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:
