The sumo show in a former stable
A ninety-minute show by retired wrestlers with an English-speaking MC, held in a former sumo stable in Kiyosumi. The hot pot is part of the VIP option at certain shows only.
The short answer
A stable, or heya, is the house where professional wrestlers live, eat and train under one master. This show is held in a former stable, so you watch sumo in the kind of building where wrestlers once trained, with retired wrestlers and an English-speaking MC. It is worth an evening if you want sumo up close and you can accept a staged show. It is a weaker choice if you want a ranked bout, or if you expect the hot-pot meal at every show.
What it is
A live show in English, about ninety minutes long, held in a former sumo stable in Kiyosumi, in Koto ward. Retired wrestlers demonstrate sumo while an MC explains its history and customs, and guests can step onto the ring, try training moves and challenge a bout.
What it is not
Not a grand tournament, where ranked wrestlers compete for a title, such as the January, May and September tournaments at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, three of professional sumo's six a year. Not a visit to a working stable, where active wrestlers train. And not a set dinner: the hot pot comes with the VIP option at certain shows only.
Check before you book
Choose the option that names the hot pot if you want the meal, because it is not part of every show. Drinks are bought separately, transport is not included, and vegetarian food can be requested when you book.
The evening in four facts
- Where
- Kiyosumi, a district of Koto ward in Tokyo.
- Format
- A live show with an English-speaking MC.
- Performers
- Retired professional wrestlers.
- Setting
- A former sumo stable.
Inside the stable
A stable, part by part
A sumo stable follows much the same plan everywhere, built around a training room with a clay ring. These are the parts of a stable and of the sumo you watch, in the order a show tends to reach them.
Shows change their running order and their content. Read this as a guide to what a stable is and what sumo looks like, not as the programme of any one day.
- 1Heya
The house
A heya, or stable, is where wrestlers live, eat, train and sleep under one master. Wikipedia calls it closer to a medieval fraternity than a modern sports team, because wrestlers join for life. The organiser says this venue is a former stable, so the building belongs to that world even though the wrestlers on stage have retired.
- 2Keikoba
The training room
At the centre of a stable is the keikoba, the training room, with a floor of packed earth. The floor counts as sacred ground, and a small Shinto altar often hangs on the wall. Wooden planks on the walls absorb the shock of wrestlers who are pushed against them.
- 3Dohyo
The ring
The dohyo is the sumo ring: a circle of packed clay, 4.55 metres across, bordered by half-buried bales of rice straw called tawara. In professional tournaments it is mounted on a square platform of clay, raised above the floor. The organiser says guests may step onto it, so ask the host how and when.
- 4Keiko
Training moves
Keiko means training, and training is the cornerstone of stable life. At this show the organiser says guests may try training techniques with former wrestlers. Expect demonstrations and a chance to join in, not a full practice session of the kind active stables hold.
- 5Tachiai
The bout
A bout ends when a wrestler is pushed out of the ring or lands on any part of the body except the soles of the feet. It opens with the tachiai, a charge from behind two white lines at the centre, and top-division bouts usually last only seconds. The organiser says retired professionals clash metres away.
- 6Chanko
The hot pot
Chankonabe is the stew wrestlers eat. It has no fixed recipe, and chicken, tofu and vegetables are common in it. The booking page lists an all-you-can-eat chicken chanko hot pot with the VIP option, at certain shows only, so read the option name before you pay.
From booking to the last bout
From booking to the last bout
The booking calendar and your confirmation hold the details for your date, and visits tend to follow this order.
- 1 Book
Choose the show and the option
Pick a date and an option on the booking calendar. If you want the hot pot, choose the VIP option at a show that includes it, because the meal is tied to that option and to certain shows.
- 2 Travel
Plan your own way there
The venue is in Kiyosumi, in Koto ward, and the organiser puts it minutes from the Ryogoku area. Transport is not included, so check the meeting point on your confirmation and plan the route.
- 3 Settle
Arrive and find your seat
Bring a camera, as the booking page suggests. Smoking is not allowed indoors. Alcohol and soft drinks are paid for on site.
- 4 Watch
Follow the explanation and the demonstrations
An English-speaking MC explains sumo's history and customs while retired wrestlers show the sport. Some reviewers find the introduction long and would like more time on the bouts.
- 5 Join
Step in if you choose to
Guests may step onto the ring, try training techniques and challenge a match. Taking part is optional, and many visitors simply watch and laugh.
- 6 Eat
Share the hot pot where it is included
If your option includes it, the chanko is all-you-can-eat. In a working stable the senior wrestlers and any guests are traditionally served first.
What the ticket covers
What you are booking
Seven terms to read before you pick a date.
- Format
- A live sumo show lasting about ninety minutes, with an English-speaking MC.
- Setting
- A former sumo stable in Kiyosumi, Koto. The organiser describes it as the only sumo show in Japan held inside an actual former stable.
- The meal
- An all-you-can-eat chicken chanko hot pot and bottled water come with the VIP option, at certain shows only.
- Drinks
- Alcohol and soft drinks are paid for on site.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on the GetYourGuide booking; payment can wait until later.
