Sumo wrestling

Nothing quite says Japanese sport like large, semi-naked men trying to wrestle each other to the ground.

Sumo, Japan’s national sport, has been around for at least 1,000 years, initially performed to appease the Shinto gods before eventually becoming the major sport it is today. From the brief, yet hard-hitting bouts to the Shinto-influenced pomp that surrounds them, it’s a brilliant spectacle – and Tokyo’s Ryogoku neighbourhood is the centre of it all.

There are three 15-day sumo tournaments a year at the Kokugikan arena in Ryogoku, but if you miss those you could take a morning tour to one of the sumo training stables to watch the rikishi (wrestlers) go through gruelling practice routines.

Experience it for yourself

If you want to try Sumo wrestling, the Amita school – set up by former wrestling champion Takeshi Amitani – offers a 2-hour Sumo training course that will teach you the Sumo fundamentals including: stretches, warm-ups, rituals, rules on the wrestling in the ring (dohyo) with a mawashi (Sumo belt).

After, head to Ryogoku for a chanko nabe dinner. This protein-heavy hotpot of fish, meat, vegetables, and tofu, is what rikishi eat to stay supersized.