Ryōgoku Kokugikan hosts three of the six annual Grand Sumo Tournaments (basho) — in January, May, and September — each running 15 days. The January Hatsu Basho is particularly festive, with ceremonial rituals, colourful banners, and the electric atmosphere of a packed 11,000-seat arena. Visitors can explore the adjacent Edo-Tokyo Museum, enjoy chanko-nabe stew at local restaurants, and enter the practice stable district (heya) area for a glimpse of morning training.
- Type
- Experience
- Category
- Culture
- Season
- Winter
- Month
- January
- Region
- Kanto
- Prefecture
- Tokyo
- City
- Tokyo (Sumida)
Highlights
- ◆15-day Grand Tournament with top-division makuuchi bouts
- ◆Elaborate ring-entering (dohyo-iri) ceremonies
- ◆Box seats (masu-seki) for traditional floor-level viewing
- ◆Sumo museum inside Kokugikan open on tournament days
- ◆Chanko-nabe sumo stew restaurants throughout Ryōgoku