, also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the name bestowed to two different
indoor sporting arenas located in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. The fist ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the lands of the
Ekōin temple in
Ryōgoku
is a district in Sumida, Tokyo. It is surrounded by various districts in Sumida, Chūō, and Taitō wards: Yokoami, Midori, Chitose, Higashi Nihonbashi, and Yanagibashi.
In 1659, the Ryōgoku Bridge was built, spanning the Sumida River j ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. Although no
sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
bouts were held after 1945, following the capitulation of Japan and the requisition of the building by the
occupying forces, the building itself remained active until 1983, being notably used by the
Nihon University
, abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice (Japan), Minister of Justice, in 1889. ...
.
The second ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' is currently located in the
Yokoami neighborhood of
Sumida next to the
Edo-Tokyo Museum
The is a historical museum located at 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-Ku, Tokyo in the Ryogoku district. The museum opened in March 1993 to preserve Edo's cultural heritage, and features city models of Edo and Tokyo between 1590 (just prior to the ...
. It opened in 1985, following the closure of the
Kuramae Kokugikan
was a building situated in the Kuramae neighborhood of Taitō, Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1954. Its construction was decided to replace the old bomb-damaged Ryogoku Kokugikan. It closed its doors in 1984 ...
, and is still in use today.
The first Kokugikan
History
The growing popularity of Sumo during the Meiji period led to the building of the original Kokugikan in Ryōgoku. Until then, Sumo bouts were performed in temples precincts and depended on the weather. In March 1906, the 22nd Imperial Diet decided to build an indoor sumo facility within the precincts of the
Ekōin temple in
Ryōgoku
is a district in Sumida, Tokyo. It is surrounded by various districts in Sumida, Chūō, and Taitō wards: Yokoami, Midori, Chitose, Higashi Nihonbashi, and Yanagibashi.
In 1659, the Ryōgoku Bridge was built, spanning the Sumida River j ...
.
The task was given to two of the most predominant architects in Japan at the time,
Tatsuno Kingo
was a Japanese architect born in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu. Doctor of Engineering. Conferred Jusanmi (従三位, Junior Third Rank) and Kunsanto (勲三等, Order of Third Class). Former dean of Architecture Department at Tokyo Imperial ...
and (mostly known for the Bank of Japan, the Hamadera Park Station or the Tokyo Station). Inspired by western architecture, the building is Japan's first dome-shaped steel framed building. Construction began in June 1906 and the arena was quickly nicknamed "big iron umbrella" (大鉄傘, ''Daitetsusan'') because of the large roof resembling a huge umbrella.
Although it was a Western-style building, the roof imitated the ''kondo'' (centerpiece) of
Horyuji Temple. The opening ceremony was held on June 2, 1909.
Originally set to be called ''Shobukan'' (''lit.'' Home of Martial Arts) by the founding committee chairman
Itagaki Taisuke
Count was a Japanese politician. He was a leader of the "Freedom and People's Rights Movement" and founded Japan's first political party, the Liberal Party.
Biography
Early life
Itagaki Taisuke was born into a middle-ranking ''samurai'' ...
, the building took the name of Kokugikan (''lit.'' National Sports Hall) thanks to another member of the committee, writer
Suiin Emi.
The arena was thought to accommodate 13,000 people, including about 1,000 square seats. The inner diameter of the building was 62m, and the central height was 25m.
In 1931, the Japan Sumo Association decided to replace the old
Irimoya-zukuri
The East Asian hip-and-gable roof (''Xiēshān'' (歇山) in Chinese, ''Irimoya'' (入母屋) in Japanese, and ''Paljakjibung'' (팔작지붕) in Korean) also known as 'resting hill roof', consists of a hip roof that slopes down on all four sides ...
style roof of the
ring
Ring may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
:(hence) to initiate a telephone connection
Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
with a
Shinmei-zukuri
is an ancient Japanese architectural style typical of Ise Grand Shrine's ''honden'', the holiest of Shinto shrines.Encyclopedia of Shinto It is most common in Mie Prefecture.JAANUS
History
Ancient shrines were constructed according to the style ...
style roof.
The building of the Ryōgoku Kokugikan consecrated the evolution of Sumo from a Shinto ritual to a national sport.
Fire and earthquake, war damage and requisition
The fist ''Kokugikan'' suffered extensive damage during its years of service.
In November 1917, during the series of big fires in Tokyo. The arena burned down due to the accidental fire and its large roof collapsed.
