Sumo Tours and Travel

Recommended tours for watching sumo wrestling
Sumo Trivia

Recommended tours for watching sumo wrestling

It will make watching the game even more fun!

Sumo Trivia

The appeal of watching sumo wrestling

There are many attractions to watching sumo wrestling, such as the breathing of the wrestlers, the sound of the wrestlers colliding during the match, and the loud cheers for popular wrestlers, which you can't experience on TV. There are also many other things to enjoy besides watching the match, such as gourmet food such as yakitori, a specialty of the Kokugikan, and souvenirs. If you know these things, you'll enjoy watching sumo wrestling even more! We'll introduce you to plenty of trivia.

Ryogoku Kokugikan (Image)

Three points to make watching the game even more enjoyable

*The following explanation is for Tokyo location.

Very impressive!
Watching from the stadium seats

The square seats closest to the ring are the most exciting! Each square (basically accommodating 4 people) is a 1.3m square seat surrounded by iron pipes with 4 cushions laid out on it. The front row of square A seats at the Kokugikan is only about 7m away from the ring, so you can feel the strength and power of the wrestlers. The square seats are numbered from closest to the ring: Square A, Square B, and Square C.

FM radio
Listen and watch

Bringing an FM radio and listening to detailed commentary while watching the match will add to your enjoyment. We recommend the original in-house broadcast "Dosukoi FM" only available at the Kokugikan. With a wide variety of guests, including former sumo wrestlers, you can hear a variety of stories. You can also listen to NHK sumo broadcasts on FM radio outside the Kokugikan.

Speciality gourmet
Enjoy the food while watching the game

At the Kokugikan, there is yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) that is cooked in the basement, which is famous among sumo fans. Chickens have been considered lucky animals in the sumo world because they stand on two legs and do not touch the ground with their hands. There are also original bento boxes called "rikishi bento" (sumo wrestler bento) that are named after each sumo wrestler, and depending on the venue, special chanko (chicken stew) made by the sumo stables is also available for purchase. Please be sure to enjoy the local gourmet food as well.

The ABCs of Sumo

Tournament Schedule

Six tournaments are held each year in odd-numbered months.

place	January Tournament	March Tournament	May Tournament	July Tournament	September Tournament	November Tournament
venue	Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall [Tokyo]	EDION Arena Osaka (Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) [Osaka]	Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall [Tokyo]	Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium [Nagoya]	Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall [Tokyo]	Fukuoka International Center [Fukuoka]

Seat type

*The following explanation applies to the Tokyo location.

Tamariseki (a gathering of people)	Commonly known as "suna-kaburi," these seats are placed around the ring, with each person sitting on a cushion while watching the match. *Eating, drinking and photography are not permitted at this seating area.
Mass seat	Each square (capacity 4 people) is a 1.3m square seat surrounded by iron pipes and with 4 cushions laid out on it. *Eating, drinking and taking photographs are permitted.
Chair seat	These seats are located on the second floor of the Kokugikan. Each type of seat has a different seating arrangement. Seat A is equipped with a table and armrests, making it a comfortable chair.
Unreserved seating	The last row (14th row) of the second floor of the Kokugikan can be used as unreserved seats. Tickets will only be sold on the day of the match.

FAQ

<Q1>
What clothes should I wear?

There are no dress codes. Please refrain from wearing large hats that may obstruct other customers' viewing of the sumo match.

<Q2>
Can I take photos?

Taking photos and videos of sumo wrestling is permitted for non-commercial purposes. Please do so from your seat so as not to disturb other customers.
Taking photos from the "tameseki" seats close to the ring is prohibited.

<Q3>
How many people can sit in the mass seating?

Generally, seats are divided into squares, each with four cushions laid out. It is possible to watch sumo with less than four people in a four-person square seat, but the seat fee for the capacity will be charged.

<Q4>
Do you have a radio available for rental?

Radios are available for loan at the Information Desk on the 1st floor. As numbers are limited, they may all be loaned out.
The rental fee is 3,200 yen (3,000 yen deposit + 200 yen usage fee, 3,000 yen will be refunded when the radio is returned).

<Q5>
Can I buy a ranking list?

Ranking sheets can be purchased for 55 yen each.
It's popular so it may sell out.

<Q6>
What kind of souvenirs are available?

Souvenirs include various sumo goods such as cookies with sumo wrestlers' faces printed on them, sumo wrestler figures, and hand towels.

＜Q7＞
What is the capacity of the Kokugikan?

The Ryogoku Kokugikan has a maximum capacity of 11,098 people.
In addition to sumo wrestling, it is used for a variety of purposes, including as a venue for professional wrestling and boxing matches, live music, and robot contests.

＜Q8＞
What is the Sumo Museum?

In order to prevent the dispersion of materials related to sumo as the national sport, the Sumo Museum collects, preserves, and exhibits nishiki-e prints, rankings, and makeup episodes.
Pamphlets (in both Japanese and English) explaining the history and rules of sumo are also available for purchase.

<Q9>
What is the difference between a tournament and a tour?

The tournament is held at a fixed time and venue every year. To allow sumo fans who can't attend the tournament to enjoy sumo, we tour around the country. There are lots of fun things to do, such as handshake events with popular wrestlers and training sessions with children! Of course, you can also see the Yokozuna's dohyo-iri.