Watch sumo champions ringside then sit side by side during a traditional chanko nabe lumch

Details

• Group Experience

• Location: Ota City, Tokyo

• 4 hours

• 20 people max. Minimum 2 participants, solo guests may book at the price of 2 participants

• Offered in Japanese, with friendly Deeper Japan guide interpreting in English
  (French/German/Spanish interpretation may be available upon request)

Hungry for Victory

Early in the morning, the clash of sumo champions occupies the dohyo ring. These fierce athletes undergo hours of practice every single day, all for a brief battle on the sumo tournament's grand stage. A sport with intensely spiritual origins, starting centuries in the past as a ritual honoring the gods and praying for a bountiful harvest, modern competitions still heavily feature religious ritualistic elements. Fueling up for these fights requires an intense amount of calories, with sumo wrestlers consuming as much as 10,000 to 20,000 in one day. After the morning sumo session ends, join the sumo wrestlers for their post-practice meal. Chow down on chanko-nabe, a protein-rich dish beloved by sumo wrestlers, and get the rare chance to talk with these actively competing wrestlers and learn about the power and prestige of sumo straight from the source.

What you’ll do

Witness an authentic sumo morning training. Then, join the sumo wrestlers after for a hearty meal including chanko nabe, the traditional dish of sumo champions.

Who can attend

Children must be 7+

Availability

Session 1 (9:00-13:00)

During the Grand Tournament months (January, March, May, July, September, and November), the training sessions are scheduled from 7 am to 8 am, subject to change with short notice. For the most up-to-date information on the Grand Tournament Schedule, please refer to the official website: https://www.sumo.or.jp/EnTicket/year_schedule)

Tokyo: December-February, April-June, August-October
Osaka: March

Food Allergies and Dietary Restrictions

Guests will be enjoying the same traditional dishes prepared for sumo wrestlers. Due to the authenticity of the experience, we are unable to accommodate food allergies and dietary restrictions.

What else you should know

Sumo wrestlers are working, professional athletes whose first priority is on training, and all guest behavior should ensure that sumo can properly concentrate on their craft. Therefore, guests are kindly instructed to respect the space and listen attentively to the instructions provided by both the interpreter guides and sumo stable host.

This will help ensure a positive and memorable experience for yourself.

• Please note that if you need to leave the room for any reason, you will not be able to re-enter. If you must leave the room, please do so only between matches or when the floor is being swept, and in a quiet manner so as not to disturb the wrestlers.

• You will be seated on the floor on a cushion.

• Eating and drinking (including chewing gum) is not allowed.

• Cell-phones must be set to silent mode. When you take photos, please do so from your seat, without flash and shutter sounds.  

• Please do not wear sunglasses or hats.

• Taking videos are not allowed and any uploading of videos onto the internet will be strictly prohibited.

• Please refrain from any behavior (talking, noises, movement)  that may disturb the wrestler’s focus during training.

• Regarding sudden cancellations by the sumo stable:
  While rare, there may be a possibility that training sessions at the sumo stable will be cancelled by the sumo stable, with some advance notice,  based on the needs of the sumo wrestlers and the stable.
  In the event that a sumo training is cancelled, we will immediately notify any guests and/or travel agencies that have booked an experience for that date.

  For such cases, we will provide a full refund or offer our Edo Kiriko or Shodo experiences, if available, as alternate experience, at no additional cost

Access

40 minutes from Tokyo station by car

Cancellation Policy

Please make your booking at least 7 days in advance. Please contact us at info@deeperjapan.com to ask about the dates you are interested in. Please note that the sumo training session is only determined one month in advance and as such, reservations cannot be confirmed until one month in advance. See cancellation policy here.

* A detailed itinerary will be emailed to you once your booking has been confirmed.