The Ryōgoku Kokugikan was destroyed for the first time and needed to be built from scrap. The total amount of damage amounted to about 1.2 million yen and the tournaments had to be held at the
Yasukuni Shrine
is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, 1894–1895 and 1937–1945 resp ...
until the arena was rebuilt in January 1920, notably using zinc to fortify the roof.
Three years later, in September 1923, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan was destroyed in the
Great Kantō earthquake
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
and tournaments had to be held at the Butokuden lot in Nagoya.
In February 1944, the Kokugikan was requisitioned by the military and turned into a
balloon bomb factory.
The Summer tournament was therefore held at the
Korakuen Stadium
was a stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Completed in 1937, it was originally used for baseball, and was home to the Yomiuri Giants for nearly 50 years. For various periods of time, it was also the home stadium of six other professional Japanese baseball ...
(sekitori) and
Meiji Jingu Stadium
The is a baseball stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It opened in 1926 and holds 37,933 spectators. Property of the Meiji Shrine, it is the home field of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows professional baseball team. It also hosts college baseball, inc ...
(Makushita and below).
In March 1945, an
air raid over Tokyo damaged the Ryōgoku Kokugikan and the surrounding sumo stables.
After the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
, the Kokugikan was
occupied
' (Norwegian: ') is a Norwegian political thriller TV series that premiered on TV2 on 5 October 2015. Based on an original idea by Jo Nesbø, the series is co-created with Karianne Lund and Erik Skjoldbjærg. Season 2 premiered on 10 October ...
by the allies forces and the ''budo ban'' was enforced, preventing tournaments until November. As the arena was requisitioned by the allies, the Kokugikan undergone a new phase of restoration and was renamed Ryogoku Memorial Hall. The renovations were completed by September 1946 leaving the November 1945 tournament to a burnt-out Kokugikan. The November
basho of 1946 was the last tournament to occur in the arena.
Post sumo venues
Since then, the Kokugikan has been used for
roller skating
Roller skating is the act of traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, sid ...
, professional
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
and
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
. Japan's first public wrestling match was held at the Memorial Hall on September 30, 1951.
It was also used as the venue for the All Japan Judo Championships in May 1951.
In 1958, the former Kokugikan (Ryogoku, Sumida Ward) was purchased from the Japan Sumo Association by the
Nihon University
, abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice (Japan), Minister of Justice, in 1889. ...
, to create a large auditorium that could hold unified ceremonies such as entrance ceremonies and graduation ceremonies throughout the university. The Memorial Hall was therefore renamed Nihon University Auditorium (日大講堂).
During the
Zenkyōtō
The All-Campus Joint Struggle Committees ( Japanese: 全学共闘会議; ''Zengaku kyōtō kaigi''), commonly known as the Zenkyōtō ( ja, 全共闘), were Japanese student organizations consisting of anti-government, anti-Japanese Communist P ...
the auditorium was used as a conference room for the protest rally.
Due to aging equipment, notably failing to meet fire protection regulations, the building was dismantled in 1983. After the demolition, the complex building facility "Ryogoku City Core" and other offices, residences, and restaurants were built. In the courtyard, the location of the
dohyo of the former Kokugikan is indicated by a circle on the ground.
First Ryōgoku Kokugikan gallery
The second Ryōgoku Kokugikan
The second Ryōgoku Kokugikan opened as the aging
Kuramae Kokugikan
was a building situated in the Kuramae neighborhood of Taitō, Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1954. Its construction was decided to replace the old bomb-damaged Ryogoku Kokugikan. It closed its doors in 1984 ...
became less practical due to modernization problems. Therefore, the Japan Sumo Association sought to purchase a new location to build a new arena.
History
The Japan Sumo Association, has been eyeing the location of the switchyard next to the former
Ryogoku Station, therefore, the first consultation was held with the
Japanese National Railways
The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Network Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pref ...
in June 1977. Wanting to eliminate a large deficit, the JNR thought that if the Kokugikan was built next to the station, the number of passengers would increase. As the land in Kuramae was selected as a candidate site for the construction of a sewage treatment plant in Tokyo, the association acquired the means to purchase the land located in Ryogoku. The move to Ryogoku was decided in 1980, and in March 1982, a land purchase contract was concluded between the Japanese National Railways and the Sumo Association.
The cost of purchasing land was of 15 billion yen with 14.5 billion yen provided by the association and 500 million yen of subsidies from the Ministry of Education.
