Ryōgoku Kokugikan
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, also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the name bestowed to two different indoor sporting arenas located in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. The first ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the premises of the Ekōin temple in Ryōgoku,
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
. 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 th ...
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 research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice, in 1889. The university's name is derived from the Ja ...
. The second ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' is currently located in the Yokoami neighborhood of Sumida next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It opened in 1985, following the closure of the Kuramae Kokugikan, and is still in use today.


The first Ryōgoku Kokugikan


History

The growing popularity of Sumo during the
Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...
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. The task was given to two of the most predominant architects in Japan at the time, Tatsuno Kingo 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 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 Kazoku, Count Itagaki Taisuke (板垣 退助, 21 May 1837 – 16 July 1919) was a Japanese samurai, politician, and leader of the Freedom and People's Rights Movement (自由民権運動, ''Jiyū Minken Undō''), which evolved into Japan's firs ...
, 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 The , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...
decided to replace the old Irimoya-zukuri style roof of the ring with a Shinmei-zukuri 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 first ''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 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 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 (sekitori) and Meiji Jingu Stadium (Makushita and below). In March 1945, an air raid over Tokyo damaged the Ryōgoku Kokugikan and the surrounding sumo stables. After the war, the Kokugikan was occupied 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
tournament 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 concen ...
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 travelling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreation, 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 s ...
, professional
boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
and
professional wrestling Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to Real life, real- ...
. 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 (Ryōgoku, Sumida Ward) was purchased from the Japan Sumo Association by the
Nihon University , abbreviated as , is a private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice, in 1889. The university's name is derived from the Ja ...
, 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 . During the Zenkyōtō 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 '' dohyō'' 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 became less practical due to modernization problems. Therefore, the Japan Sumo Association sought to purchase a new location to build a new arena.


History

Considering a move to the location of a defunct freight
rail yard A rail yard, railway yard, railroad yard (US) or simply yard, is a series of Track (rail transport), tracks in a rail network for storing, sorting, or loading and unloading rail vehicles and locomotives. Yards have many tracks in parallel for k ...
next to Ryōgoku Station, the Japan Sumo Association began to hold consultations 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 pre ...
(JNR) in June 1977. Faced with large deficits at the time, JNR was receptive to the idea of selling the property, aided by its belief that if the new Kokugikan was built next to the station, the number of passengers served 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 Ryōgoku. The move to Ryōgoku was decided in 1980, and in March 1982, a land purchase contract was concluded between JNR and the Sumo Association. The cost of purchasing the land in Ryōgoku was 9.4 billion yen, while the Sumo Association was able to sell its Kuramae property to the
Tokyo Metropolitan Government The is the government of the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis. One of the 47 Prefectures of Japan, prefectures of Japan, the government consists of a popularly elected governor and assembly. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, headquarters build ...
for 14.3 billion yen. A total of 15 billion yen was procured for the construction of the new arena, comprising the 4.9 billion yen profit from the real estate transactions, 9.6 billion yen the Sumo Association had set aside in reserves, and a 500 million yen subsidy from the Ministry of Education. As the project to build 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 Sumo 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 three floors above ground and two underground. The total floor area is 35,700 m2 and the seating capacity is 11,098. 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 and ''yokozuna'' Chiyonofuji performed a ''yokozuna dohyō-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 dohyō-iri'', ''ōzeki'' Wakashimazu and Asashio performed a Shinto sumo ritual (called ) 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 8,360 m2. Rainwater is stored in an underground 1,000 m3 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 , officially the ; sometimes abbreviated JSA or NSK, and more usually called Sumo Kyōkai, is the governing body that operates and controls Professional sports, professional sumo wrestling, called , in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Min ...
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 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 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 tasting. 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, guide patrons to their seats and supply them with refreshments in exchange of a tip. The Ryōgoku Kokugikan also has its own yakitori skewers factory in the basement of the building.


