Tokyo Sumo Morning Training — Starting Right From Your Hotel.
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Tokyo, Japan
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get an insider's guide to sumo wrestling in Tokyo on a tour that includes hotel pickup and handles all logistics for you. Enhance your viewing of a genuine sumo training session with cultural insights from a guide. Learn about the sport's traditions, history, and rules from your guide and visit an authentic sumo stable.
- Enjoy behind-the-scenes access to sumo wrestling in Tokyo
- Pickup is included for a seamless experience
- Navigate language barriers with an English-speaking guide
- Ask your guide any questions you like about sumo wrestling
What's Included
- English speaking guide
- Hotel pick up
- Hotel drop-off
- Any food & drink
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
*To allow sufficient time for guide arrangements, please reach out to us at least 3–4 days prior to your desired date. *The meeting time with the guide depends on the location of the client's hotel. Please confirm the meeting time. *Please note that we can mainly do our pick-up service at hotels within a 10-minute walk from stations. Please contact us if you are unsure if your hotel falls into this category. For hotels not within this area, we can arrange an alternative pick up destination. ※ Those who wish to use a taxi service instead of public transportation must pay an additional cost.
Operating hours.7:30 am
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 73 reviews
Karen_B, Apr 2026
This was an excellent activity to do in Tokyo. The guides arrived early and were very organised with excellent English. Having hotel pick up was ideal as getting to the sumo stable was complicated on public transport, but the guides did help us navigate the majority of the return journey. The actual experience was amazing. Seeing the sumo train up close was unforgettable. The insight into the respect and commitment of the athletes was amazing to see up close. Definitely worth the effort and expense.
Caroline_K, Jan 2026
Our guide Hiromi was kind and very helpful. Early to meet us and looked after us very well. I wish I had brought a gift from home for when we said good-bye.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you very much for your warm words about our tour. We are truly delighted to hear that you were satisfied with your experience. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you again in the future.
Rhiannon_S, Dec 2025
Koichiro and Sumi were our guides for this experience. They arrived promptly at the hotel for our pick-up, and were so friendly and helpful throughout the day. They both engaged with everyone in the group, and shared their knowledge of both sumo and Japan as a whole. The sumo experience was very authentic, as it was an actual practice - I’d imagine only secondary to an actual sumo tournament. Koichiro provided a lot of explanation about the history of sumo, sumo practices, and fun facts during the practice. My only complaint is if you arrive later than other groups, you’re going to be in the back or behind people who may be taller than you which prohibits your viewing experience. From pick-up to end, I believe the tour ran closer to 3-3.5 hours.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you very much for sharing your detailed and thoughtful review.
We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the authentic sumo practice and our guides’ support throughout the tour.
andrew_y, Oct 2025
Just go see them close up great experience
Especially meeting the sumo wrestlers for pics at the end ....our tour guide was great....done a grand job
Erik_G, Oct 2025
Awesome experience; we would recommend this for anyone visiting Tokyo. The only thing to note is that the transportation to the stable was by foot/subway, so be sure to have a Suica card and good walking shoes.
Pamela_F, Sep 2025
Midori met us at our hotel and we took the train to the sumo stable. She was very informative with hand outs to read to help us understand what sumo is and what we were going to see. We toured a small shrine in the way. We enjoyed seeing the wrestlers in action.
Lauren_H, Jul 2025
One of the highlights of our trip! Guide met us at the hotel and took us by subway and bus to the sumo stable, where we watched a practice session and learned so much about the sport. There was even a photo opportunity with a couple of the wrestlers at the end! Amazing experience!
harvey_s, Jun 2025
Educational, fascinating, extremely informative and surprising .
Gave us a whole new view to this National sport, physically being there and hearing the forces these men put at each other was unreal! The discipline and repetition involved is incredible .
Katie_P, Jun 2025
We searched and searched for a chance to see Sumo training and we were thrilled to find this tour. Our guide was fantastic and because it was just the three of us, she was able to walk around the area a bit after too! A must do in Tokyo!
