Sumo City
It is not uncommon to see large men clothed in cotton kimonos and wooden sandals strolling down the streets of Tokyo’s Ryoguku district on the east bank of the Sumida River. These men are sumo wrestlers, athletes who participate in Japan’s national sport of sumo wrestling.
Japanese sumo wrestling began about 2,000 years ago when tournaments were held at shrines and temples. Sumo wrestling was both spiritual and sacred, and matches were performed to entertain and please the Gods. It evolved into a spectator sport in the 1600s and was centred in the Ryoguku district, Edo’s bustling entertainment and commerce center.
The Ryoguku district has remained the sumo wrestling capital of Japan. Many sumo beya (stables), facilities where wrestlers live and train, are located there. Promising wrestlers are sent to live and train at stables when they are just 15 years old. They arrive with dreams of fame and fortune but discover that life at a stable is difficult. In addition to practicing for hours each day, novice wrestlers must cook, clean, and attend to the needs of senior wrestlers. It takes a tremendous amount of patience, strength, and discipline to become an accomplished sumo wrestler.
Only the top wrestlers compete in the country’s six annual sumo tournaments. Three of these 15-day tournaments take place at Kokugikan Sumo Stadium in the Ryoguku district. Opened in 2014, the 10,000-seat stadium also houses a sumo museum.
Retired wrestlers manage many of the district’s chanko nabe restaurants. Chanko nabe, a hot stew-like dish made with broth, protein (meat or tofu), and vegetables, can be prepared using endless combinations of ingredients. It is the staple food of sumo wrestlers.
Although sumo wrestling is what Ryoguku is famous for, the district has much more to offer. It is home to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which highlights Tokyo’s history beginning with the Edo period, which took place from 1603 and 1868. The museum is filled with intricate scale models depicting life in Edo as well as reconstructed historical buildings including a replica of Edo’s most popular kabuki hall.
Wrestlers wear their hair in topknots, which are similar to buns. Only top-ranked wrestlers can wear topknots styled into the shape of ginko leaves. The topknot was worn by samurai during the Edo period, a time when hairstyles were a symbol of a person’s status in society. According to legend, sumo wrestlers bury their topknots on the grounds of the Eko-in Temple after they retire.
It was also during the Edo period that samurai served daimyos, Edo’s most powerful lords. In 1701, 47 samurai cut off the head of Kira Yoshinaka, the man responsible for the death of their daimyo. After cleaning Yoshinaka’s head in a well, they delivered it to their master’s grave. The ronins (masterless samurai) were harshly punished for the act.
Visitors to the Ryoguku district can learn about these events by checking out Honjo Matsuzaka-cho Park, which is located where the killing took place. The well that was used to wash Yoshinaka’s head can be found in the park, and there are stone monuments that lead out of the park and mark the path on which the ronin walked as they traveled to their master’s grave.
“The Legend of the 47 Ronin,” one of the most celebrated stories in Japan, has been retold in books, movies, and kabuki theater plays.
Visitors can choose to travel the path of the 47 ronin, visit a museum, or get a glimpse into the sacred world of sumo wrestling. The Ryoguky district is filled with reminders of Tokyo’s rich and sometimes tragic history.
FAST FACTS» In an effort to remain on their feet during a match, sumo wrestlers will not eat a stew called chanko nabethat contains meat from any fourlegged animal before competing.» The Ryoguku district is filled with sumo statues, sumo flags, sumo murals, sumo wrestler portraits, and even handprints from famous sumo wrestlers.