Sumo

For its first tournament, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan was visited by Emperor Shōwa. 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, where sekitori-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 working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...
. '' Kanreki dohyō-iri'' ceremonies, where former ''yokozuna'' celebrate their sixtieth birthday during a particular ''yokozuna dohyō-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 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''. Finally, the public broadcast company
NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...
hold in the Kokugikan its own Sumo event, called the . 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 , or , is the top division of Professional sumo divisions, the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous ...
'' 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 professional 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 Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...
, happened with the first Japanese appearance of the Road Warriors. In December of the same year,
New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional-wrestling promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV Asahi and Amuse Inc. owning minority shar ...
(NJPW) held its first card in the Ryogoku. It became a regular venue for NJPW's events such as the G1 Climax. In 1998,
Antonio Inoki (born ; 20 February 1943 – 1 October 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#school, professional wrestling trainer, martial arts, martial artist, politician, and Promoter (entertainment), promot ...
'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 in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. The Budokan was a popular venue for Japanese professional wres ...
as its main venue, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan became established as a venue for rival promotion NJPW. In 2009, DDT Pro-Wrestling held its first event in the arena.
World Wonder Ring Stardom , is a Japanese ''joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo, Japan. Stardom was founded in September 2010 by former All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) co-producer Ross ...
has held multiple events in Ryōgoku beginning in 2013. WWE also held numerous events in the Ryōgoku between 2010 and 2015, the latest being WWE's The Beast in the East. Other promotions to have held an event at the venue include Super World of Sports,
UWF International Union of Wrestling Forces International, better known as UWF International, U-Inter, or simply UWFi, was a shoot style professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1991 to 1996. The UWF international was the successor to the ''Newborn UWF'' th ...
, Fighting Network Rings,
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling , nicknamed Zenjo (全女: 全 meaning "All", 女 meaning "Woman") was a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held the ...
, Wrestle and Romance,
JWP Joshi Puroresu , also known as or simply JWP, was a Japanese ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion, founded in 1992 as a splinter promotion of Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. Celebrating its 25th anniversa ...
, Michinoku Pro Wrestling, Tokyo Pro Wrestling, Battlarts,
Pro Wrestling Zero1 , often referred to simply as Zero1 and sometimes referred to as Pro Wrestling Zero1 Catch as Catch Can (stylized as ZERO1 and PRO WRESTLING ZERO1 CATCH AS CATCH CAN, respectively), is a Professional wrestling in Japan, Japanese professional wre ...
, World Japan, Hustle, Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling, Inoki Genome Federation,
Dragongate Dragongate Japan Pro-Wrestling, often referred to simply as Dragongate or Dragon Gate (, ''Doragongēto''), is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded and headquartered in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Hyōgo, Japan. Most of the promotion ...
, Pro Wrestling Noah,
Wrestle-1 was a Japanese ''puroresu'' or professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, founded in July 2013 by Keiji Mutoh following his resignation from All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). The core of the promotion's roster was formed b ...
, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, Tenryu Project, Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, Gleat, and Dream Star Fighting Marigold. The Kokugikan also host Boxing competitions including the hosting of the boxing competition at the
2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
. In 2025, it will also host Capcom Cup 11, a Street Fighter 6 championship event for Capcom Pro Tour 2024.


Other events

In 1992, The Kokugikan hosted the very first official ''
Street Fighter II is a 1991 fighting game developed and published by Capcom for arcade game, arcades. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter (video game), Street Fighter''. Designed by Yoshiki O ...
'' tournament. On April 4, 2014, the
K-pop K-pop (; an abbreviation of "Korean popular music") is a form of popular music originating in South Korea. It emerged in the 1990s as a form of youth subculture, with Korean musicians taking influence from Western Electronic dance music, danc ...
boy group Got7 held their first Japanese showcase in the venue. In 2017 it hosted
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello. Founded in 1939 by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988), the company built Auto Avio Costruzioni 815, its first car in 1940, adopted its current name in 1945, and be ...
's 70th anniversary celebrations.
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
performed a concert at the venue as part of his world tour " Freshen Up" 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). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...
, with some retired sumo wrestlers among those getting vaccinated.


Second Ryōgoku Kokugikan gallery


Transportation links

The arena is served by the Ryōgoku Station with platforms to the south and east of the arena. The
JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 in ...
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, Japan, the other being the 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 Metropolita ...
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 and Tochomae from platform 1 and
Daimon The daimon (), also spelled daemon (meaning "god", "godlike", "power", "fate"), denotes an "unknown superfactor", which can be either good or hostile. In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology a daimon was imagined to be a lesser ...
and
Roppongi Roppongi (, , 'six trees') is a district of Minato, Tokyo, 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 popu ...
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 () 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 arena

Google 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