Robin_B, May 2025
What a privilege to watch these athletes train and prepare for one of the grand tournaments. Our guide Atsushi was excellent, he arrived at our hotel at the arranged time to get us to the Sumo stable on time. We sat very close to the edge of the training ring so really sensed the power the wrestlers produce. We had to sit still and quiet for around 90 minutes. Atsushi came prepared with a white board and pen for us to write any questions we had as talking is not allowed. We got some great photos of the training and sparring.
jacquie_s, Apr 2025
This tour stands out at the top of all the excellent tours we’ve done in Tokyo and then at various ports as we cruised around Japan. The sumo wrestler stable was fascinating to watch and learn about. We feel very privileged to have seen their morning workout first hand.
Our guide Mr Miyazaki made the experience far exceed our expectations. He met us at our hotel, early, and took us on two train rides to reach the stable. The last part of the travel was supposed to be walking but when he saw I had a knee/hip that slowed me down he called a taxi. He very clearly explained the sumo world during the train ride so we knew what to expect and understood what we were seeing. His English speaking abilities were solid.
The tour included the guide getting us back to the train station to make our own way home. Mr Miyazaki very kindly offered to travel back the entire way with us, saying he lived in that direction . Whether that was true or he saw the trepidation of doing two trains including Shinjuku station while under construction, or both , we very much appreciate him travelling back with us, not only to Shinjuku station, but to our hotel lobby .
We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Japan, with the people and culture making us feel genuinely welcome with Mr Miyazaki and this tour being the absolute best .
Paul_H, Apr 2025
It was a rainy day in Tokyo and we changed our plans. This was a happy find. Guide was great and watching and learning about Sumo wrestling was very interesting. I would recommend this tour to all.
Skylie_W, Apr 2025
I can’t tell you how highly we rated our time and tour with Mr Koichiro Shimotamari (San). He was so knowledgeable and kind and thoughtful for our whole time together. I already loved sumo after living here many years ago and I wanted to introduce my husband to sumo and Koichiro San did a wonderful job explaining all the smallest of important details in our time together. Man… I wish I could have Koichiro San around all of the time in Japan. ❤️ Such a kind and thoughtful guide and person. Thank you! 😊
Karenbachelder, Apr 2025
This was a lot of fun and a great experience to watch the wrestlers in action. It is a great way to better understand the rules of the sport and the spiritual significance of every action involved in this very traditional Japanese event. The stable/facility was difficult to find which made having a guide to travel with us, while costing a bit more than other offers, very convenient. However, unlike some of the other reviews, our guide did not give us a review of Sumo and we arrived later than other groups and after the start of the session. However, our guide was able to get us pictures with some of the wrestlers before we left.
azidjazani, Apr 2025
Very well organized, on time, and Mr. Tadashi Umebayashi was a wonderful guide making sure that everything went according to plan.
Samantha_G, Apr 2025
We had a fantastic time! Our guide was very knowledgeable. The more questions you have, the more you'll learn. There is no talking while the wrestlers are training but our wonderful guide made time for us after the training session to discuss it.
Neil_R, Jan 2025
The guides arrived at our hotel early and guided us to the sumo stables. They provided thoughtful insight into Japan as a country, things to do in Tokyo, and background on sumo. The sumo training was exciting to watch. It was fairly easy to understand, despite no talking allowed in the facility. Our guide sketched and wrote notes during the training to help us understand techniques.
Scott_S, Jan 2025
The sumo morning training was an awesome experience. Our guide, Ms. Yuka, was very knowledgeable of the sport and was very pleasant person.
Jennifer_K, Nov 2024
This was an unforgettable experience on our first trip to Japan. After reading many reviews, I opted to book a guide pick up from our hotel and I am sure happy I did. Our visit was the first morning after landing in Japan and it was so nice to have Mari pick us from the hotel, navigate the trains, and give us history of sumo along the way. Mari was a great guide, she spoke excellent English, gave us information along the train ride, and took us to a quiet temple in a local neighborhood on our way back to the train station. We had fun spending our morning with her.
The Sumo Experience is impressive to watch. These are dedicated, strong, and highly skilled athletes. Having the opportunity to watch them practice their sport at their facility was a special part of our trip. After their morning training, they take time for photos with everyone and were very kind.
This was a great way to start our trip.
