Ryogoku Kokugikan
Ryogoku, Tokyo
Source: sumo.or.jp, checked 5 Oct 2026.
Ryogoku Kokugikan is the national sumo stadium. If a tournament is on, drop everything: 15 days each January, May and September of the best live sport spectacle in Japan. Off-season, the neighbourhood still runs on sumo.
More photos of Ryogoku Kokugikan
Insider tip
Tournament tickets sell out fast online, so book early, and check the Japan Sumo Association site for same-day sales. Off-season, eat chanko nabe (sumo stew) at one of the nearby restaurants run by former wrestlers.
What the guides say about Ryogoku Kokugikan
Down the river in Ryogoku, eat chanko nabe at a stable-affiliated restaurant near the Kokugikan. Chanko nabe is the sumo stew, a dashi or chicken broth loaded with tofu, vegetables, fish cakes and whatever protein the stable is running that day. The portions assume you weigh 150 kilos, so two people can share one pot and leave full. Look for restaurants run by retired wrestlers. The signs often have sumo imagery and the name of the stable. Go at lunch, because many close by early evening.
24. Sumo, if the calendar cooperates. Tournaments run 15 days each January, May and September at Ryogoku Kokugikan. A limited number of cheap same-day seats go on sale at the box office each morning of the tournament, and the queue starts early, so book ahead online if a particular day matters to you. Arrive by mid-afternoon to catch the most senior ranks, and buy a bento inside.
Sumo fans in January, May and September. Ryogoku Kokugikan is about two minutes on foot from the JR West Exit. A tournament day runs from the junior divisions in the morning to the top division in the late afternoon, and sleeping next door means you can go back to your room in between. Rooms near the hall book up early in tournament months, so don't wait.
Tickets and tours
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What's on at Ryogoku Kokugikan
Upcoming events at Ryogoku Kokugikan, from the weekly Tokyo events calendar.
Chiyonoyama and His Disciples (Sumo Museum)
生誕100年 千代の山とその弟子
Time 10:00 to 16:30 (last entry 16:00), closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (some open days) Station Ryogoku (JR Sobu Line, Toei Oedo Line), 2 min walk
The Sumo Museum marks the centenary of the 41st yokozuna Chiyonoyama with his ceremonial aprons, yokozuna certificate and handprints, plus items from his rivals and his disciples Kitanofuji and Chiyonofuji.
sodai gomi, CC BY 2.0 DDT Pro-Wrestling Ultimate Party 2026
Ultimate Party 2026
Time Doors 12:30, start 14:00 Station Ryogoku Station (JR Sobu Line, Toei Oedo Line)
DDT Pro-Wrestling holds its Ultimate Party show at Ryogoku Kokugikan, with doors at 12:30 and the first bout at 14:00.
nakashi, CC BY-SA 2.0 January Grand Sumo Tournament 2027
令和9年 一月場所(初場所)
Station Ryogoku (JR Chuo-Sobu Line), 1 min walk
The Hatsu Basho is the first of the year's six Grand Sumo tournaments and runs for 15 days at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. It opens on a Sunday and ends on a Sunday, with advance tickets going on sale on December 5, 2026.
Gregg Tavares, CC BY 2.0 Endo retirement ceremony (Endo Intai Kitajin Shumei Hiro Ozumo)
遠藤引退北陣襲名披露大相撲
Time Doors 10:00, bouts from 11:30, ends about 16:00 Station Ryogoku (JR Sobu Line, Toei Oedo Line), 2 min walk
A day of exhibition sumo at the Kokugikan marking Endo's retirement and his new elder name, Kitajin. Ticket sales open later on the organiser's site.
nakashi, CC BY-SA 2.0 NHK Fukushi Ozumo (charity sumo)
NHK福祉大相撲
Time About 13:00 to 17:30 (2026) Station Ryogoku (JR Sobu Line, Toei Oedo Line), 2 min walk
NHK's yearly charity sumo day at the Kokugikan with top-division wrestlers in exhibition bouts and songs.
nakashi, CC BY-SA 2.0 Smaller local events nearby
Ukiyo-e Techniques: Technical Progress and Expressive Ingenuity Exhibition
On now, until 25 Oct · Edo-Tokyo Museum, Ryogoku
A feature display on ukiyo-e techniques inside the fifth-floor permanent exhibition room.
Map · Source: Edo-Tokyo Museum · 特集展示 浮世絵のわざ - 技術進歩と表現の工夫
Sumida Craftspeople photo exhibition Exhibition
On now, until 1 Nov · Pictorico Shop & Gallery, Ryogoku
Twenty-four photographs of Sumida's craftspeople at work, on show at the Pictorico gallery opposite the Kokugikan, closed Mondays.
11:00 to 18:00 · Map · Source: Sumida 3M Movement PR Committee · 「すみだ 職人たちの群像2026」 写真展
Nearby
Around Ryogoku
Sumo town on the Sumida, with Hokusai and a tidal garden next door
Ryogoku is sumo's home. The national stadium is beside the station, the stables are in the side streets, and you'll see wrestlers in yukata on the platform. Around the Kokugikan sit the newly reopened Edo-Tokyo Museum, a Hokusai museum in the district where he was born, and a small garden built to follow the river tides. It's one of the easiest half-days in east Tokyo.
Ryogoku has 11 places on the Roam Tokyo map: 4 museums, 2 parks and gardens, 2 bathhouses, 1 landmark, 1 bar and 1 restaurant. Read the Ryogoku guide.
From the blog
Good to know
- What is the address of Ryogoku Kokugikan?
- 1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo (in Japanese: 東京都墨田区横網1-3-28).
- How do I get to Ryogoku Kokugikan?
- The nearest station is Ryogoku (JR Sobu Line). Ryogoku Kokugikan is in Ryogoku, Tokyo.
- How much does Ryogoku Kokugikan cost?
- Ryogoku Kokugikan is mid-range, marked ¥¥ on the site's price scale.
- How long do you need at Ryogoku Kokugikan?
- Plan for half day.
- When is the best time to visit Ryogoku Kokugikan?
- Jan, May, Sep tournaments.
Stay near Ryogoku Kokugikan
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Median US$199 a night across 109 listings within 1.2 km for a two-night stay a month out, sampled 20 October 2026. Cheapest quarter under US$162. See the weekly index for every neighbourhood.
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