Japan: Restaurant sumo show attracts tourists, locals

Japan's national sport can now be enjoyed along with a meal. The Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka restaurant opened its doors in Tokyo in 2022, as a place for former sumo wrestlers to demonstrate the traditional art. The concept has been met with great enthusiasm from diners.

A special highlight: Guests are invited to get into the ring with the sumo wrestlers. Tickets for the event, which takes place three times a week, cost the equivalent of around €70/$75 and are regularly sold out. Breaded pork chops are served before the exhibition bout.

After the show, there's an opportunity for spectators to take photos with the athletes. One of the stars is former professional wrestler Takayuki Sakuma, also known as Jokoryu. "To entertain people, we add humor. The most important thing is for people to appreciate sumo as a culture," said the 35-year-old.

The restaurant opened in November 2022, just a month after pandemic-related immigration restrictions were lifted. Thanks to positive word of mouth, the lunchtime sumo shows always sell out. "The kids had a blast. I had a blast getting up there and fighting with them," Kiernan Riley, a 42-year-old tourist from Arizona, told the AFP news agency. "Definitely one of the highlights of the trip."

Visitors can slip into wigs and padded costumes to feel more like a sumo wrestler during the fight. A former sumo wrestler explained that the popularity of the sport abroad has grown tremendously in recent years, especially during the COVID pandemic when many people sought new interests to occupy their time during lockdowns.

This newfound enthusiasm is also being felt at regular sumo training venues. The Arashio Studio in central Tokyo has a large bay window at which dozens of people gather every day to watch training sessions. As a result, many studios have banned individual visits and only allow group tours.

The Japan Sumo Association also launched an English-language YouTube channel, Sumo Prime Time, in 2022. Three times a year, national tournaments featuring sumo's top stars are held at Kokugikan Arena in front of thousands of fans. All the seats are already booked for next year.

Fans can also book a tour of a heya, one of the traditional sites where sumo wrestlers live and train according to strict traditions. "I try to explain to them [the tourists] that sumo is not just a sport, it's part of the culture. And it's very much connected to Buddhism, Shintoism," said Ken Miller, a tour guide for English speakers. "It's a way of life."