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Ryogoku Sumo Town: Experience History, Culture and Traditional Chanko-Nabe Lunch
4.9
13 Ratings
Sumida City
Immerse yourself in the world of sumo wrestling with this small group tour in Ryogoku. Explore sumo-related landmarks, learn about the history and culture of sumo, and enjoy a traditional chanko-nabe lunch.
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Hakkaku-beya Sumo Stable - Visit the sumo stable run by the president of the Japan Sumo Association. See and learn how wrestlers live and train to climb the ranking.
- Nominosukune Shrine - Visit this shinto shrine where the founder of sumo is enshrined. Learn from the guide how he instigated sumo 1500 years ago; how the sumo rules have been refined to take a form as of now over years; how a ring entering ceremony is held here when a new grand champion (Yokozuna) comes into being; that Japan Sumo Association visits it to pray for a successful tournament 3 times a year.
- Ryogoku Kokugikan - View the sumo arena from outside, a mecca of sumo where the Grand sumo tournaments are held three times a year. Learn from your guide lots of interesting stories this sumo-dedicated arena has including its overall structure, drum tower, and banners.
- Ryogoku Edo Noren - Feel the atmosphere of old Edo (as Tokyo was called before). See a full-scale sumo ring. Learn from the guide so many stories about sumo observing the ring up close.
- Ekoin Temple - See the venue of the sumo tournaments held during the edo (samurai) period. Learn the social status of wrestlers; how the tournaments were held and looked like during the pre-modern era.
- Kasuganobeya - Visit the Kasugano stable where a Bulgarian-born wrestler belongs. See the “wrestler-size” bicycles they use in their daily life.
-
Tomoegata Chanko - We will take you to one of the best chanko-nabe restaurants in town.
Enjoy this nutrient hot-pot dish which is in the centerpiece of sumo wrestlers’ diet to gain weight and muscles to build their bodies. Learn from your guide all about sumo while having the lunch.
What's Included
- Chanko-nabe lunch
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Actual sumo viewing like practice or matches
Additional Information
This small group tour with commentaries by a sumo expert guide gives you a chance to get to know all about sumo including its history / culture, and sumo wrestlers’ daily life. While you may or may not have a chance to see real sumo bouts during your stay in Japan, this tour will prime you with all the background knowledge to increase your joy of watching sumo, be it in Japan or back home.
The tour consists of two components.
-
Walking tour around Ryogoku, a sumo town.
Visit sumo-related landmarks; learn how sumo started and developed over 1600 years. Look at sumo stables from outside where sumo wrestlers live and train. Learn from your knowledgeable guide how their life and career look like. Get answers to any sumo-related questions. -
Lunch at a chanko-nabe restaurant
Have lunch at one of the best chanko-nabe restaurants in Ryogoku.
This nutrient hot-pot dish is in the centerpiece of sumo wrestlers’ diet to gain weight and muscles to build their bodies.
Location
Ryogoku Sta.
The meeting place is Toei Oedo Line Ryogoku Sta. (E12) A3 Exit on the ground.
Please note that there are two Ryogoku Stations: Toei and JR. It should be Toei
but NOT JR.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toei_%C5%8Cedo_Line
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(13 Ratings)
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711theresah
Jul 22, 2024
Informative and super - We learned a lot about sumo life from Jeff, even though all the sumo were currently in Nagoya at a tournament. We recommend this tour to everyone, it teaches a lot about the history of Japan and sumo.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
449emc
Jul 9, 2024
Nice way to learn sumo life & living environment - Informative & well planed walking tour. Taka is good at telling the story of sumo. Chanko restaurant staff were very warm & charming. We had a good time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jamesdlbj
May 12, 2024
Very interesting and informative walking tour - We did this tour prior to attending the sumo tournament and it was a perfect add on to this experience
Our Guide,Taka, was so informative as we strolled around the streets near the stadium. We learnt so many things from the experience. It was a small group and being connected via headset to our guide was very helpful. We had our meal after the tournament which was a great way to end the tour. Highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabethhd3688mp
Apr 9, 2024
Great experience - We had a wonderful tour and experience. Our guide Yoko was pleasant, friendly, knowledgeable and spoke great English. Unfortunately it rained really hard on our tour day but Yoko handled it with grace. Highly recommend Yoko and this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Meganck6944lg
Mar 16, 2024
Tour of sumo town - Taka-San was very courteous kind and informative! It was nice to learn about the famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist and the history on our way through Sumo town. I really enjoyed learning about the history of sumo and the changing-nabe was tasty!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shalom_v
Mar 16, 2024
Great job our! - Aki-san was very knowledgeable about the culture and ways of sumo wrestling. We were delighted to see the sights and listen to the stories and history of Ryogoku. I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in the history and culture of sumo. Great experience!!!
Review provided by Viator
K5927aspaulc
Jan 1, 2024
Great historic and cultural walking tour of quiet Ryogoku neighborhood - This was a very good tour of the Ryogoku area, which includes the Hokusai museum, Japanese gardens, a Japanese sword museum, Shinto and Buddhist temples, sumo arena and sumo stables. Please check if the museums of interest are open during your visit - the Tokyo-Edo museum is being remodeled until 2025 and the sword museum was closed over the Dec-Jan break for a change of exhibit. We would have liked to also attend a sumo practice in hindsight; those tours start at 7:30 am, which would be no problem with jet lag from North or South America, in hindsight. Our guide Taka was very helpful, patient and informative with describing the history, context and culture of all of the above, which a simple solo walkthrough would not cover. Lunch was a hearty hot pot at a local restaurant. Very good tour and hope to return during a sumo grand tournament and to see the sword/katana museum.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Fabioah6745lp
Nov 22, 2023
Excellent experience! - The tour was excellent. Tako-San was very friendly, knowledgeable, spoke very good English. Overall great experience. Thank you. Highly recommended. Ask for Mr. Tako-san
Review provided by Tripadvisor
391cristall
Nov 4, 2023
Great tour! - We initially wanted to watch Sumo morning training and have lunch with them, but unfortunately, they had gone for a competition at that time. So, in the end, we opted for this cultural tour. The tour guide, Yasu San, was well-prepared, providing thorough explanations of the culture involved, which deepened our understanding of Sumo. Overall It was amazing and highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Weijilim2010
Oct 30, 2023
Walk along memory lane! - Rieko was comprehensive and showed us around the many historical sights that showed the history of Japanese culture!
It would have been nice if we could enter any of the locations that she showed us
However, the walk was great and her friendliness helped us learn more about Japan!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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