Sarah_M, Nov 2024
Our two guides were very informative and explained everything to us before training. This was an amazing experience and highly recommend to anyone visiting.
Neil_P, Oct 2024
Stable visit was a nice experience however our guide was not. She showed us a paper with some stable rules and that was it. All the other guides were explaining everything to their people while we just sat there. She could have done a better job in explaining everything that was going on.
Matthew_S, Oct 2024
Very cool experience getting out of the center of Tokyo to watch a practice. We were the first guests to arrive to watch and got to see various sumo wrestlers practicing different techniques.
Sven_K, Oct 2024
Picked up by Midi at our Ryokan on time and had a brief introduction to Sumo on our way to the Sumo stable. Midi took care of us with the public transport. She explained not only the essentials of Sumo but also answered all our questions about Japan. During the training she pointed out what’s important to know and who is who in the group. Afterwards she brought us back to the train station and took a little additional detour to pay the local temple a visit. Great time and we always recommend to do the tour with her!
Gretchen_C, Oct 2024
This was one of the best tours of our entire trip to Japan. I would highly recommend it! You get to be up close and personal (literally 2 feet away) from sumo wrestlers practicing. The practice lasts almost 2 hours and you can also get photos during the practice and after with the wrestlers. A once in a lifetime experience to be inside one of the most cultural traditions of Japan!
Cindy_D, Oct 2024
We had a wonderful time watching the sumo practice. Our guide did a wonderful job explain the sport.
Robert_P, Oct 2024
Our guide, Hiro was wonderful. He picked us up right on time at the hotel and navigated us through the trains to the stable. He has had a passion for sumo since he was a child and it showed. He is very knowledgeable about the sport and the nuances of it. During the matches itself in the stable, you communicate with him through a dry erase board so as to remain quiet and not disturb the wrestlers. We probably posed 20 questions to them throughout the match. Any answered everyone in full and with great insight. Since that is the stable, he always goes to, he also knows the wrestlers. He will point out to you who is good and who has a chance of moving up. He was very funny and energetic and and kind. At the end of the match, he summoned to a wrestler to take a picture was with us and the wrestler obliged. He might be the best part of the whole experience!
That said, the sumo itself was outstanding. You go to a real stable and watch real wrestlers trying to work their way up in the sport. My major concern was that this was a show put on to entertain but nothing could be further from the truth. It is a real sumo stable with real wrestlers akin to going to an NFL preseason scrimmage. The difference being is that you are VERY close to the action. On occasion, you will see the father or stable master communicate with the wrestlers on things they did wrong and pull them aside. While there is always matches going on, the other wrestlers around the ring are working out or stretching or doing various drills pushing each other across the floor. It was surprisingly hard hitting and aggressive.
We sat on cushions right next to the ring, but if you are so inclined, they do have chairs they will bring in albeit they are very low to the ground, and I saw some people having trouble getting up out of them.
We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would most definitely recommended to anybody with even a passing interest in the sport. And even if you don’t know the sport at all, your guide will get you up to speed quickly and give you a great appreciation for the tradition of sumo.
Janet_Z, Oct 2024
Great tour. Very fun and interesting. Koichiro was a great guide, he made sure we were able to get to our next destination.
Sharon_B, Oct 2024
All 4 of us felt that this experience was not to be missed. Such a wonderful insight into an important aspect of Japanese culture.
Can’t say enough. Kyoko was such an informative, knowledgeable, friendly and helpful guide. Don’t miss this.
CDouglas_S, Sep 2024
Our guide was very friendly and spoke English well. He had spent some childhood years in our home city in the USA so we had that as a bond. Our practice session ran 90' and my spouse and I were the only visitors that day. Since we attended during a hon-basho, training was lighter but some rikishi had more time to chat and snap pics after training ended. It was fascinating!
sta_A, Jul 2024
Absolutely amazing. We were picked up at the hotel and took trains together to the stable. On the way the guides were very informative about japan and everything we saw along the way. At the stable they sat with us and gave us a paper and pen, so we could ask questions while watching. On the way back to the train station we visited a shrine and even a supermarket with the guides! The sumo experience was absolutely great! But to our surprise we got much more than that also and learned alot about japan :) Many thanks from the Icelandic family !
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