Ryogoku Kokugikan

It is two minutes walk from the JR Sobu Line Ryogoku Station West Exit, or five minutes walk from the Toei Subway Oedo Line Toei Ryogoku Station A3 Exit. At Ryogoku Kokugikan, you can watch the games of the Japanese national sport sumo, which has 1,400 years of history. Out of six grand sumo tournaments that are held around the country, three – hatsu-basho (a first tournament) in January, natsu-basho (a summer tournament) in May, and aki-basho (an autumn tournament) in September – are held there. The hall that accommodates more than 10,000 spectators has chair seats, but masu-seki, a box seating area sectioned in a square that accommodates four people, is more popular. Eating and photo-taking are allowed in masu-seki. There is also a sumo information desk called Ochayasan and an area where championship trophies can be viewed inside the building, both of which get bustling with people during a sumo tournament period. The Sumo Museum and the souvenir shop where you can find sumo-related merchandise are open during the off-seasons, too. It also hosts pro-wrestling events, entertainment contests, and various events other than sumo.