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Sumo wrestlers and Disney fairy Tinker Bell are not two things you would think have much in common. Yet their uncanny similarity is exactly what netizens in Japan have noticed, following a series of photos published recently on the Internet.

The images show a ritual conducted by all sumo wrestlers before beginning a wrestling bout. For centuries, wrestlers have thrown salt in the air to cleanse the ring with its purifying power.

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Known as shiomaki, this method of cleansing and purifying is one of a number of Shinto rituals that take place to preserve and pay respect to the sacred area in the sumo ring.

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The handfuls of salt, when thrown, create beautiful arcs in the air. When captured in photos, the sumo wrestlers begin to look similar to another well-known star who surrounds herself in specks of magical airborne particles.

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Disney’s Tinker Bell may be a lot smaller than the tiniest sumo wrestler, but she throws around purifying pixie dust with the best of them.

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Next time you see a sumo wrestler ready to pound the earth in the sumo ring, don’t be surprised if Tinker Bell flashes before your eyes. As this image shows, she’s got what it takes to face the big boys in a bout, from the purification ritual to the come-take-me stare-down. Now that’s a match we’d like to see!

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Source: Hamster Sokuhou
Images: Twitter, Hamster Sokuhou