Did you know that sumo is Japan‘s national sport? This full-contact wrestling is only practiced professionally in this Asian country and carries a significant impact. A wrestler tries to force his opponent out of dohyo using different tactics, like shoving, pushing, or throwing. What makes this sport unique is the gigantic size of the competitors. Sumo wrestlers could weigh up to 400 pounds.
You shouldn’t miss the Tokyo Sumo or Sumo Tokyo tournaments annually in Tokyo. There are three major competitions, usually lasting fifteen days. You don’t have to be a diehard fan of sumo wrestling to watch these competitions. Still, we guarantee that even a newbie will be left impressed after watching one match.
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Learn About Sumo Wrestling Tokyo Dates
- Time For Sumo Tokyo: January, May, and September
- Location For Sumo Tokyo Japan Tournaments: Ryogoku Kokugikan
- Things To Do: Watching matches, sampling sake and yakitori, cheering competitors
To get the best sumo experience in Tokyo, you must first learn about this wrestling sport, including its dates and location. Japan holds six sumo tournaments annually, three of which are held in Tokyo. Visitors can catch these competitions at Ryogoku Kokugikan in January, May, and September.
By navigating through Google Maps, travelers can easily reach this indoor sumo arena from the Ryogoku Station. This colossal stadium, built in 1985, can accommodate over 10,000 audiences. It is primarily lively during the sumo seasons, so visitors must pre-book tickets to watch thrilling sumo matches.
Speaking of Tokyo Sumo dates in 2024, the January Tournament falls between 14 and 28, the May Tournament in 12-26, and the September Tournament in 8-22. You can book for May matches now and September competitions from August 10. Compare prices on Viator, GetYourGuide, and Musement.
Check These Handpicked Activities:
- Ryogoku: Sumo Town Guided Walking Tour with Chanko-nabe Lunch
- Tokyo: Ryogoku Grand Sumo Tournament Premium Ticket
- Ryogoku guided tour with Chanko-nabe lunch
Handpicked Sumo Wrestling Tokyo Tickets And Tours
Are you worried about Sumo tickets in Tokyo? Although getting the best deals for sumo matches can be challenging, we have handpicked some tickets and tours that might fit right into your budget.
Experience the World of Sumo
This Viator tour allows visitors to learn about traditional Tokyo sumo wrestling. It’s only 3 hours and 30 minutes long and will fit in your Tokyo Itinerary. Moreover, a guide will pick you up from Ueno Station at 7:45 AM, leading you to an up-close sumo training view in Asahiyama Beya.
Visitors will get front-row seats to watch sumo wrestlers’ intense practice. You can even try wrestling with them. After the session ends, capture memorable photos with sumo wrestlers and call it a day. Furthermore, this tour also offers a delicious lunch with a traditional Chanko Nabe dish. This stew is filled with different vegetables and is rich in protein.
Tokyo – Osaka Sumo Tournament
In addition to Tokyo, sumo tournaments occur on the beautiful Osaka. If you are looking forward to watching sumo wrestling while visiting Osaka, this Tokyo-Osaka Sumo Tournament offer is your solution. This small group tour is in English and teaches visitors everything about sumo culture.
This Viator offer is perfect for newbies seeking to learn the secrets of sumo. They will gain knowledge of this Japanese sport’s history and precise rituals. After this four-hour program, stroll around famous Osaka attractions, like Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Universal Studios Japan, Nara Park, and Osaka Museum Of History.
Sumo Culture Tournament Tokyo-Osaka-Nagoya
Expand your sumo tour to Osaka and Nagoya. This Viator offer takes visitors on a memorable journey in Ryogoku Kokugikan. A professional guide will accompany travelers throughout their tour, explaining everything about Sumo culture. Moreover, you will experience the life of a sumo warrior by training and practicing sumo rituals with them.
After interacting with wrestlers, visitors visit local restaurants and enjoy sumptuous meals. Our itinerary also includes trips to Ejimasugiyama Shinto Shrine and Eko-in Buddhist Temple. Don’t forget to make a wish or two in the latter shrine. Overall, you will have a fun-filled time with this tour.
Sumo Guided Tour With Grand Sumo Tournament and Optional Lunch
Next, on our sumo wrestling Tokyo tickets, we have a sumo-guided tour with a Grand Sumo Tournament and optional lunch. This Musement offers a day-long tour available in English and Japanese languages. It will first take travelers around Ryogoku and must-see tourist spots, including the Nomi no Sukune Shrine. Afterward, the group will arrive at Kokugikan arena and indulge in sumo learning.
This tour also takes visitors to sumo stables, where wrestlers live and train. Find out who the Yokozuna (grand champion) is and see how he trains with others. Your guide will give you real-time commentaries as the bouts happen in the ring. You can also sign up for an optional lunch with Chanko Nabe.
Tokyo: Sumo Morning Practice Viewing Tour
Sumo wrestlers’ diets and workouts vastly differ from those of other athletes. They begin training early in the morning and consume a high-calorie and high-protein diet. If you want to get a firsthand look at these warriors’ morning routines, join the Sumo Morning Practice Viewing Tour with an English guide.
