Imagine sitting next to one of these guys: Flight attendants could not do their usual trolley service (Picture: @hakkakubeya/Twitter)

If you’re one of those people (everyone?) that complains about legroom on aeroplanes, spare a thought for the 29 sumo wrestlers who were forced to squeeze together on a tiny plane as they travelled to a training camp.

In a series of tweets posted by the Hakkaku Stable, the oversized athletes were pictured going through airport security and enjoying a hearty meal before boarding the tiny JAL jet.

The wrestlers, who eat 20,000 calories a day and weigh about 150kg each, look distinctly unimpressed with the lack of space on the small passenger plane.

Flight attendants were reportedly unable to do their usual trolley service due to the considerable bulk of the wrestlers extending into the aisle.


The sumos are in better spirits, despite being squeezed onto an even smaller bus (Picture: @hakkakubeya/Twitter)

Having landed, the wrestlers – who have a combined weight of 4.3 tonnes – seemed in much better spirits despite being squeezed immediately on to a bus that had even less room than the plane.



The sumos are now installed at their camp in Okinshima, an island in the Shimane prefecture in western Japan, where they are training for a forthcoming competition in Tokyo.

The wrestlers are currently training hard for an upcoming tournament in Japan (Picture: @hakkakubeya/Twitter)