Ryogoku Kokugikan (National Sumo Stadium), Tokyo

Sumo is a Japanese national sport and has a long history and tradition. Recently, girls who like sumo wrestling are rapidly increasing. It is a great sumo wrestling that is rising more and more.
The current “Ryogoku Kokugikan” (National Sumo Stadium) is the second generation and has been in use since 1985, including the Sumo Museum and souvenirs. In addition, there is a shop where you can buy boxed lunches, yakitori, and sumo wrestling related goods, and there are plenty of attractions.
Ryogoku, known as Sumo town. When you get off the train at Japan Railway Ryogokku Station, the concourse will have the victory frames of the former yokozuna Mienoumi and the former sekiwake Hasegawa, and the curtains of the packed thanks are also down. And if you are lucky, you may be able to see sumo wrestlers in a yukata at the station or in the city. In addition, you can see the signboard of “Chankonabe” (a hot pot dish eaten mainly by professional sumo wrestlers and professional wrestlers in Japan) everywhere, and you can also see a signboard of Mongolian cuisine recently. It is probably because there are many wrestlers from Mongolia.
During the sumo wrestling competition, as you approach the Kokugikan, colorful banners will be visible and the excitement will reach its peak. The entrance area is crowded with sumo wrestling fans waiting for their favorite wrestler.
Regularly scheduled sumo tournaments are held six times a year, of which three are held in January, May and September in Ryogoku Kokugikan. Even when sumo tournaments are not being held, you can enjoy buying goods at the Sumo Museum and shops, but please watch the regularly scheduled sumo tournaments once.
The sumo tournament starts at 10 am and shows young wrestlers such as Jonokuchi and maezumo (a pre-sumo match). The match of makuuchi wrestlers will be held at the afternoon, but if possible, it is recommended to watch from the morning. You can also search for future Yokozuna candidates, or visit the hall, or if you are hungry you can even taste “Chankonabe”.
Let’s enjoy great sumo wrestling a day at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

The history of the sumo is old

The history of the sumo is old and is one of the Japanese old culture to date back to “Kojiki” (Records of Ancient Matters) and “Nihonshoki” (Chronicles of Japan). the building, which have made for exclusive use for the sumo in 1909, was called “Kokugikan”, and have opened on the ground of Ryogoku. Kokugikan moved to Kuramae afterwards, and the January tournament of 1985 became the formal opening of a new building. The current Kokugikan is the third generation. Time more than 100 years would go by after the name called Kokugikan was born.

It is used also various kind of event besides a sumo match

Ryogoku Kokugikan known as Grand Sumo Tournament performance being carried out is a facility proud of 10,000 seating capacities or more.
A box seat is a movable type, and since it can arrange an arena freely, it is used also as sport related event sites, such as professional wrestling and a game of professional boxing, besides a sumo event. Moreover, since sound and a lighting setup are also ready, it is used also as music event sites, such as the live and a concert.
In Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, it is due to be used as a venue of boxing.

Sumo wrestler dressed in the yukata is seen

Ryogoku is known as a town of the sumo and may see the sumo wrestler dressed in the yukata at downtown or a station. “Honbasho” (regularly scheduled sumo tournament) of the Grand Sumo Tournament is performed 6 times a year, but, in Kokugikan of Ryogoku, three times of the tournament are held in January, May, September.

Traditional seat in Japan is recommended

If you would like to enjoy the powerful sumo match closely, the “Massu seat” (box seat) too near the front row is recommended most. The Massu seat is a seat divided into the quadrangle so that four persons can sit down, and it is a traditional seat in Japan.

Sumo Museum in the first floor

Moreover, there is the Sumo Museum in the first floor of Kokugikan, and the data about sumo, such as a Nishikie (Colored woodblock print) and a Banduke (the official list of wrestlers), a Kesho-mawashi (the ornamental apron), are exhibited. Let’s tour by all means in the intervals of watching a sumo match.

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