April 29–30: Watching Judo Competition
I haven’t updated my journal since the last entry, so I’m doing it today. It has been quite busy… well, not really.
I left Incheon Airport at 10 AM and arrived at Chinggis Khaan Airport at around 1 PM. On the plane, I was sleeping for obvious reasons. After arriving, I went through all the procedures without any issues. I had been a bit worried about immigration because the check-in staff warned me that I didn’t have a ticket for leaving Mongolia.
A judo coach told me to go to the judo stadium, so I took a taxi. The view was completely different from anything I had seen before—very unique. I also quickly realized that driving in Mongolia is quite rough. People honk a lot and drive however they want.
I finally arrived at the stadium and started watching the judo matches. They finished at 1 AM, which made me exhausted. I had never experienced judo matches lasting all day. I heard they started in the morning, which means they were competing for more than 24 hours. It was insane. At one point, I could barely keep my eyes open for about an hour.
After the matches, I moved to a Japanese hotel, Toyoko Inn, located in central Ulaanbaatar. The head coach had booked it for me. The room felt very Japanese, which made me feel like I was still in Japan.
I woke up late the next day and ended up being late for the team competition at the same stadium. I took a taxi from the hotel. The matches finished around 2 PM. Since the judo academy won the competition, they held a celebration party, and I was invited. I ate a lot of Mongolian food and drank sake. I got drunk again.
After returning to the hotel, I went straight to bed and fell asleep. I feel like I’ve been drinking a lot since I started this trip.
May 1–4: Mongolian Sumo, Traditional Food, and Judo Updates
It’s now May. I don’t remember exactly what I did each day, so I’ll write about my experiences without following a strict timeline.
One interesting thing was that juniors from my university came to Mongolia. I had a chance to meet them and do some sightseeing together. They wanted to try Mongolian sumo, so I joined them, even though I wasn’t that interested at first.
One day, I went to a market called Narantuul Market, where you can buy many things at cheap prices. Most of the goods are imported from China, so many branded items are fake. I went there to get a Mongolian sumo uniform. Since I didn’t want to spend much money, I only bought the top. Luckily, I was able to get it at a lower price than the original.
I was impressed by how big the market was—you can basically find anything there. I also bought a pair of sandals for about $5 since I didn’t bring any on this trip. I didn’t care about the quality as long as they last for three months.
On the same day, we tried to join sumo training, but it was canceled for some reason. Instead, one of the judo students I know took us to a Mongolian sumo competition. I had never seen one before, and I was surprised by how popular it is. The stadium was almost full. We stayed for a couple of hours and then left.
In the evening, I took my juniors out for dinner. I usually don’t like spending a lot of money, but it was a special occasion, so I decided to. The food and atmosphere were amazing. We talked a lot and had a great time. I think that was on Saturday, May 3.
I also did some sightseeing, but there wasn’t anything specific worth writing about.
I joined my first training session with the judo students at the academy. There was no randori because they had just finished the competition, although some of them did it on their own afterward. I could tell how much they love judo.
After practice, I went back to the changing room and immediately noticed a strong smell. It turned out to be from airag (fermented milk) and aaruul (a very hard, long-lasting dried curd snack). Someone had brought them for the head coach because he likes them. I tried both, but I didn’t like the taste. I heard that many people don’t like them at first, so maybe I’ll get used to it over time.
These traditional foods are very nutrient-dense and are commonly consumed in the summer. I also heard that Mongolian people have strong jaw structures partly because they chew hard foods like aaruul. Some even say that drinking airag and eating aaruul helps keep their teeth clean and white.
Even though I didn’t like the taste, I was glad to try them. I want to experience more traditional Mongolian culture while I’m here.
To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with Ulaanbaatar because it feels quite modern and not so different from other cities. I’m more interested in the nomadic lifestyle, so I’m planning to visit rural areas where I can experience that more.
I also joined and watched several judo classes for kids. There are many different skill levels, from beginners to advanced, which I liked. I even had a chance to teach some techniques.
Finally, my juniors and I were able to join a Mongolian sumo training session. The atmosphere felt intense at first—everyone looked intimidating—but once training started, they were very kind and welcoming. The head coach also greeted us warmly.
I did some sparring with one of the wrestlers, and he was incredibly strong—I was literally flying through the air.
Overall, it was an amazing experience. That’s been my highlight so far in Mongolia.
I’m planning to stay here for another week, so I’ll update again if something interesting happens.