This GetYourGuide tour lets visitors see sumo wrestlers’ training sessions up and close. Behind these workout routines lies a dream of becoming a champion in the sumo tournaments. Travelers will also learn why sumo means so much to these young men and how it has changed their lives. Though a 2-hour tour might sound less, you will learn much more within this time frame.
Tokyo: Sumo Morning Practice Tour in Ryogoku
If you want a more lengthy sumo morning practice tour, this GetYourGuide offer is your best choice. This 3.5-hour tour can host up to nine participants at a time. Your local guide will pick you up from Re.Ra.Ku and take you on an unforgettable expedition. By the end of this trip, you will be fully satisfied and informed about this traditional Japanese sport.
Throughout the tour, a local guide will explain Sumo’s history, roots, customs, and appeal to Japanese people. While Westerners might be visually shocked by this sport, sumo symbolizes Japanese culture in the wrestling scene. Wrestlers train vigorously on sumo stables, adhering to strict kyara tradition. Visitors will learn much more about the sport on their tour.
Tokyo: Sumo Morning Practice Tour at Sumida City
Lastly, we have the Sumo Morning Practice Tour at Sumida City. This GetYourGuide tour begins in Oshiage Station at 7:30 AM. You will walk down the Tokyo Skytree to reach a secret sumo stable, where you will get a front-row seat to watch sumo morning training practice.
An English-speaking guide will explain Sumo’s history, rituals, and rules. Visitors can also ask a stable master questions about wrestlers’ training and anything they want to know. After wrestlers have ended their intense sessions, travelers can snap pictures with them. Don’t miss this opportunity, as you won’t get them often.
Explore Sumo Competitions Outside Tokyo
Sumo wrestling’s origins date back to 23 BC. It gained more momentum after the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Eventually, the Japan Sumo Association existed in 1925, which increased annual tournaments to six in 1958. Three annual competitions are held in Tokyo, while Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka hold one each.
If you miss sumo matches in Tokyo, head to watch this thrilling competition in the remaining districts. Osaka holds annual sumo matches in May, and tickets are available for booking from February 8. Likewise, Nagoyo hosts the Grand Sumo Tournament in July, while Fukuoka organizes it in November. These year-long sumo tournaments also make Japan a year-round tourist destination with many experiences.
Check These Handpicked Sumo Tickets Outside Tokyo:
- Tokyo: Sumo Show Experience with Chicken Hot Pot and a Photo
- Tokyo: Ryogoku Grand Sumo Tournament Premium Ticket
- Sumo Hall Hirakuza Osaka Admission Ticket
- Sumo Morning Training Watch in Osaka
- Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament Viewing Tour with Tickets
Explore Edo Tokyo Museum Sumida Tokyo
- Address: 1 Chome-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida City, Tokyo 130-0015, Japan; Google Map
- Opening Hours: Closed for renovations until 2025
- Entrance Fee: ¥600 (Adults)
While exploring the sumo scene in Sumida, Tokyo, you might as well visit other famous attractions, such as the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It is only nineteen minutes from the legendary Tokyo National Museum. Moreover, this historic property takes visitors to the Edo period with its preserved Edo city models. For instance, it houses a life-size replica of that era’s bridge, the Nihonbashi.
This museum allows visitors to learn about the Edo period’s commercial situations, architecture, cultural heritage, and people’s lifestyle. Its permanent exhibitions include several divisions, like Edo Castle and Town Division, Edo Commerce, Town Life, Cultural City Edo, Play and Yuuri, Industrial Revolution and Tokyo, Beauty of Edo, and Four Seasons.
Likewise, the Edo-Tokyo Museum has eight floors, with a shop, ticket counter, and restaurants on the first floor. Its permanent collections are on the fifth and sixth floors, while special exhibitions are on the first and fifth floors. Unfortunately, this place is currently closed for renovation and will only open in 2025.
Until then, travelers can include a trip to the Edo-Tokyo Open-Air Architectural Museum in their Tokyo indoor activities list. It is open from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and the tickets cost ¥400 for adults and ¥200 for 65 and above.
Check These Handpicked Activities:
- Edo Tokyo & Japanese Culture Tour with Government Licensed Guide
- Tokyo Studio Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Film Appreciation Tour
- Full-Day Private Shore Tour in Tokyo from Tokyo Cruise Port
The sumo wrestling scene in Tokyo provides a fun experience for visitors and will be unique for those who watch MMA, UFC, and WWE fights. Imagine sitting in an arena crowded with thousands of viewers whose roars shake the entire building. You won’t even realize it when you join others and cheer competitors in the ring.
Before starting your Tokyo Sumo expedition, keep in mind some etiquette tips. For example, females are forbidden from entering the wrestling ring. You won’t find women’s sumo tournaments in Japan. Furthermore, some arenas dislike audiences who leave before the end of the tournament. Finally, respect the deep-rooted sumo traditions.
And that’s it; now, you are ready to embark on a unique and fun-filled sumo expedition.
