How to Fail at Watching Sumo 2016

Go to the official Sumo wrestling page here: http://www.sumo.or.jp/en/, click ticket information, find the appropriate dates and location, show up shortly before opening time to purchase day of tickets in hopes of watching Sumo for an hour or two. Be told by security guard that there are no tickets ever and people are actually in line for the ticket cancellation waiting list.

This was pretty much our strategy when we went to the Ryōgoku Kokugikan in the Yokoami neighborhood of the Sumida special ward at 8 AM -- during rush hour in Tokyo -- instead of letting our jetlagged bodies rest. If you actually want to go to a Sumo match, buy the expensive tickets as soon as they go up for sale, and then plan your entire trip to Japan based on this. (Or live there during sumo season and buy the expensive tickets.)

Ryōgoku Kokugikan

There was a drummer in the tower setting the mood.

Murals on the Ryōgoku Kokugikan

Murals on the Ryōgoku Kokugikan

Sumo wrestler?

This is what we might have seen if we'd gotten in:

Pretend we went and we developed strong opinions about the Hakuho elbow! (@ 8:53)

Walk of shame along the Sumida River

Andrew and Kevin in 

On the bright side, we were up before most sites opened, so we decided to take a long walk north to the Sensoji Temple. Okay, the rest of the posts will be more success-based.