Ryogoku is a town in Tokyo with a strong sumo culture. We will guide you to fascinating spots that are interwoven with Ryogoku's history and culture.

1st location: Ryogoku Station The magnificent station building, which has stood since it first opened in 1904 under the name "Ryogoku-bashi Station," shows vestiges of its former status as a key railroad station. The great championship portraits of past yokozuna (the highest rank attainable in sumo) displayed near the station's ticket gates are a powerful sight!

Let’s start at the quaint Ryogoku Station

2nd location: Ryogoku Kokugikan (or Ryogoku Sumo Hall), located right next to Ryogoku Station In fact, the current Kokugikan building is the second generation, in use since 1985. The January, May, and September tournaments called honbasho are held here and draw in large crowds. The Sumo Museum, located inside, holds three special exhibitions a year displaying sumo paraphernalia, and is a must-visit for sumo fans.

Ryogoku Kokugikan, the symbol of Ryogoku. 画像提供：「日本相撲協会」

When full, the stadium is filled with more than 10,000 spectators. 画像提供：「日本相撲協会」

3rd Location: Kokugikan Street, passing right in front of the Kokugikan The sidewalk of this street is lined with seven bronze statues of rikishi (sumo wrestlers). The pedestals of the rikishi statues bear the handprints of past yokozuna. Try comparing to the size of your own hands and be amazed at their size!

Each one has a different pose, so you will want to photograph them all!

4th Location: Chanko Kirishima Chanko-nabe is a homemade hot pot made by sumo wrestlers in their stables. For rikishi, eating is a part of training. At Chanko Kirishima, you can enjoy chanko-nabe prepared directly from the Michinoku stable run by Kirishima, a former ozeki (champion, one rank below yokozuna). Kirishima's style of soup, which combines chicken and pork bones with soy sauce and miso, is so delicious that you can finish everything despite a hefty amount of ingredients. You can optionally add your favorite ingredients to the hotpot, and there's also a wide selection of sashimi and other a la carte dishes.

Kirishima's chanko-nabe is a luxurious dish packed with a variety of ingredients.

5th location: Nomi no Sukune Shrine The shrine is dedicated to "Nomi no Sukune," a god who is regarded as the founder of sumo, and hosts a festival prior to the official sumo tournament, honbasho, held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. It's also known for the ring-entering ceremony for new yokozuna, and a stone monument inscribed with the names of past yokozuna stands in the grounds of the shrine.

Hope you got some idea of how Ryogoku is deeply connected with sumo. The spots presented here are just a small selection of the attractions Ryogoku has to offer. We hope that sumo fans from around the world will visit Ryogoku and immerse themselves in the experience of sumo culture.

■DATA Chanko Kirishima Ryogoku Honten Address: 2-13-7 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo TEL: 03-3634-0075 Business hours: [Weekdays] Lunch 11:30-15:00 (L.O. 14:00) Dinner 17:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:00) [Saturday, Sunday and holidays] Lunch 11:30-15:00 (L.O. 14:00) Open throughout the day 14:00-22:00 (L.O. 21:00) Closed: Monday Official website: https://c-kirishima.com/index.html

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