Tour Schedule：
Pick-up Service
This tour can be joined from various meeting points mainly located
at major hotels throughout Tokyo.
Participants are picked up by bus from each meeting point and dropped off
at Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal.
 
13:40
Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal
Please present your reservation confirmation sheet at check-in.
Access to Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal:
A 1-minute walk from Hamamatsucho Station (JR Line or Tokyo Monorail)
or Daimon Station (Toei Asakusa Line or Toei Oedo Line)
The tour meet up area is inside the World Trade Center Annex on the 1st floor (Bus Terminal).
Take the stairs down from the 2nd floor concourse.
After departing from the bus terminal, the tour will go to Ryogoku by train (JR Line or the subway)
 
Daimon Station or Hamamatsucho Station (20 min)
Oedo Subway Line or JR Line
 
Ryogoku Station (5 min)
The whole area around Ryogoku Station is filled with the atmosphere of the Grand Sumo Tournament.
There are also many chanko stew restaurants run by former sumo wrestlers in this area.
 
Watch Sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan (240 min)
Participants watch sumo matches from 2nd-floor, B-class chair seating,
after visiting the Sumo Museum. Enjoy the thrilling matches from your reserved seat,
and listen to the match commentary in English on an FM radio which can be rented for a fee.
A sumo brochure and a English sumo ranking list are also provided.
You may have to wait to be taken to your seat if one of the following events
is underway at the time: a sumo match, the ring entering procession of the Makuuchi division wrestlers,
the ring entering procession of the Yokozuna, the ritual stomping ceremony,
or a speech by the Sumo Association (on tournament’s 1st and last days).
Spectators can go for a rest or grab a bite at one of the arena vendors,
even if a sumo match is underway.
Junior division sumo matches are held first,
proceeding to higher rank matches as the day goes on.

15:45- Makuuchi Wrestler Ceremonial Entrance.
The atmosphere in the arena brightens instantly as senior division wrestlers wearing
vivid ‘kesho-mawashi’ ceremonial aprons enter the ring and form a circle.

16:00- Yokozuna Grand Champion Ring Entrance.
The yokozuna enter the ring accompanied by two apprentices.

16:10- Intense bouts between the highest division wrestlers begin.
How to enjoy Sumo:
Watching the sumo matches is the main event,
but there are many other things to enjoy at the Kokugikan arena.
First, check out the arena entrance lobby to look at the championship flags
and other items given to champion sumo wrestlers.
The lobby is also a popular spot for photo taking.
Secondly, the arena houses a Sumo Museum where important sumo related items
such as woodblock prints, folding screens and ceremonial aprons from as far back as
the Edo period are on display.
 
Check out the exhibit during a break in the sumo matches.
Finally, don’t forget to browse through the various sumo-related goods that are on sale.
 
18:00 – 18:30
Tour Ends
Please return to your accommodation by your own means after the tour.
The guide will explain how to get back to your hotel.