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.
1) 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.
2) 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.
Posted By : jamesdlbj
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.
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Posted On : 2024-05-12 18:39:55 
Posted By : elizabethhD3688MP
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.
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Posted On : 2024-04-09 13:24:33
Posted By : megancK6944LG
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!
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Posted On : 2024-03-16 17:59:13
Posted By : Shalom_V
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!!!
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Posted On : 2024-03-16 08:22:11 
Posted By : K5927ASpaulc
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.
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Posted On : 2024-01-01 00:41:03
Posted By : fabioaH6745LP
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
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Posted On : 2023-11-22 22:34:20
Posted By : 391cristall
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.
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Posted On : 2023-11-04 11:14:41
Posted By : weijilim2010
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!
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Posted On : 2023-10-30 03:51:47
Posted By : shikhaa2021
The tour guide yoko Kanno is an amazing person. She was very friendly and informative. She clicks very cute photos. She even took us to akihabra and told us all the important stores to visit. Would recommend a tour with her :)))
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Posted On : 2023-10-24 04:06:05
Posted By : jamesrusselll2023
Rieko definitely made us feel at home in Ryogaku with her passions for sumo and Japanese history. From the Mawashi viewing to the sumo grand hall and shinto vs Buddhism explanations of culture and beliefs, we have learnt so much from her fluent explanations despite our random questions. Thank you for the fun morning walk in the park 🏞 (storks and tortoises 3x)
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Posted On : 2023-10-21 10:10:29
