Something we had left pending during our first trip to Japan was to visit Ryogoku , Tokyo's sumo district . But we were clear that sooner or later we would return to be able to discover it more thoroughly.
And so it was, on our second experience in the capital of Japan, we took advantage of the fact that we were staying in the nearby Asakusa district, to spend a morning walking through its traditional streets and try our luck in one of the sumo schools. Did we manage to see a sumo training session? Keep reading to find out.
In this article we tell you more about Japan's national sport, everything to see and do in Ryogoku , the schools where you can attend a training session and where to see sumos in Tokyo.
1. What is a Sumo?
Essentially, and to put it briefly, it is wrestling. But it is not just a sport, sumo in Japan was established more than 1,500 years ago and is revered more as a way of life, as an art linked to the Shinto religion , which revolves around numerous rituals. In fact, the wrestlers, who take the name of rikishi , are considered almost heroes.
Sumo is so important to Japanese culture that it is considered the national sport (although baseball is more popular among younger people).
As we say, in sumo the rituals are just as important or more than the final result of the fight. All the acts are part of a complete ceremony, for example when the wrestlers throw a handful of salt into the dohyō (as the combat ring is known) to purify it. Or when before starting the fight, the rikishi greet each other by bowing their heads and introduce themselves with a peculiar “dance”: they raise their legs in the air and let them fall to the ground, in this way it is believed to scare away evil spirits. I don’t want to brag, but I am quite good at this little dance, perhaps in another life I was a sumo wrestler (yes, there are also females rikishi).
And then, the chief of ceremonies or referee (the Gyōji), gives the starting signal and the chests of the enormous wrestlers collide in a brutal crash.
The rules of combat are quite simple:
- The rikishi cannot touch the ground with any part of his body, except his feet, of course. So, if someone falls or puts his hands on the ground, boom! He's out.
- They are also not allowed to leave the dohyo, the circle of sand and clay where the fight takes place: if one opponent pushes the other out of the circle, boom! they are eliminated.
- Finally, as with everything in Japan, honour and respect are essential, so if someone uses underhand tricks (pulling hair or sticking fingers in eyes...), they are disqualified.
There are 6 different categories of rikishi :
- Jonokuchi
- Jonida
- Watermelon
- Makushita
- Jury
- Makuuchui, the most important.
And within those 6 categories there are subcategories. For example, the Maakuchui division includes the following subcategories: Yokozuna (the highest), Ozeki, Sekiwake, Komusubi and Maegashira.
The most striking thing is the enormous size of the wrestlers , who, besides being overweight, are also beasts of strength. Although, well, the most striking thing is their clothing , let's not fool ourselves: seeing those masses dressed in the mawashi , a kind of silk panty/belt that, wow, when unrolled, measures about 9 meters long!
2. Where to watch Sumos in Japan?
The best way to see a sumo match is to attend one of the 6 annual tournaments that take place in Japan:
- 3 in Tokyo (January, May and September)
- Osaka (March)
- Nagoya (July)
- Fukuoka (November).
The Tokyo games take place at the huge Kokugikan stadium.
During the rest of the month, however, wrestlers train at the Heya (translated as “stable” in English), prestigious and hard-working schools concentrated in the Ryogoku district. Seeing them during training is easier, although there is a catch: you must call ahead to request a visit and you have to do it in Japanese, so if you are staying in a hotel ask if someone can call on your behalf. In theory, these visits are free.
Another option is to book an organized tour, where you can attend training and interact with the fighters. They are expensive, but going with a local will help you understand everything a little better.
If you're really, really lucky, you might find a wrestler walking around Ryogoku who invites you (or agrees to invite you, rather) to training. That's what happened to some friends, who were invited to a Heya and enjoyed an amazing training session.
We tried to follow in their footsteps but only saw closed doors with signs saying “Do not disturb” -_- Although we did see a sumo wrestler in the distance who had just finished training. How exciting! He was walking down the street in his yukata and his trifle, which really made us really excited hehe.
If you are lucky enough to get an invitation to see a training session, we leave you this post from Japonismo, where they recommend how to behave in a heya.
3. Stables ( Stables or Heyas ) where you can watch sumo training in Ryogoku
The main reason to visit Ryogoku is to take a tour of the sumo schools (Stables or Heyas), who knows if you'll be lucky enough to attend a training session! These are the stables and sumo schools you'll find in Ryogoku:
- Michinoku Stable
- Kasugano Stable
- Izutsu Stable
- Dewanoumi Stable
- Tokitsukaze Stable
And a little further away:
- Hakkau Stable
- Nishikido Stable
- Kataonami Stable
Please note that training sessions start early in the morning and last until around noon, so there is NO point in visiting Ryogoku in the afternoon.
4. Other things to see and do in Ryogoku
1. First, head to the tourist office , which is located in a beautiful building right next to the JR station.
Not only can you ask any questions you have about the neighborhood and the heya , but there are free maps and in the same building there are a good handful of restaurants and a reproduction of a dohyo , the ring where sumo wrestlers fight honestly.
2. Visit the huge Kokugikan Stadium , located in the heart of Ryogoku. When we went it was closed and we could only admire the huge complex (and take a photo of some cardboard sumo wrestlers, but hey, better than nothing XD).
3. Right next door there is also a small Sumo Museum (free), although we also found it closed. Apparently, and according to what we were told, the hours are quite “free and flexible”, meaning that sometimes they open and sometimes they don’t.
4. Visit the Kyu-Yasuda Gardens . They don't look like much from the outside, but once you get inside, things change: they are super pretty Japanese gardens, a true haven of peace, with bridges between the little lakes, giant stone lamps and an almost unreal calm. They're free.
5. Eat at a local restaurant . Many offer the typical sumo wrestler's lunch, chanko-nabe , a large dish consisting of a broth stew with meat and vegetables.
6. In addition, Ryogoku has two very interesting museums: the Sword Museum and the Edo-Tokyo Museum , a must-see if you want to learn about the history of this incredible city.
7. After walking around the neighborhood and having a full stomach, a good plan is to go relax at the EdoYu hot springs, which have 6 hot spring tubs, saunas and rock baths (they are public, so separated for men and women). Note: it is not tattoo-friendly.
5. How to get to Ryogoku?
We walked from Asakusa. It's about 3 km but it's nice as you can walk along the Sumida River (if you go on the Asakusa side you'll have incredible views of the SkyTree). But you can get there from anywhere in Tokyo by subway (stop: Ryogoku Station , either on the subway "Oedo Line" or the JR train "Chūō-Sōbu Line").
That's all for our recommendations of things to see and do in Ryogoku . We hope we've given you a little more insight into the art of sumo and its importance in Japan.
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