One of tourist attraction you don't wanna miss!

Sumo has a long history, even back to thousands of years ago. It's also common for us to think of sumo as an iconic culture from Japan. Sumo has long been established as Japan’s national sport. 

Barely, sumo is one of the main attractions when someone wants to visit Japan. Many international tourists visit areas such as Kyoto to see Geisha performances, drink tea at chaihitsu (tea houses), bathe in onsens, and of course, official sumo matches are regularly held, so this is a huge tourist attraction here.

However, many also ended up not getting official tickets to watch these interesting matches. Luckily, for those who are still curious about sumo, there is a unique tour that you can do.

People used to call it sumo spotting.

You can visit the Ryogoku area in Tokyo. Ryogoku is also known as the home of sumo in the city. You will see sumo athletes passing by in this area. Especially on Kokugikan Street which has a sumo monument in the form of a rikishi (sumo athlete) posing, there is also the Sumo Museum and the Sumo Hall there.

For sumo spotting locations, Arashio-beya sumo stable can be an engaging destination to visit. This sumo stable is currently a place so-called home to dozens of sumo athletes whose daily practice you can watch.

Starting from 4 or 5 in the morning, the athletes wake up and usually practice starts at 6.30 to 10 in the morning. This morning's training aims to build muscles and maintain stamina and endurance.

The cold morning air in Tokyo didn't stop them from practicing in only their sumo outfits. The clothing is in the form of a nearly 10 meter long mawashi belt that is wrapped around certain parts of the body.

For this sumo spotting tour, you have two alternatives to enjoy this attraction. First, the cheap one, You could go watch them practice for free from the outside. But, if you have a budget and want to know more and interact directly with the sumo athletes there, you can hire tour guide services and translators and pay around 10,000-15,000 yen.

Apart from witnessing the daily routine of the athletes at Arashio-beya, you can also visit the museum and sumo hall at Kokugikan. The Kokugikan sumo hall is a place that regularly holds sumo matches every May as part of the Sumo Grand Tournament.

So Currymates, are you interested in sumo spotting for your visit to Japan?