[Held in May 2023!] Enjoy the thrill of sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan!

Sumo wrestling is a traditional Japanese sport.

Sumo matches are broadcast on television in Japan, but it is not very familiar to people overseas, and when they see sumo wrestlers slamming into each other, they may wonder what kind of sport it is.

Sumo wrestlers are evaluated on a ranking list that shows their rank, called banzuke, and each wrestler trains hard every day in order to reach the highest level, but the results of their training are shown in tournaments called "basho."

Be sure to come and watch this exciting competition!

*The sumo tour for May 2023 has already ended.

For information about the sumo tour taking place in September 2023, please see this article.

[Held in September 2023!] Enjoy the thrill of sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan! Reservations required for this sumo tour

Make a reservation here!

First, let's learn about sumo through a lecture!

To ensure that you can fully enjoy the viewing experience, a 20-minute sumo lecture will be given by a nationally-accredited guide-interpreter (English) with extensive sumo experience at the nearby Ryogoku View Hotel before the match. This is available exclusively to those who participate in the Sunrise Tour.

After the lecture, we finally headed to Ryogoku Kokugikan.

During the tour, you will receive a complimentary copy of the sumo booklet "The Sumo" (in English) and a ranking list (one per person). Take these with you when you head out to watch a sumo match!

Let's watch sumo wrestling!

On the day of the tournament, matches are held in order starting with the lower-ranked wrestlers, so as the evening progresses, the level of the matches increases. The flow of a sumo tournament is as follows:

Around 3:40 PM, the Makuuchi and Yokozuna ring-entering ceremonies take place (no ring-entering if the Yokozuna is absent). Popular wrestlers wear colorful mawashi and circle the ring. This is the moment when the atmosphere in the sumo arena becomes lively.

Around 4:00 PM: Makunouchi bouts The Makunouchi wrestlers, the highest rank in the sumo world, take to the stage. A heated battle unfolds.

Around 18:00 Archery Ceremony After all matches are completed, a winner's dance ceremony is performed.

The viewing ends after the archery ceremony. *The tour ends here.

The Ryogoku Kokugikan is also home to a sumo museum and a shop, so there are plenty of places to enjoy in between matches, so be sure to stop by.

Try Chanko Nabe at Ryogoku Station

After the match, the tour will end, but why not go and try chanko nabe, a famous hotpot dish eaten by sumo wrestlers?

[What is Chanko Nabe?]

Chanko nabe is known as a dish often eaten by sumo wrestlers. Because it can be made in large quantities at once and does not need to be distributed, it became the main dish for those living together in a communal setting, and because it is an ideal meal with good nutritional balance, it became popular among sumo wrestlers.

There are many chanko nabe restaurants in the basement hall of the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall and around Ryogoku Station. Why not give this traditional dish a try?

Below are some chanko nabe restaurants recommended by GTN staff!

Chanko Kirishima : https://j-kirishima.com/c/index.html This chanko nabe restaurant is based on the recipes of former ozeki Mutsu Oyakata's sumo stable. You can enjoy lightly tasting chanko nabe.

The Ryogoku Kokugikan is the only place in Tokyo where you can see sumo.

Sumo tournaments will be held in Tokyo in 2023 according to the schedule below.

May Tournament: Opening day May 14th to final day May 28th

September Tournament: Opening day September 10th to final day September 24th

Enjoy watching sumo on a sunrise tour!

This tour allows you to fully enjoy watching sumo wrestling at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall (Ryogoku Kokugikan: about a 20-minute walk from Sensoji Temple).

If you'd like to experience sumo, a sport that can only be seen in Japan, then be sure to join this tour!

[This course]

Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament Tour: 1st floor C seats / 2nd floor B seats (prices vary depending on the seat)

* Tickets are on sale from May 14th to 28th! For more information and reservations, please click here (seats are limited, so book early!)

*1st floor Mass C seating (maximum 4 people) plan for close-up viewing

https://www.sunrise-tours.jp/en/plan/detail/130SUETB001JG314S/

*2nd floor seat B plan for a great deal

https://www.sunrise-tours.jp/en/plan/detail/130SUETB001JG313S/

【detail】

A nationally-accredited guide-interpreter (English) who is well versed in sumo will give a sumo lecture before the match, after which you will watch sumo, Japan's national sport.

All tour participants will receive a souvenir copy of the sumo booklet "The Sumo" (in English) and a sumo ranking chart. It provides easy-to-understand explanations of the origins of sumo, the rules of the matches, how to read the rankings, and how to enjoy the sport as a ritual.

Book a sunrise tour at GTN Haneda!

*The GTN Haneda Airport Garden Store will officially close on October 31, 2025

GTN Haneda Airport Garden store can make reservations for sunrise tours.

Please feel free to come and visit us!

★How to get to GTN Haneda Airport Garden store!

If you go straight from the second floor arrival lobby towards the parking lot and bus stop, you will see the entrance to Haneda Airport Garden.

From the Haneda Airport Garden entrance, walk straight through the passage to the hotel entrance.

Once you find the Hospitality Center (information counter), walk straight along Haneda Sando on the right side and you will find the store.

★Check out the video below for detailed directions!

How to get from Haneda-sando to GTN (English)

★ GTN Haneda store instagram

GTN Haneda Airport Garden Store

225 Haneda Airport Garden 2F, 2-7-1 Haneda Airport, Ota-ku, Tokyo 144-...