We were fortunate enough to be vacationing in Tokyo while the autumn grand sumo tournament was taking place from September 11th to September 25th in the spacious Kokugikan Arena. From what we heard from our hosts, sumo wrestling has recently been losing its popularity, especially within the younger population. However, after watching 2 hours of it live, we immediately fell in love with the intensity and thrill of this ancient sport.
Although the daily tournaments last from 8:30am to 6pm, it is recommended to just watch the last 3 hours, when the higher-ranked wrestlers take the stage. Tickets range from 3,600 ($30) to 45,200 yen ($385), all depending on which level your box seat is. The lower-level box seats (closest to the ring) are generally the most comfortable, since you are provided with backrests. The mid-priced seats are decent, but it might be cramped because four people sit inside one cushioned area without backrests. It’s usually not a problem to purchase tickets the day of the tournament, but make sure to reserve a spot ahead of time if you want to attend the final day, when the champion is determined.
You will experience the excitement of the games the minute you spot the arena. Large colored banners, or nobori, hang outside the stadium with the names of all the participating wrestlers and referees. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to spot wrestlers enter the arena through the south gate garbed in their traditional robe and hair greased and pinned up into the topknot.
We not only appreciated the event for the sake of the sport but were able to grasp bits and pieces of the history of sumo as well. For example, we always wondered why the wrestlers crouched and opened their palms upward before every match, and we read in a tournament pamphlet that this was a strict practice, called chirichozu, to indicate that the wrestler intends to fight fairly and without any weaponry.
To learn more of the history of sumo wrestling, and just to enjoy the suspense of the sport, definitely purchase tickets if a tournament is scheduled and be a part of the highly energized crowd.