Practiced professionally in no other country, Sumo is a world unto itself, one that has had a pretty rocky year with gambling and yakuza-related scandals (the year before, it was drugs). As well, the sport lost colorful champion Asashoryu, but fellow Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho took up the slack with a major winning streak. Even if this means nothing to you, Sumo tournaments are a blast, and one of the biggest of them is the annual Grand Tournament in Tokyo’s Ryogoku coming up in January. The tickets are now on sale with English guidance available. Go for the fit bodies, stay for the chanko-nabe.
Jan. 9-23, 2011, 8:30 am-7 pm Tickets: ¥200- ¥360,000
Venue: Ryogoku Kokugikan
Nearest station: Ryogoku (Sobu & Oedo lines)
(03) 3623-5111 / www.sumo.or.jp
