Ryogoku in eastern Tokyo is the spiritual home of sumo in Japan, where most professional sumo wrestlers live and train in stables. As the national sport of Japan, sumo wrestling can be traced as far back as the 8th century.
It was in and around Ryogoku in the 17th century that the first organised sumo competitions began. Today a handful of stables allow fans and tourists inside to watch the gruelling daily sumo training sessions.
Professional rikishi and apprentice sumo wrestlers live together in sumo stables in highly hierarchical and heavily regimented groups.
Sumo is dominated by tradition and becoming a rikishi means committing to a strict lifestyle and code of conduct until you retire from the sport.
The vast majority of the sumo stables where sumo wrestlers train and live are in Ryogoku in eastern Tokyo. Called heya in Japanese, the stables are housed in fairly anonymous looking buildings that could easily pass for a regular apartment blocks.
The area of Ryogoku in eastern Tokyo is the spiritual home of sumo in Japan, where most professional sumo wrestlers live and train in stables. As the national sport of Japan, sumo wrestling can be traced as far back as the 8th century.
It was in and around Ryogoku in the 17th century that the first organised sumo competitions began. Today a handful of stables allow fans and tourists inside to watch the gruelling daily sumo training sessions.
Here’s how you can watch sumo training in Tokyo.
A sumo wrestler painted on shutters in Tokyo's Ryogoku
Professional rikishi and apprentice sumo wrestlers live together in sumo stables in highly hierarchical and heavily regimented groups.
Sumo is dominated by tradition and becoming a rikishi means committing to a strict lifestyle and code of conduct until you retire from the sport.
The vast majority of the sumo stables where sumo wrestlers train and live are in Ryogoku in eastern Tokyo. Called heya in Japanese, the stables are housed in fairly anonymous looking buildings that could easily pass for a regular apartment blocks.
When not taking part in tournaments, sumo wrestlers train very early each morning. A handful of stables allow visitors to watch sumo training sessions.
The easiest way to watch sumo practice in Tokyo is through a local tour booked through Get Your Guide. Alternatively, you can also arrange to watch a sumo training session through Viator.