As the project to built a new arena progressed, the overall picture of a Kokugikan which made full use of modern technology was solidified. The construction faced heavy challenges in terms of cost and construction period as the association requested that the construction be shortened by half a year, in place of the two years initially planned, and completed by January 1985.
On September 20, 1982, plans for the new Kokugikan were announced during a press conference. The new arena would be made of 3 floors above ground and 2 underground. The total floor area is 35,700m² and the seating capacity is 11,500. The ring and the square seats on the first floor are movable and can be stored for multi-purpose use, so that they can be used effectively outside the 45 days of the annual sumo competition.
A ground breaking ceremony was held on April 27, 1983. Both yokozuna
Kitanoumi
, born , was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He was the dominant wrestler in the sport during the 1970s. Kitanoumi was promoted to '' yokozuna'' at the age of 21, becoming the youngest ever to achieve sumo's top rank. He won 24 tournament ...
and yokozuna
Chiyonofuji performed a yokozuna dohyo-iri as part of the Shinto ceremony. On January 9, 1985, the inauguration ceremony and unveiling party were held with 2,300 people in attendance. Following a solemn ritual, both yokozuna performed a yokozuna dohyo-iri, ozeki
Wakashimazu
(born 12 January 1957 as Mutsuo Hidaka) is a Japanese former sumo wrestler from Nakatane, Kagoshima, Japan. His highest rank was '' ōzeki''. He won two top division ''yūshō'' or tournament championships. He retired in 1987 and founded Matsug ...
and
Asashio performed Shinto ritual sumo (called ''shinji-zumo'', 神事相撲) and yokozuna Chiyonofuji and Kitanoumi performed a very rare ceremony.
Technical specifications
The planned construction site for the new Kokugikan is a place prone to urban floods, therefore the introduction of a rainwater utilization system for the Kokugikan was asked by the Sumida municipality. The roof area is 8,360m². Rainwater is stored in an underground 1,000m³ rainwater tank, and 70% of miscellaneous water used at the Kokugikan is covered by this rainwater. In the event of an earthquake, this water can be used as emergency domestic water. When a heavy snowfall falls, this rainwater can be ejected from the headdress on the roof to melt the snow. The ring is illuminated by 124 lights for TV broadcasts, and the angles of each are adjusted so as not to interfere with the wrestlers' mental unity and to prevent halation caused by the wrestlers' sweat. In addition, since Japanese people have dark hair, the lighting in the audience seats on the background of the ring is adjusted so that the colors appearing on the TV screen are not dark.
The Ryōgoku Kokugikan houses the offices of the
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). ''Rikishi'' (active ...
and, at the rear of building, the "Sumo School" where new recruits must complete a six-month course on various topics such as calligraphy, sports science, sumo history and civics in addition to sumo's basic movements and techniques.
Near the main entrance, two
Inari
Inari may refer to:
Shinto
* Inari Ōkami, a Shinto spirit
** Mount Inari in Japan, site of Fushimi Inari-taisha, the main Shinto shrine to Inari
** Inari Shrine, shrines to the Shinto god Inari
* Inari-zushi, a type of sushi
Places
* Inari, ...
shrines (called Toyokuni Inari and Shusse Inari) are dedicated to wrestlers safety and success. Originally the twin-shrines were built in the backyard of the former Ryōgoku Kokugikan and were relocated in 1963 in the
Kuramae Kokugikan
was a building situated in the Kuramae neighborhood of Taitō, Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1954. Its construction was decided to replace the old bomb-damaged Ryogoku Kokugikan. It closed its doors in 1984 ...
before finally moving to their current location.
The arena also includes a number of dedicated venues such as the Sumo Museum, restaurants or a banquet hall for
chankonabe
is a Japanese stew (a type of nabemono or one-pot dish) commonly eaten in vast quantity by sumo wrestlers as part of a weight-gain diet.
Ingredients and consumption
The dish contains a ''dashi'' or chicken broth soup base with sake or ''m ...
tasting.
![Annaijo entrance Kokugikan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Annaijo_entrance_Kokugikan.jpg)
Emblematic venues also includes the ''Annaijo'' Entrance (''lit.'' Information desk, also called ''Chaya-dori'': Tea House Street), a flower-theme decorated corridor for souvenirs buying.