- Not included
- Transport to the venue. The booking page recommends booking ahead.
- Access and diet
- Wheelchair accessible according to the booking page. Vegetarian food can be requested.
Photographs
A practice ring, a stew and the district around it
None of these photographs shows the venue. They show wrestlers at a practice session, the Kokugikan arena in Ryogoku, a bowl of chankonabe, a clay ring, salt thrown at a tournament and a sumo statue in Ryogoku station.
Four ways to see sumo in Tokyo
The stable show, and three other ways to watch sumo
The first card is the show in the former stable that this site covers. The second is a sumo dinner in Ryogoku, the third a show with a Japanese meal in Asakusa, and the fourth a guided sumo-watching tour with a former journalist.
A sumo dinner in Ryogoku
A sumo wrestling session with chanko nabe and mochi, in Ryogoku, the district at the heart of professional sumo. It is a separate booking with its own venue, and the guide on Kiyosumi against Ryogoku sets the two side by side.
A sumo show with Japanese cuisine in Asakusa
A show with a Japanese meal and a drink, opened by a geisha dance and listed at about two hours, at a venue in Asakusa. It suits visitors who would rather stay on the Asakusa side of town.
Sumo watching with a former journalist
A three-hour guided tour with walks, led in English by a former sumo journalist. It is the choice if you would rather watch real sumo than a staged show.
Other bookings around Tokyo
Practical notes
Getting there, what to eat and what to bring
The district
The venue stands in Kiyosumi, a district of Koto ward in eastern Tokyo. Your confirmation gives the meeting point and full address, so follow that for your route.
By subway
The district shares its name with Kiyosumi-shirakawa station, where the Hanzomon Line of Tokyo Metro and the Oedo Line of the Toei network both stop. Check the route from your hotel to the meeting point on your confirmation.
Ryogoku, the sumo district
Ryogoku is regarded as the heartland of professional sumo, and most training stables are based there. The organiser puts the venue minutes from the Ryogoku area.
Food and drink
The hot pot comes with the VIP option at certain shows only. Alcohol and soft drinks are paid for on site, and vegetarian food can be requested when you book.
What to bring
A camera, as the booking page suggests, and clothes you can move in if you plan to try the training moves.
Before you go
The booking page recommends booking ahead. The show is wheelchair accessible according to the same page, and smoking is not allowed indoors.
More reading
Six guides to sumo in a former stable
- 01 Start here
Tokyo sumo dinner show: worth it?
What a sumo stable is, what the show inside a former stable includes, which option comes with the hot pot, and who the evening suits. Read the guide → - 02 Compare
Kiyosumi stable or Ryogoku dinner?
How a sumo show in a former stable in Kiyosumi compares with a sumo dinner in Ryogoku: setting, meal, terms and who each one suits. Read the guide → - 03 The meal
Chanko hot pot at a sumo show
What chankonabe is, how stables serve it, why tournaments use chicken only, and which sumo show option comes with the hot pot. Read the guide → - 04 Background
Makuuchi explained for visitors
What Makuuchi means, how the six divisions and the ranks work, and what a former top-division wrestler tells you about a show. Read the guide → - 05 Options
Morning practice or a sumo show?
How watching stable practice differs from a staged sumo show, what the options on this page are, and which suits your trip. Read the guide → - 06 Getting there
Getting to the Kiyosumi sumo house
Where Kiyosumi is, how it relates to Ryogoku, which subway lines serve the district, what to read on your confirmation and what is nearby. Read the guide →
FAQ
Questions to settle before booking
What is a sumo stable?
A heya is a sumo stable: the house where professional wrestlers live, eat, train and sleep under a single master, sharing one roof and one daily routine. This show is held in a former stable.
Is this a ranked tournament bout?
No. It is a ninety-minute show by retired professionals, with an English-speaking MC. Real tournament bouts are separate: the Kokugikan in Ryogoku hosts three of the six held each year, in January, May and September.
Does every show include the hot pot?
No. An all-you-can-eat chicken chanko hot pot and bottled water come with the VIP option, and only at certain shows. Check the option name and the date on the booking calendar before you pay.
Are drinks included?
No. Alcohol and soft drinks are paid for on site, whichever option you choose. Vegetarian food can be requested when you book.
Can I join in?
The organiser says guests may step onto the ring, try training techniques with former wrestlers and challenge a match. Taking part is optional, so you can also watch from your seat.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
The booking page says the show is wheelchair accessible. Check the access details on your confirmation if you need a ramp or lift, and book ahead, as the page recommends.
How do I get to the venue?
Transport is not included. The venue is in Kiyosumi, in Koto ward, and your confirmation gives the meeting point. Kiyosumi-shirakawa station is served by the Hanzomon and Oedo lines.
Why is it called a dinner show?
Because of the chanko hot pot, which the booking page ties to the VIP option at certain shows. Other options do not list the meal, so read the option before you book.
A show by retired wrestlers inside a former sumo stable in Tokyo.
Book the stable show ↗The calendar shows the cost in whichever currency you choose.