Observe an authentic morning sumo training session

Details

Group Experience
Location: Sumida or Adachi, Tokyo
~2 hours (can be up to 3 hours, depending on that day’s training)
15 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)

Legendary power

Sumo is emblematic of Japan-- much like Mt. Fuji, sushi and anime-- signaling the intriguing uniqueness of Japanese culture. In this form of wrestling, massive men in mawashi belts, strive to push their opponents out of the ring, to force each other to lose their balance, or to touch the ground with any body part other than their feet. Despite the intense physicality of this sport, sumo has an integral spiritual history where it began as a Shinto ritual: in the conducting of a sumo match, people would pray for rich harvests and thanked the gods for blessings. This Shinto influence is still evident in the rituals, etiquette and clothing of sumo. In the Edo period, sumo became a spectator sport and much of sumo’s rituals and practices have remained unchanged from this time. Since then, sumo wrestlers have maintained a highly regimented way of life, dictated by the Sumo Association. This opportunity to get a first-hand look at the daily life of sumo wrestlers will open your eyes to this fascinating martial sport and Japan’s traditional culture.

What you’ll do

Observe the sumo wrestlers as they stretch and wrestle in rounds during their fascinating training session. After the training session, take a photo with a wrestler or two!

Who can attend

Children must be 11+

Availability

Session 1 (8:00-10:00)

(Session times vary depending on the day of the experience. Sessions may start at either 8:00 AM or 9:00 AM and can end between 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM, depending on the training schedule for that day. The confirmed session time will be provided along with the itinerary once it is confirmed. As real training practices, the duration of the sessions can fluctuate based on the needs of the wrestlers and their tournament schedule. On occasion, there may be days when practice ends before 10 am, and if we are aware of this in advance, we will promptly inform you. 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

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

30 ~ 50 minutes from Tokyo Station.

Cancellation Policy

Please make your booking at least 24 hours 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.