Tokyo Ryogoku Sumo Morning Practice + Photo Shoot with Wrestlers
Description
Join a tour by MagicalTrip, proud winner of the Tripadvisor Best of the Best Award. Each experience is led by a MagicalTrip Certified Guide, professionally trained and carefully selected to ensure quality and authenticity. Watch an authentic sumo morning practice at a real sumo stable in Tokyo and experience one of Japan’s oldest traditions up close. Learn how sumo wrestlers train and preserve rituals passed down for over a thousand years. A local guide explains the history and customs of sumo, with supplementary materials provided since conversation is not allowed during practice. Afterward, enjoy a stroll through Ryogoku, the heart of sumo culture, visiting sumo-related landmarks. This small-group tour is operated by Magical Trip and includes a special sumo information document.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will meet your guide and group at Ryogoku JR Station East Exit. Your guide will be holding a red/orange "MagicalTrip" board. PLEASE NOTE: There are two Ryogoku stations. Do NOT go to Ryogoku Oedo Line Station.
Your guide will walk with you to one of the sumo stables. It will take around 5min to 30min depending on which stable is available to us that day. You will enter the stable together with your guide and watch the sumo practice for around 1 to 2 hours.
Explore Ryogoku, the sumo town with a local guide!
After watching the sumo practice your guide will walk you back to Ryogoku station.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Available for those who are only over 12 years old since those who are younger than 12 years old are not allowed inside the sumo morning practice.
- As Sumo stables has the right to adjust their schedule in the last minute based on their tournament schedule and wrestlers’ condition, please note that there is a possibility that we will cancel your booking due to the sudden change or cancellation of the practice by sumo stables. In that case, we will fully refund your booking shortly. You do not need to pay for Sumo morning practice entrance fee.
- The sumo stable has the right to refuse guests who offend the rules of the stable and in this case, we will not be able to refund.
- Sumo stables decide if the audiences are allowed to take the photos of sumo wrestlers or the photos with sumo wrestlers. Please note that there is the possibility that you cannot take those photos in the case the sumo stables rejected for whatever reasons.
- In the case that your group is large, the group may be split into the different groups and each may visit different stables.
- You may not be allowed to go to the toilet during the practice, so please make sure to go to toilet before the tour starts.
- Out of respect for our other guests and to ensure the best tour for everyone, we must start the tour on time. Please note that if you are late for more than 15 minutes than meeting time (10 mins before the tour starting time), you will not be able to join the tour, get refund or rescheduled.
- We might ask you to change the time/date depending on the availability of the Sumo morning practice schedule.
- Please be aware that guests may have to sit on the floor as most of stables do not usually offer chairs.
- The duration of sumo practice may prolong sometimes, which may cause the tour to end later than the estimated time.
- You will not be able to join the tour, get a refund or reschedule if you are late for the tour and miss the group.
- We may request you to change the time/date depending on the availability of the Sumo morning practice schedule.
- The itinerary for this tour includes some locations that are not accessible by a wheelchair or stroller.
- The sumo stable is often visited by various tour companies, so seating will be FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. Late visitors may be seated 2-3 rows from the front. We appreciate your understanding.
- Caution: All areas in the sumo stable are off-limits, except for the tatami (straw flooring) areas.
- This tour is for guests aged 12 and over. Children under 12 cannot join and will be denied entry without refund.
- Summer in Japan is very hot and humid, so we recommend that you bring water and wear a hat to prevent heat stroke.
Reviews(293)
My teenage son and I attended the morning practice in June 2026. This was one of our favorite activities on our trip to Japan. Our excellent guide Shogun taught us a lot about Sumo training and culture. It was easy to find him at the meet up point and the activity is conveniently located near a rail station. My only heads up to other travelers is that you need to be comfortable sitting on a padded mat on the floor for an hour. Would definitely recommend this activity, especially for those interested in Sumo, martial arts, strength training and sports.
Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful review! We’re delighted to hear that you and your son enjoyed the morning sumo practice and found it to be a highlight of your trip. Shogun will be very happy to know his explanations of sumo training and culture were appreciated. We also appreciate your helpful note for future guests, and we’re glad you would recommend the experience!
Great experience, fun and respectful. We loved being front row to an authentic sumo training. Our guide was great.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re very happy to hear you enjoyed the experience and appreciated the respectful atmosphere of the sumo training. Being able to watch authentic sumo practice up close is truly special, and we’re glad it became a memorable part of your trip. We’re also happy to hear your guide helped make the experience even more enjoyable. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back again someday!
Friendly guide, informative
Thank you for your kind feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the tour and found the guide both friendly and informative. We appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you again for another great experience in the future!
Interesting experience, you attend a training in a stable of Sumo for 2 hours in the morning. Small guidebook beforehand (5 minutes). Don't talk, no flash but otherwise photos and videos allowed. The atmosphere is interesting.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful review! We’re glad you found the experience interesting and enjoyed observing the sumo training up close. We also appreciate your notes about the quiet atmosphere and photography rules, and we’re happy the guide’s introduction helped set the context for your visit.
At the stable there were 3 rows of chairs. The first one was occupied by other company’s participants and they had great view. However us in the 2nd and 3rd row could see nothing. Mostly I saw a neck of the guy in front of me. People in the 3rd row had to stand to see something. People in the first row should sit on the floor (on the pillows) a then there could be just 2nd row of chairs. We would all fit there perfectly.
Thank you very much for your feedback and for joining the tour. We sincerely apologize that the seating arrangement at the stable did not allow you to fully enjoy the experience. We understand how disappointing it must have been to have an obstructed view during such an important part of the tour. We truly appreciate your specific suggestion regarding the seating layout. Your comments will be shared with our team as we review how to improve the viewing experience for future guests. Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a better experience in the future. Sincerely, MagicalTrip
Real training, this is not an exhibition for tourists.
Hiro was knowledgeable and enthusiastic and we had the rare treat of seeing 5 high ranking men in practice. We were close to the ring and saw every bead of sweat!
After warming up for a while, the wrestlers scrimmaged for quite a long time. The wrestling was the same as a real tournament. It was very entertaining, and, we soon started rooting, very quietly, for specific wrestlers. It was a great way to spend a morning in Tokyo.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the sumo practice and found it so entertaining. It’s great to know it was a memorable way to spend your morning in Tokyo! We hope to welcome you again soon!
Well organised A good experience of sumo
Thank you for your kind review! We’re glad to hear the experience was well organized. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again for another great experience in Japan!
As I haven’t been able to make it to a legit sumo match, this was a great experience to get a taste of sumo wrestling. Highly recommend this experience!
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that the experience gave you a great introduction to sumo wrestling and helped you get a feel for this unique part of Japanese culture. It’s wonderful to know you enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you again for another memorable experience in the future!