Tokyo Sumo Morning Practice Tour: Real Stable Viewing & Guide
Description
If you want to watch the REAL Sumo wrestlers up close, this is one of the closest you can get! Let’s watch the wrestler’s morning practice right next to the ring and feel the intense and serious atmosphere. The sound of wrestlers colliding to each other, their breath and the scent of the fragrance they wear are something that you can never feel by watching any videos. You will meet with your knowledgeable tour guide at the station and walk to the stable(10mins walk). Your guide will explain you about Sumo, its history, rules and regulations before entering the stable and then watch it together. You will see the unique traditional sports which is at the same time religious rituals, originally started to entertain the Shinto deities. If you are lucky, you will get to take photos with the wrestlers after the practice outside of the stable!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide before making your way to the sumo stable. Get ready to get some amazing insight into this unique Japanese sport that originated from the religion of Shintoism. Learn from your guide about how the origin of sumo dates back at least 1500 years, and about how it preserves rituals and traditional aspects of Shinto while also being a major spectator sport in Japan. Before you take your seat on the ground in the sumo stable, learn about the six annual Grand Tournaments that all go on for 15-days. Three of them are in Tokyo, and one in Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka respectively.
Watch quietly and respectfully as the sumo wrestlers go through their daily routine. You are sure to be in awe as you see them going through their rigorous training, and you will gain a newfound insight into this ancient art. At the end of the practice, your guide will walk you back to the train station where you will part ways.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum age is 12 years old (Kids 11 and under cannot enter the stable)
- Please be aware that depending on the option plan, the meeting location may differ, so please check your confirmation email.
- Please use the restroom before arriving at the meeting point.
- The practice/tour may be a bit shorter or longer than expected depending on the content of the practice
- Cellphones must be on silent
- Photos are OK but only without the flash or shutter sounds
- Unauthorized use of the photographs taken is strictly prohibited. Please be aware of image and privacy rights violations.
- Videos are not allowed
- Eating and drinking is not allowed（**Please be aware that it is hot in Tokyo in summer, and there will be no air conditioning on the tour. Since it is so hot, guests are allowed to drink water and sports drinks inside the stable during the month of Summer. We also recommend that you bring something like an ice pack or cold towel to help keep you cool.**）
- Sunglasses and hats are not allowed in the stable
- Once you leave the sumo stable, you cannot re-enter.
- Please watch the practice silently and respectfully
- Please do not step down onto the ring or the sandy ground area. The ring is a sacred place for the wrestlers.
- Please do not stretch your legs toward the ring. It is considered impolite to show the soles of feet to the wrestlers.
- You cannot ask wrestlers to take a photograph with you while the practice is still going on.
- Please do your best to NOT leave the sumo stable in the middle of the practice, and try to stay and watch the practice until the very end.
- Please be very careful not to interfere with the sumo wrestlers concentration.
- For those interested in seeing sumo, but can't fit this tour into your schedule, have a look at our other sumo tours! Please search "Sumo Morning Practice Tour in Tokyo, Sumida city" or "Tokyo Sumo Morning Practice Tour with Audio Guide" to find them.
- If you are not feeling well, please refrain from joining the tour.
- After meeting up, we may take a train to the stable
Reviews(373)
It was a fascinating experience. Our guide explained what was happening the right amount and at the right level.
We are a family of 4 with teenage daughters and we all enjoyed this experience. Our guide was very nice and the wrestlers and coach were all welcoming.
This was such an interesting tour. A chance to see Sumo wrestlers during their off season. I loved learning about the life of a sumo wrestler. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. Thank you to the sumos who allowed us to watch. This is a must see event for everyone visiting Tokyo, Japan.
We had the best time and watching the training was truly awe inspiring. Everyone at the gym was so nice and our guide Sho was brilliant. She was so nice and insightful and I would heavily recommend this experience.
It is truly gratifying to receive your excellent feedback. We are so pleased that your time was exceptional, and that observing the practice was such a profoundly impressive spectacle. It sounds like the entire facility was very welcoming, and we are particularly delighted that Sho, your exceptional guide, made such a remarkable impression with her gracious and perceptive insights. We will certainly convey your appreciation to Sho; she will be immensely encouraged by your kind recognition. We deeply value your strong endorsement and sincerely hope to welcome you back to Japan on a future occasion.
Amazing experience! This felt authentic, the tour guides were efficient, friendly and the commentary was useful and interesting. If you are not able to see a match, this must be the second best thing. Highly recommend!
We are truly delighted to receive your exceptional feedback. It's wonderful that your experience was so amazing and felt profoundly authentic! The guides were clearly efficient and amiable, and their commentary was both useful and genuinely interesting. It's truly gratifying that if seeing a match is not possible, this experience stands as the next best alternative. Your strong recommendation is deeply valued. We will certainly convey your high praise directly to our guides. We deeply appreciate you sharing your insights. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to welcome you back to Japan for future captivating cultural immersions.
Amazing experience, exactly what I was looking for, as a Martial Artist I wanted to see real practice not a show and is exactly that, real practice, real professional Sumo, practicing for the upcoming tournament, my guide Okunga San was incredible, super knowledgeable about everything and extremely kind, perfect English overall superb experience will keep on the look out for any other tours he has recommended 100%
we learned so much about Sumo! would highly recommend this to anyone even if you only have a passing interest in Sumo. our guide was fantastic
It is with profound satisfaction that we acknowledge your splendid feedback. It's wonderful that you acquired such extensive knowledge about Sumo! Your strong recommendation, even for those with a casual interest, is deeply valued. Your guide was clearly fantastic. We will certainly convey your high praise directly to your guide. We profoundly appreciate you sharing your insights. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to welcome you back to Japan for future captivating cultural immersions.
A great way to see, feel and understand Sumo
We are genuinely pleased to receive your concise yet thoughtful feedback. It's wonderful that your experience offered such a superb way to observe, engage with, and comprehend Sumo. We deeply appreciate you sharing your insights. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to welcome you back to Japan for future captivating cultural immersions.
This was a great experience. We learnt so much about the sport and life style of the wrestlers. It Was amazing watching them train.
We are truly delighted to receive your exceptional feedback. It's wonderful that your experience was so great! We are especially pleased that you acquired so much understanding about the sport and the lifestyle of the wrestlers. Witnessing them train was clearly an amazing and memorable sight. We deeply appreciate you sharing your insights. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to welcome you back to Japan for future captivating cultural immersions.
Very exciting to watch a practice. Non-stop action. Commentary from guide was extremely interesting and specific to the sumo practice venue. Highly recommend.
We are truly delighted to receive your exceptional feedback. It's wonderful that watching the sumo practice was so very exciting, with non-stop action! The commentary from your guide was clearly extremely interesting and highly specific to the practice venue, greatly enriching your understanding. Your strong recommendation is deeply valued. We will certainly convey your high praise directly to your guide. We deeply appreciate you sharing your insights. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to welcome you back to Japan for future captivating cultural immersions.
