Our officially certified guide comes to meet you at your hotel and gives you basic guidance on how to properly watch a sumo practice at a sumo stable.
Your hotel
Watch Sumo Stable Practice,
Learn about basic knowledge and must-see points from specialized tour guides.
at nearby station
Sumo is a contact sport. Sumo wrestlers weighing over 100kg (220 lb) practice with all their strength. You can watch their practice at the ring side. Sumo wrestlers wearing nothing but a loincloth surround the ring. Practice starts from the lower ranked sumo wrestlers. All other wrestlers except for the competing two perform stretching exercise, basic sumo exercise to strengthen legs, hips, and upper body, and muscle building exercise. A match practice is a serious bout between two sumo wrestlers. As if competing in a real tournament, wrestlers hit head to head, push each other, or throw the opponent onto the ring. The winner is qualified to stay in the ring and competes with a new opponent. Some wresters stay in the ring for a long time by beating many opponents. As the practice progresses a higher ranked wrestler comes into the ring and easily defeats the lower ranked winner. Sumo is a world of real ability. Only the talented and well trained wrestlers can get to the higher rank and the rest should leave or retire.
Consequently, a sumo practice watch tour is permitted only to those who realize and follow the sumo tradition and manners. Our guide will ask you to follow certain rules in watching the practice. We may sometimes have to ask certain people who don’t follow the rules to leave the tour.
Guiding fees, transportation fee from hotels using public transportation such as subway or JR. In case you prefer to use a taxi or hired car, an actual expense will be charged.
※In case of meeting at your lobby, your hotel should be within a ten-minute walk distance from a JR station on Yamanote Line or subway station. We may charge an additional fee in case your hotel is located out of this range.
Lunch, Food and Drinks, Shopping Expenses
- Please follow the guide's instruction during the program. We shall not be responsible for any accident caused by disregard for the instructions.
- Program duration is an estimate. It is subject to change depending on the number of participants and/or conditions without notice.
- As a standard rule, children under 12 years old are not allowed to join this program, as many of them often cannot stay silent and keep sitting still.
- Please understand that you may be asked to sit on a floor without chairs at some stables.
- Before you visit a stable, remember to read the precautions you need to follow in the FAQ .
- Please advise us if you have any religious or health restrictions, allergies, or the case where you would like to request a special care for participants, including children. Please note that any programs booked without an inquiry will not be guaranteed.
- Our services are mainly offered in English. In addition, services in other languages, such as Chinese, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian are also available. In case you would like services in languages other than English, please inquire us as soon as possible. We will check the availability.
- Before booking, please email us to check the availability.
Please note that any programs booked without an inquiry will not be guaranteed.
- Our business hours are from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays. For inquiries received outside the business hours, we will look into them and respond on the next business day.
- In February and March, a tour is offered in Osaka . Please check the detail here:
- In June and July, a tour is offered in Nagoya . Please check the detail here:
1 相撲部屋は真剣勝負の場なので、敬意を表すること
A sumo stable is not a facility for tourists. Sumo wrestlers are practicing very hard and
seriously every day. So please don’t forget to show respect to the stable master and
wrestlers.
2 動かず黙ってみること
Please watch the practice quietly and do not move around in the stable.
3 私語厳禁
Please do not talk in the stable. Even your whispering voice may disturb the wrestlers.
4 土俵や土に立たないこと
Please don’t stand on the ring or on the sandy ground. The ring is the sacred place for
the wrestlers.
5 靴を脱ぎ、畳敷きのスペースに座ること
At the entrance of the stable, please take off your shoes and step onto the tatami floor
(rush mat floor). Then sit on the floor. When you sit on the floor, please cross your legs
and don’t stretch your legs toward the ring. It is considered impolite to show the soles of
feet to the wrestlers.
6 帽子やサングラスを取ること
Please take off your hat and sunglasses inside the stable.
7 禁煙・飲食禁止
Inside the stable, you are not allowed to eat or drink or smoke. So please keep in mind
“No food, no drink and no chewing gum and candies.”
8 写真撮影は座ったままの状態のみ可で席の移動はできません。必要以上のフラッシュ禁止。特
に、モーター音・シャッター音のうるさいカメラは不可
You can take photos during the practice but you are not allowed to stand up or move
around. Please do not use flash more than necessary and do not use cameras with a
loud motor and shutter sound.
9 携帯電話の電源は切ること
Please turn off your mobile phone.
This tour with Yuki & the other guide from Triplelights was an absolute highlight of our holiday in Japan for our group. They met us at our hotel & took us to a local Sumo Stable. We were amazed at the strength & flexibility of the wrestlers & afterwards they helped explain so much to us and showed us a lot of information which definitely helped us later in the day when we attended the Sumo Tournament. They were only too happy to walk us to where we wanted to have breakfast. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone coming to Japan...it’s something you should experience & I’m sure you will enjoy ?
Dear Wendy, Thank you for your comment. We greatly appreciate your photo as well. We will definitely share your feedback and photo with the guides. Sincerely yours, TJ tours
Had 6 adults and 1 tween for a sumo practice tour. We had a main guide, Kiochiro, and an assistant who were very friendly and informative. They met us at our hotel and guided us through 2 subway trains and 1 bus ride to the sumo stable. Although the sumo practice is interesting, take seriously the warning that you will be sitting on the floor for 2 hours. You may be a bit stiff getting up. Got a picture with the wrestlers after practice. We would definitely recommend this tour!!!
Dear Jeanne, Thank you very much for your feedback. Our guide is glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour. Sincerely yours, TJ tours
The tour to observe sumo wrestlers train was a highlight of my Japan trip. Mr Takeuchi was professional, knowledgeable, and took care of us very well.
Dear Swee-Kin, Thank you very much for your feedback. Please feel free to contact us when you plan another trip to Japan in the future! Sincerely yours, TJ Tours
Rumi is super organized! Dropped off a booklet on Sumo before arranging a stable visit to watch training — she’s solid & friendly!