Now under the control of the Japan Sumo Association, the ''cha-ya'' were originally independent named teahouses that sold tickets and refreshments to their customers. Following a system of inheritance, today's 20 businesses can be dated back to the nineteenth century, the oldest teahouse dating back to 1818. Now the teahouses also offer gifts packages. Their services usually go to regular customers who have agreements in place. Attendants (called ''dekata'') dressed in attire that resembles a
yobidashi
A is an announcer who calls a professional sumo wrestler, or ''rikishi'', to the ''dohyō'' (wrestling ring) immediately prior to his bout. He does this by calling the name of each wrestler fighting in turn while holding a traditional folding fa ...
, guide patrons to their seats and supply them with refreshments in exchange of a tip.
The Ryōgoku Kokugikan also have its own
yakitori
is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with , a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, th ...
skewers factory in the basement of the building.
Sumo
For its first tournament, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan was visited by the Emperor
Hirohito
Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
(posthumously referred as Emperor Shōwa in Japan). It was the first time Tenran-sumo was performed on the first day of the first tournament of the year. The January 1985 tournament also marked a milestone in Sumo as yokozuna Chiyonofuji achieved a while yokozuna Kitanoumi (who had been yokozuna for 10 years) announced his retirement on the third day of the tournament after three consecutives defeats.
Since its completion, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan is the place where every Tokyo
tournaments
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
are held : in January, May and September. The arena also holds other sumo related events such as retirement ceremonies, known as
danpatsu-shiki
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
, where
sekitori
A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a ''rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: ''makuuchi'' and ''jūryō''.
The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fract ...
-ranked wrestlers ritually cut their
topknot in a long and solemn ceremony. Only sekitori with at least 30 tournaments in the top division can qualify for a ceremony at the Kokugikan, other wrestlers usually perform the ceremony at hotels or in their
stable
A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
.
Kanreki dohyo-iri
Hwangap () in Korean, in Japanese or Jiazi () in Chinese, is a traditional way of celebrating one's 61st birthday in Korea. It is technically the 60th birthday, but in Korean age, the person would be celebrating their 61st. The number 60 means ...
ceremonies, where former yokozuna celebrate their sixtieth birthday during a particular yokozuna dohyo-iri ceremony, are also usually held at the Kokugikan.
The Kokugikan also holds sumo events for boys such as the Goodwill Sumo Tournament, and high-school championships, such as the National Junior High School Sumo Tournament.
The arena also regularly hold the All Japan Sumo Championships (
Japan Sumo Federation
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
main event) and
Hakuhō Cup (a children's sumo event).
Also, prior to each Tokyo tournaments, willing wrestlers will meet in joint training in the training room of the Sumo School for four to six days. These trainings are usually in presence of the press and
oyakata
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
. Finally, the public broadcast company
NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestr ...
hold in the Kokugikan its own Sumo event, called the NHK Welfare Sumo Tournament (NHK福祉大相撲). Taking place each February, this charity event has been held since 1966. It takes the form of a festival where traditional jungyo activities are performed (sumo wrestlers songs, yokozuna's tsuna exhibition, makuuchi bouts). The profits are donated to social care institutions across the country.
Other sports
Like the Kuramae Kokugikan, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan hosted a number of wrestling events as soon as its first year of service. In September 1985, the first wrestling card, promoted by
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, ...
, happened with the first Japanese appearance of the
Road Warriors
The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in t ...
.
In December of the same year,
New Japan Pro Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
held its first card in the Ryogoku.
It became a regular venue for NJPW's cards such as
G1 Climax
The is a professional wrestling tournament held each August by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. Though it has sometimes been held as a single-elimination tournament, it is usually (and currently) held as a round-robin, with winners ...
. In 1998,
Antonio Inoki
Muhammad Hussain Inoki (born ; February 20, 1943 – October 1, 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. He was best known by the ring name , a homag ...
's Universal Fighting Arts Organization held its first card at the arena.
As All Japan began to use the
Nippon Budokan
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...
as main venue, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan became established as a venue for rival puroresu promotion New Japan Pro Wrestling. In 2009,
Dynamic Dream Team Wrestling held its first card in the arena.
World Wonder Ring Stardom
World Wonder Ring Stardom (スターダム 女子プロレス), often referred to simply as Stardom (stylized as ST★RDOM), is a Japanese '' joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling promotion based in Tokyo, Japan. Stardom was founded i ...
has held multiple events in Ryogoku beginning in 2013.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
also held numerous events in the Ryogoku between 2010 and 2015, the latest being WWE's
The Beast in the East.
The Kokugikan also host Boxing competitions including the hosting of the
boxing competition at the
2020 Summer Olympics
The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July.
