Tokyo Sumo Morning Practice Tour with Ring-Side SeatsWatch real Sumo morning training at a Sumo stable with ring-side seats
★★★★★- Tokyo, Japan
- 2 hour tour
- Small group tour
- English speaking guide
- Instant Confirmation
What makes this tour unique
- Watch Sumo morning practice at a Sumo Stable.
- Immerse yourself with ring-side seats
- Your guide will explain Sumo traditions and the culture throughout the tour.
- Learn More with a Special Sumo Info Document!
Tips and recommendations by our official guides
Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport that has been practiced for over 1,400 years. It is deeply related to Shintoism, an ancient Japanese religion, and was once practiced as a Shinto ritual to pray for a good harvest.
During the Edo period (400 years ago), sumo was held as a charity event to raise money for the repair of temples and shrines, mainly here in Tokyo, and it became a popular sport among the Japanese people.
On this tour, you will enter a sumo stable, which is normally inaccessible, and observe morning practice sessions of sumo wrestlers, which are usually not available even to Japanese people.
How are the strong bodies and spirits of sumo wrestlers nurtured?
You will be able to see up close how they train themselves so hard!
In order to help you better understand the amazing wrestlers and the depth of sumo culture, a local guide will take you on a tour while sharing cultural tips on sumo.
Also, this tour is not entertainment for tourists, but observing the actual morning practice of the wrestlers, so please be respectful and do not interrupt the serious practice of the wrestlers.
Let's enjoy traditional and powerful sumo together!
If you are lucky, you can even have your picture taken with the rikishi after the tour!
Official guide
What's included
Meet up at Kiyosumi Shirakawa Station and a local guide will take you to the sumo stable!
Sumo is a traditional sport that has been practiced in Japan for over 1,400 years. Do you know what kind of life wrestlers lead to nurture their strong body and spirit? In this tour, you will enter a sumo stable, which is normally inaccessible, and see morning practice sessions of sumo wrestlers, which is a sight that is usually not available to the public
Watch real sumo training up close and feel the overwhelming strength of the wrestlers!
Before watching the morning practice at the Sumo stable, your guide will share some notes about the tour and cultural tips to help you enjoy the tour even more. Sumo practice is not entertainment. It is serious training, so please watch with respect and do not interrupt the practice. You will feel the depth of Sumo tradition and history through their intense and tough practice sessions! If you are lucky, you can even have your photo taken with a sumo wrestler at the end of the tour!
Enjoy watching the sumo morning practice with ring-side seats!
Unlike usual morning practice tours of sumo stables, this tour allows you to observe the morning practice from ring-side seats set up right in front of the practice hall. Therefore, we recommend that people with weak legs or those who have difficulty sitting on cushions laid on the floor, to book this tour.
Photos from the Recent Tours
Meeting Point
Kiyosumi Shirakawa Station A1 Exit
- Kiyosumi Shirakawa Station A1 Exit
- You can come to the station by Toei Oedo line or Hanzomon line.
- Meeting place is A1 Exit. (Google map link is a public bath next to it.)
- Your guide will be holding a red/orange sign saying "Magical Trip"
Itinerary
- Meet up at Kiyosumi Shirakawa station
- Learn about Sumo from the guide
- Watching Sumo practice at a Sumo stable
- Return to Kiyosumi Shirakawa station
- This tour is available only to guests aged 12 and over. Guests under 12 years old are not permitted inside the sumo stable. If a guest under 12 is found, we may have to deny participation without a refund.
- The tour will start promptly, and guests are required to arrive on time. Please note that late arrivals will not be able to join the tour, and no refunds or rescheduling will be provided for missed tours.
- Please be aware that most sumo stables do not provide chairs, and guests are expected to sit directly on tatami (straw mat flooring). Some locations on the tour may not be accessible by wheelchair or stroller.
- Guests must strictly follow the rules of each sumo stable. If a guest behaves disruptively or disrespects the stable's regulations, the stable reserves the right to refuse entry or participation without a refund. Please note that only tatami areas are accessible inside the stable; all other areas are off-limits.
- If necessary, guests are allowed to leave the stable before the end of practice; however, please understand that re-entry will not be permitted once you have exited.
- Photography during the practice is subject to each sumo stable’s policy. Depending on the day, taking photos of the wrestlers or with the wrestlers may not be allowed.
- Depending on the number of participants, the group may be divided and assigned to different stables. Seating inside the stables is on a first-come, first-served basis; later arrivals may be seated farther from the front.
- Please understand that sumo stables may cancel or adjust their practice schedule at the last minute based on the wrestlers’ condition or tournament commitments. In case of cancellation by the stable, a full refund will be issued promptly.
- The length of the practice session may vary, which could cause the tour to end earlier or later than the estimated time.
- Please use the restroom before the tour begins, as restroom access may not be available during the practice.
- Reservation changes or requests made on the day of the tour cannot be accommodated. In some cases, we may request a change to your tour time or date depending on the availability of the sumo stables.
- Please dress appropriately for the weather, as Japan’s climate can be extreme—summer temperatures can reach 40°C (110°F) and winter temperatures can drop to -5°C (20°F).
- There is no separate entrance fee for attending the sumo morning practice.
- For a full refund, cancel 72 hours in advance of the tour date.
- Free rescheduling up to 72 hours before the tour date (depending on availability).
