Sumo, Japan's national sport, conjures up images of very huge loincloth-clad men colliding with one another. However, a new type of sumo wrestler has just entered the ring. Mei Kigawa, a bashful fifth-grader, may not seem like a sumo wrestler at little over 50 pounds, but she is no pushover. The daughter of a former professional wrestler, Mei began training in jiu jitsu at the age of 3. By the time she was 5, she had joined her father's dojo and started learning sumo. Although she doesn't weigh much more than most women, Mei is said to have the strength of about 150 pounds due to all the muscle she builds through practice. Her height is also impressive for a female sumo wrestler - she stands nearly 6 feet tall! Though she comes from a family of wrestlers, this isn't necessarily why she chooses to join sumo, instead, it's because it's what she loves doing best. Mei says that she wants to become the strongest woman in the world so that other children who are shy like herself can learn from her example. In addition to practicing sumo every day, Mei studies Japanese history and literature during her spare time. She hopes to become a teacher when she grows up and has expressed interest in studying abroad when she turns 16. For now, she will continue to compete in major sumo tournaments until 2021 when she will be able to start work as a permanent judge instead.