Thing to do
Tsukiji Outer Market
The lively market streets that remained in Tsukiji after the wholesale fish market moved to Toyosu, packed with seafood stalls, knife shops and breakfast counters.
Ryogoku Kokugikan
The national sumo arena in Ryogoku, hosting the January, May and September Grand Sumo Tournaments and a small free Sumo Museum.
At a glance
- Type
- Sumo arena
- Area
- Ryogoku, Tokyo, Japan
- Official site
- sumo.or.jp
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026
Good to know
- Sumo Museum (free)
- 11
- 098 seats
Why we recommend it
Ryogoku Kokugikan is the home of professional sumo and the best place to see it live in Tokyo. The arena, opened in 1985, hosts three of the six annual Grand Sumo Tournaments, each running for fifteen days: in January, May and September. A full day starts with junior wrestlers in the morning and builds to the top-division bouts in the late afternoon, when the arena fills and the ritual around each bout is at its most theatrical.
Tickets are sold through the Japan Sumo Association's official English ticket service and popular days sell out, so buy as soon as sales open. Outside tournament periods, the free Sumo Museum on the ground floor opens on weekdays with changing displays on the sport's history. The arena is next to JR Ryogoku Station, an area dotted with chanko-nabe restaurants serving the wrestlers' hearty stew.
Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026
Ryogoku Kokugikan FAQs
When are tournaments held in Tokyo?
In January, May and September; for 2027 the dates are 10-24 January, 9-23 May and 12-26 September.
Is the Sumo Museum free?
Yes, though during tournaments you need a tournament ticket to enter the building.