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
.
Other events
In 1992, The Kokugikan hosted the very first official
Street Fighter II
is a fighting game developed by Capcom and originally released for arcades in 1991. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter''. It is Capcom's fourteenth game to use the CP Syst ...
tournament. In 2017 it hosted
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
's 70th anniversary celebrations.
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
performed a concert at the venue as part of his world tour "
Freshen Up
Freshen Up was a chewing gum with flavored gels inside manufactured by Cadbury Adams in Brazil. Current flavours include cinnamon, peppermint, spearmint and bubble gum. A fruit variation was offered in the 1970s.
History
The product was launch ...
" on November 5, 2018.
In May 2021 the stadium was used as a vaccination center for the
COVID-19 vaccine
A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19).
Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
, with some retired sumo wrestlers among those getting vaccinated.
Second Ryōgoku Kokugikan gallery
In other media
The Ryōgoku Kokugikan is featured in anime series such as boxing manga and anime ''
Hajime no Ippo
is a Japanese boxing-themed manga series written and illustrated by George Morikawa. It has been serialized by Kodansha in the ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' since October 1989 and collected into 135 ''tankōb ...
'', where some of the characters participate in boxing matches in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan. Also Sumo mangas, such as ''
Aah! Harimanada'' and ''
Hinomaru Zumō'', are held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan. In the manga series ''
Prison School
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Hiramoto. It was serialized in Kodansha's '' Weekly Young Magazine'' from February 2011 to December 2017. Yen Press licensed the manga for English release in North America. The sto ...
'', some of the characters attend a student sumo tournament in the Ryōgoku Kokugikan.
Transportation links
The arena is served by the
Ryōgoku Station
is a railway station in Yokoami, Sumida, Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei).
Lines
The station is served by the JR East Chūō-Sōbu Line and the Toei Oedo Li ...
with platforms to the south and east of the arena. The
JR East
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...
Chūō-Sōbu Line platforms to the south are served by local trains while rapid trains bypass the platforms by going through a tunnel north of the platforms. The two main platforms are built as an island platform, with trains heading west to Tokyo and east to Chiba, while there is a third terminal platform that is only used on special event days. The
Toei Subway
The is one of two subway systems in Tokyo, the other being Tokyo Metro. The Toei Subway lines were originally licensed to the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (the predecessor of Tokyo Metro) but were constructed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government ...
Ōedo Line platforms lie in a north–south axis directly underneath Kiyosumi Street to the east of the arena. There are regular trains to
Iidabashi
is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was in the former ward of Kōjimachi, which existed in Tokyo until 1947.
Etymology
Iidabashi is named after a nearby bridge called Iida Bridge (, ''Iidabashi''), itself named after an Edo-period fa ...
and
Tochomae from platform 1 and
Daimon
Daimon or Daemon ( Ancient Greek: , "god", "godlike", "power", "fate") originally referred to a lesser deity or guiding spirit such as the daimons of ancient Greek religion and mythology and of later Hellenistic religion and philosophy.
The wor ...
and
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous for the affluent Roppongi Hills development area and popular night club scene. A few foreign embassies are located near Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike. It is ...
from platform 2.
See also
*
List of indoor arenas in Japan
Notes
:1.Ban on martial arts gatherings enforced from 1945 to 1950.
:2.Called Takasago, Kinokuni, Yamato, Yoshikazu, Minohisa, Nakahashi, Wakashima, Joshu, Nishikawa, Mikawaya, Kamisho, Shimman, Musashiya, Hakuho, Hasegawa, Kabira, Fujishima, Isefuku, Tatekawa and Hayashi.
:3.Tenran-sumo (天覧相撲) are sumo bouts in presence of the emperor.
References
1909 Kokugikan
1985 Kokugikan
External links
Ryogoku Kokugikan - Japan Sumo Association
Old Tokyo Blog (sourced website on 18th century Tokyo)Google Maps Street View inside the arenaGoogle Maps Street View inside the Teahouse Street
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryogoku Kokugikan
Sumo venues in Japan
Basketball venues in Japan
Sports venues in Tokyo
Indoor arenas in Japan
Venues of the 2020 Summer Olympics
Olympic boxing venues
Boxing venues in Japan
Buildings and structures in Sumida, Tokyo
Sports venues completed in 1909
Sports venues completed in 1985
1984 disestablishments in Japan
1909 establishments in Japan
1985 establishments in Japan