Sumo (相撲, sumō) is a Japanese style of wrestling and Japan's national sport.
It originated in ancient times as a performance 🧬 to entertain the Shinto deities.
Many rituals with religious background, such as the symbolic purification of the ring with salt, are 🧬 still followed today.
In line with tradition, only men practice the sport professionally in Japan.
The rules are simple: the wrestler who 🧬 first exits the ring or touches the ground with any part of his body besides the soles of his feet 🧬 loses.
Matches take place on an elevated ring (dohyo), which is made of clay and covered in a layer of sand.
A 🧬 contest usually lasts only a few seconds, but in rare cases can take a minute or more.
There are no weight 🧬 restrictions or classes in sumo, meaning that wrestlers can easily find themselves matched off against someone many times their size.
As 🧬 a result, weight gain is an essential part of sumo training.
Tournaments and Ranking Hierarchy
The governing body of professional sumo is 🧬 the Japan Sumo Association.
Six tournaments are held every year: three in Tokyo (January, May and September) and one each in 🧬 Osaka (March), Nagoya (July) and Fukuoka (November).
Each tournament lasts 15 days during which wrestlers compete in one bout per day 🧬 except lower ranked wrestlers who compete in fewer bouts.
All sumo wrestlers are classified in a ranking hierarchy (banzuke), which is 🧬 updated after each tournament based on the wrestlers' performance.
Wrestlers with positive records (more wins than losses) move up the hierarchy, 🧬 while those with negative records get demoted.
The top division is called Makuuchi and the second division Juryo.
At the pinnacle of 🧬 the sumo hierarchy stands the yokozuna (grand champion).
Unlike wrestlers in lower ranks, a yokozuna cannot be demoted, but he will 🧬 be expected to retire when his performance begins to worsen.
How to see a sumo tournament
The best way to see sumo 🧬 is to attend a sumo tournament.
Tickets are sold for each day of the 15-day tournaments.
They can be purchase in advance 🧬 through the official vendor or via buysumotickets.com.
Alternatively, they can be purchased at convenience stores (some Japanese skills required) or at 🧬 the stadiums.
Three types of seats are available to regular visitors:Ringside seats:
Located closest to the ring, ringside seats are most expensive 🧬 and most difficult to get.
Ticket holders sit on cushions on the floor and are exposed to the risk of injury 🧬 due to wrestlers flying into the spectators.
Located closest to the ring, ringside seats are most expensive and most difficult to 🧬 get.
Ticket holders sit on cushions on the floor and are exposed to the risk of injury due to wrestlers flying 🧬 into the spectators.Box seats:
The rest of the stadium's first floor consists of Japanese-style box seats, which generally seat four people 🧬 (there are a few with higher and lower capacities).
Shoes are removed, and spectators sit on cushions.
Tickets are sold for entire 🧬 boxes regardless of whether they are fully occupied or not, i.e.
two people using a 4-seat box need to purchase all 🧬 four tickets.
Box seats are further classified into A, B and C boxes according to distance to the ring.
The rest of 🧬 the stadium's first floor consists of Japanese-style box seats, which generally seat four people (there are a few with higher 🧬 and lower capacities).
Shoes are removed, and spectators sit on cushions.
Tickets are sold for entire boxes regardless of whether they are 🧬 fully occupied or not, i.e.
two people using a 4-seat box need to purchase all four tickets.
Box seats are further classified 🧬 into A, B and C boxes according to distance to the ring.Balcony seats:
On the second floor balcony, there are several 🧬 rows of Western-style seats.
Balcony seats, too, are further classified into A, B and C seats depending on distance to the 🧬 ring.
Furthermore, there is one section for exclusive use by holders of same-day tickets, the cheapest ticket type, which can be 🧬 purchased only on the day at the stadium.
The stadium often sells out, especially on weekends and national holidays.
But even if 🧬 a day is sold out in advance, a limited number of same-day balcony seat tickets are sold on the day 🧬 at the stadium.
Sumo tickets go on sale roughly one month before the start of each tournament.
A tournament day
Lower division matches 🧬 start from 8:30 (from 10:00 on days 13-15), second division (Juryo) matches from 15:00 and top division (Makuuchi) matches from 🧬 16:00.
Ring entering ceremonies between divisions are also interesting to watch.
The highest ranked wrestlers have their matches just before 18:00.
On the 🧬 last day of each tournament, the schedule is shifted forward by 30 minutes to accommodate the victory ceremony at the 🧬 end.
The stadium atmosphere improves with the arrival of more spectators as it gets later in the day when the most 🧬 spectacular matches happen.
Intervals between bouts also lengthen as they include longer preparation times and more pre-match action between the high-ranked 🧬 wrestlers.
We recommend spectators with limited time to be present at the stadium at least for the top division action between 🧬 15:30 and 18:00.
Other sumo events
For those visiting Japan between sumo tournaments, there are a few other ways to see sumo 🧬 matches.
They include exhibition tournaments that are held across the country in between official tournaments and occasional retirement ceremonies of prominent 🧬 wrestlers.
Retirement ceremonies usually include an exhibition contest, some light-hearted performances by wrestlers and a time-consuming hair cutting ritual to sever 🧬 the top knot that is symbolic to an active wrestler.
See the official website for a calendar.
Outside the professional sumo world, 🧬 there are some universities and high schools that maintain sumo clubs, some of which may be able to accommodate visits 🧬 by tourists.
Furthermore, there are occasional sumo contests at some shrines and festivals.
Visiting a sumo stable
Perhaps the best way to appreciate 🧬 sumo besides attending a tournament is to visit a sumo stable to witness a morning practice session.
Sumo stables are where 🧬 the wrestlers live and train together and where all aspects of life, from sleeping and eating to training and free 🧬 time, are strictly regimented by the stable master.
There are about forty stables, all of which are located in the Greater 🧬 Tokyo Region, especially in Tokyo's Ryogoku district.
However, sumo stables are neither public places nor sightseeing spots.
Only a small number of 🧬 stables accept visits by tourists, and they insist that tourists are accompanied by a person who is fluent in Japanese 🧬 and closely familiar with the customs of the sumo world.
Furthermore, visitors are expected to follow the house rules strictly and 🧬 not disturb the training session.
Expect to sit silently on the floor for two to three hours.
In practice, it is very 🧬 difficult for foreign tourists to visit a stable on their own.
Instead, the recommended way to witness a morning practice is 🧬 to join a guided tour.
Various organizations and companies, such as Klook and Rakuten, offer such tours and typically charge around 🧬 10,000 yen for a single person and around 4000 yen for additional group members.
Other sumo-related attractions
Tokyo's Ryogoku district has been 🧬 the center of the sumo world for about two centuries.
The district is home to many sumo stables and the Kokugikan 🧬 sumo stadium where three of the six annual tournaments are held.
Below are a few more of Ryogoku's attractions that could 🧬 be of interest to sumo fans:
Sumo Museum Ekoin Temple Chanko nabe restaurants
Another district in Tokyo with a strong connection to 🧬 sumo is located around Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine, a couple of kilometers south of Ryogoku:
