – it’s a passport to fame and wealth.
Working out
GYM NATSOT
And that’s where the Tsunami comes into his own.He’s a professional food fighter.For this man, food is something to be destroyed, not enjoyed.
TC 01.02.59 “I like to challenge my own limits and use my body as a weapon. I find it’s a stimulating sport.”
TC 01:03:08 He spends several days a week in the gym, building up the muscles that help him eat.
IN: “00.25.38.14 ‘donokurai tabemonoga…’
OUT: “…katari kakeruyouni shimasukedo.”
NATSOT
Today, the Tsunami is training for the next big TV tournament.
Practicing drinking
GRAB
TC 01:03:20 “ I can tell how much I have eaten without knowing the real weight of the food. My stomach has become super-sensitive. In fact, my stomach has developed its own personality. I take care of my stomach and I like to talk to it.”
Drinks and slams down bottle
TC 01:03:46 The workout doesn’t end there. Kobayashi spends hours carefully honing his drinking techniques. The grip, the angle of the bottle, the breathing… all must be just right.
Walking down street
RINK NATSOT
Practicing pigging out can be very expensive, so the Tsunami likes to frequent all-you-can-eat restaurants.The problem is that not many of them will let him in…
Sit down at sushi bar
Plates are put down
NATSOT
Tonight, though, we’re in luck. Eyebrows are raised when Kobayashi places his order.Any distractions are removed so that the master can focus on his work.
I leave
NATSOT
Then, it’s down to business. This guy gives the expression “fast food” a whole new meaning.
Starts eating
IN: “jibun de sport sensyu to…”
OUT: “…athlete to shite mite moraitanode.”
NATSOT GRAB
TC 01:04:38 “I think of myself as a sportsman. I want the world to see me as an athlete.”
TC 01:04:46
NATSOT EATING
One hundred and fifty pieces of sushi later, the training run comes to an end.
NATSOT TV INTRO
One hundred food fighters begin the competition… but in the early rounds, all are swamped by the Tsunami.
Cooks...doctors
NATSOT COMMENTARY
Dozens of cooks work feverishly behind the scenes to keep the food coming. Doctors are on stand by in case anyone bites off more than they can chew.No such worries for Kobayashi san, though… he gets through to the final with an intimidating display of power eating…
IN: “Shijou saikyo no ibukuro..” … OUT: “…niju san sai!!!”
NATSOT COMMENTARY
TC 01:06:07 “This is the man with the strongest stomach in history. Kobayashi Takeru 23yrs old!”
TC 01:06:13 EXTENDED NATSOT EATING
Kobayashi san ploughed through the strawberries…
NATSOT
…but when it came to the dim sims, he made a crucial tactical error – using chopsticks rather than a fork. An upset stomach is always a possibility in a gluttony contest, but until now, an upset win had been unthinkable.
NATSOT OTHER GUY WINS
NATSOT OF CROWD LOOKING DISAPPOINTED
NATSOT OTHER GUY’S ARM HELD UP
But the Tsunami is a glutton for punishment … and he vowed to redouble his efforts for the next competition.
IN: “Tsunami san…”
OUT: “…deshita ne.”
NATSOT
TC 01:07:13 “Tsunami san – you must be pretty disappointed. Are you OK?”
TC 01:07:18
IN: “Jibun no pace ni…”
OUT: “…tarinakatta to omoimasukedo.”
GRAB
TC 01:07:18“Yes, it was disappointing. I have to find a new goal.”
TC 01:07:23 In the meantime, he and his entourage are off to discuss what went wrong – over dinner.
WALKS OFF