Known as the heartland of sumo, Ryogoku is the place where everything related to sumo can be found. Ryogoku also have a number of interesting museums, garden, parks, hotels, and “Chanko Nabe” restaurants, making it a good place for sightseeing and as cultural visit to experience the art, history, and culture of Japan.
Ryogoku and Sumo in Tokyo, Japan
The “Sumo Town”, Ryogoku, is a district within Sumida-ward of Tokyo, 2 km east of the “Electric Town”, Akihabara. From professional sumo tournament at the infamous Ryogoku Kokugikan, sumo stables, sumo museum, to “Chanko Nabe” restaurants (Japanese stew, a staple meal for sumo wrestlers), all can be found in this very area.
Do Not Underestimate Ryogoku as a tourist spot
Apart from the small area of Ryogoku, if you are into cultural and historical sightseeing, there are a number of places worth visiting, that are within 10 minutes-walk from the station. Some of them are:
Ryogoku Kokugikan
- About: An indoor sumo stadium with the capacity to hold over 10,000 visitors and hosts the grand sumo tournament. Apart from the sumo hall, a small sumo museum and a shop selling sumo goods can be found.
- Admission: Free (Sumo Museum)
Buying Ryogoku Kokugikan Ticket
Your visit is not complete without experiencing the heated battle during the tournament in the infamous Ryogoku Kokugikan. There are 6 grand tournaments held every year, and 3 of them are held in the Kokugikan: January, May, and September.
The general admission tickets, priced at 2200 yen (200 yen for children) are sold each day of the tournament, at the hall’s ticket office which opens at 8 am. But due to the limited quantity of tickets sold, visitors are advised to arrive no later than 7 am. Hence staying at nearby hotel is a good idea to save time getting there.
Alternatively, a different ticket (nearer seating zone, and pricier) can be bought or even booked online prior to the tournament event.
Edo-Tokyo Museum
- About: A museum that features replicas and scaled-models, which recreate the moments and scenery of the old Tokyo of the Edo period.
- Admission: 600 yen (Closed on Monday)
Sumida Hokusai Museum
- About: A museum dedicated specially for Katsushika Hokusai, a famous ukiyo-e artist during the Edo period.
- Admission: 400 yen (Permanent exhibition) (Closed on Monday)
The Japanese Sword Museum
- About: A museum that aims to preserve the art of Japanese sword-making, operated by the “Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Sword”
- Admission: 1000 yen (Closed on Monday)
Kyu-Yasuda Teien Garden
- About: A garden with a pond from the time of the samurai residence during the Edo era. The pond used to be fed by the Sumida River, and because it is close to the sea, the pond also was affected by the tides. Nowadays, it no longer takes in water from the river, but the tide effect is still there, artificially simulated by a pump.
- Admission: Free
Great Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum
- About: A museum that showcases the remains of the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.
- Admission: Free (Closed on Monday)
Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall
- About: A memorial shrine for the victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, and victims of the bombing on Tokyo in 1945 during the WW2 (World War 2).
- Admission: Free (Closed on Monday)
NTT Docomo History Square
- About: Mini museum on the history and design evolution of mobile communication.
- Admission: Free (Closed on Sunday and Monday)
And if you ever get tired and feeling hungry from visiting these places, and perhaps you feel like wanting to try to know what is it that sumo wrestlers eat, there are a lot of restaurant selling “Chanko Nabe”. Chanko Nabe is a protein-rich hotpot/stew, a staple food for sumo wrestlers, with the idea for them to build up strength.
Hotels in Ryogoku
There are also a number of hotels, should you decided to stay the night in. The following are some of the hotels nearby to the station that you might want to give it a try:
Ryogoku View Hotel
- Address: 2-19-1 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0026
- Access:
- 1 minute-walk from Ryogoku (Elevated/JR) Station
- 8 minutes-walk from Ryogoku (Subway/Toei) Station
Dai-Ichi Hotel Ryogoku
- Address: 1-6-1 Yokoami, Shumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0015
- Access:
- 7 minutes on foot from Ryogoku (Elevated/JR) Station
- 2 minutes on foot from Ryogoku (Subway/Toei) Station
Pearl Hotel Ryogoku
- Address: 1-2-24 Yokoami, Shumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0015
- Access:
- 1 minute-walk from Ryogoku (Elevated/JR) Station
- 8 minutes-walk from Ryogoku (Subway/Toei) Station
Easy Access to Ryogoku Station
Located in the very city of Tokyo, Ryogoku can be easily accessed via Ryogoku Station. The station is separated into two: elevated station, and underground station, where each of the station is served by the JR Chuo-Sobu Line, and the Toei Oedo Subway Line.
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