Wild Feed

London’s prized Royal Albert Hall has seen symphonies, rock concerts and ballets. But today it smells like wet dirt, as 11 tonnes of specially selected soil is shovelled from the marshes of Kettering (the only place with the perfect ratio of clay and sand) into its central stage. Without speaking, a team of Japanese builders churn into action – first compressing the soil with wooden mallets, then old Asahi beer bottles, before shaping the mound into a perfect 4.55 metre circle. Finally, the edges are sliced off the now-hardened clay to reveal a smooth, flat ring. This is the dohyō — the sacred stage of sumo. It’s an hours-long process, performed with laser-focused familiarity.