Tokyo Sumo wrestling Tournament

Witnessing sumo for action is just one of the most readily useful cultural experiences you'll have in Japan and watching a grand competition should truly be on your record. But there’s ways to encounter this hundreds of years’ old sport up close and personal – as with twenty feet away individual – by going to a sumo stable and viewing the early morning training session, known as asageiko.

More stables or “beya” tend to be permitting tourists to watch the wrestlers in instruction and starting a trip is much easier than you may think. Many vacation web pages say that for entry into the privileged realm of asageiko you should be associated with a Japanese individual thin best way to see an exercise program is through a guided tour. Typically these are quite high priced with trip companies billing around 10, 000 yen per individual.

Nevertheless with a little bit of planning by after the rules, it is possible to arrange your own personal trip to a well balanced watching the action completely for free.

Step One: Discover a reliable

There are around 45 training stables in Tokyo; many of them are observed into the Ryogoku district near to the Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena in which the Tokyo grand tournaments are held. Sumo stables tend to be housed inside relatively non-descript apartment buildings utilizing the training surface regarding bottom floor plus the wrestlers’ lodgings above.

The Japan Sumo Association web site has actually a summary of sumo stables, and you may after that research the relative contact information online (many stables have Japanese internet sites). Your hotel or hostel should also be able to help.

Arashio Beya has an English web page on their site and familiar with accept visits in to the steady but has actually since directed tourists to outside in which they are able to watch from window. If you only want to have a quick look and just take several selfies this might be a good option, though clearly significantly less genuine.

Here stables are accustomed to international tourists: Musashigawa Beya in Uguisudani; Kasugano Beya near Ryogoku facility; and Takasago Beya near Asakusa facility, residence for the legendary and questionable yokozuna Asashoryu.

Step Two: Phone ahead

it is essential to phone the steady before, not just to tell them that you’re coming (and check that’s ok) and to make certain that they’re keeping a practice that time. Education is certainly not usually held on a weekend and wrestlers often have time off for the week immediately after a tournament. Apart from today you’ve got a fairly good potential for getting a morning workout over summer and winter. it is even feasible to check out during tournaments although instruction could be more relaxed as wrestlers don’t need to get injured.

The Arashio Beya has a simple test script of what to say once you call the steady you can also ask a Japanese speaker that will help you. Generally speaking it is far better phone a single day before (it’s impossible to help make reservations far in advance) to see if there’ll be a practice and also to inform them what amount of people are coming.

Step Three: get-up within crack of dawn

Foreshadowing activities to come, you’ll must wake up at the break of dawn to see a sumo training session. The full time instruction begins vary from steady to steady, frequently beginning around 06:00 – 07:00 and lasting around 3 hours. It’s respectful to arrive to the beginning of training and stay for the entire time, which does mean you’ll should leave your accommodation with enough time for you to get the stable and settle in, along with expect you'll stay here for your training without the need to pee or hallucinating since you didn’t get early morning coffee (…just me personally?)

Next step: Follow the proper etiquette

Sumo wrestlers train, consume and rest together into the stable so fundamentally you will be getting into their home additionally the way you behave should mirror that. Sumo stables aren't a tourist destination and shouldn’t be addressed like one therefore set aside your selfie stick, pocket phrasebook and any tendency towards smiling or joy since this is really serious company.

When checking out a morning work out, you need to:

– Bow into steady master or other senior who’s leading the training whenever you enter and then leave the steady, plus towards wrestlers.

– hold hushed. Wrestlers don’t generally speaking speak with one another plus the steady master will hold their instructions to the very least. It’s distracting and disrespectful to whisper while you're watching a training program.

– to use the back of the area on a pillow (zabuton) that needs to be provided to you whenever you enter. You don’t have to take a seat on your knees within the old-fashioned design – cross-legged or with your legs sideways is fine – but you shouldn’t point the bottoms of the legs towards dohyo (sacred band where wrestlers battle) if possible.

– Absolutely no eating or drinking, and positively no cigarette smoking. Some stable masters and trainers might smoke cigarettes during a program – if you’re not an admirer you just experience it (rather than asking them to put it together United States couple performed).

– some sort of present to go out of as a token of the appreciation in addition goes a considerable ways too – something delicious and nicely packaged is perfect.