Shinjuku Sumo Club, operated by Mediabound Co., Ltd., is now accepting reservations for groups and organized tours, including many visitors from overseas.
The roughly 90-minute sumo entertainment program lets guests learn about the history and culture of Japan's national sport, watch intense bouts performed up close by former professional sumo wrestlers, and even get the chance to step onto the dohyo themselves.
The show is centered on commentary from an English-speaking MC, so international travelers experiencing sumo for the first time can enjoy learning about its rules, traditions, and the world of the wrestlers along the way.
Learn, Watch, and Participate: A Sumo Experience to Enjoy in Shinjuku
First, an introduction to sumo's history and culture
Sumo is a sport in which wrestlers compete against one another, and at the same time it is a part of Japanese culture with a long history and tradition.
Before the bouts begin, Shinjuku Sumo Club uses commentary from an English-speaking MC to introduce sumo's history, basic rules, etiquette, and how the wrestlers train.
Understanding the meaning behind each movement and custom helps guests enjoy the bouts even more, which is one of the features of this experience.
Watch intense bouts by former professional wrestlers up close
After learning about sumo, a live performance by former professional sumo wrestlers begins.
Guests can watch training demonstrations and powerful bouts up close, right in front of them.
The wrestlers' size, their quick movements on the dohyo, and the sound of their bodies colliding are all hard to convey through video alone, and guests can feel that intensity firsthand.
Knowing the rules and culture beforehand naturally draws more attention to the wrestlers' movements and gestures, deepening guests' understanding of sumo.
Guests themselves step onto the dohyo: a participatory program the whole venue enjoys
The show also includes a segment in which participants chosen by lottery actually step onto the dohyo and take on a former professional wrestler in a sumo match.
Watching participants of all ages, from children to adults, take on the wrestlers is one of the highlights that gets the whole venue excited.
Learning about sumo, watching a professional bout up close, and then standing on the dohyo themselves: this series of experiences helps guests feel Japan's sumo culture as something closer to them.
After the show, guests can also take commemorative photos with the wrestlers, leaving them with a photo to remember their trip to Japan.
Up to 100 guests per show: a sumo experience that's easy to build into group trips
Shinjuku Sumo Club can be incorporated into a wide range of itineraries, not only for individual and family travel but also for inbound group tours, corporate trips, incentive travel, educational tours, study tours, and family or group travel.
The show runs for about 90 minutes and takes place indoors.
Since it is not affected by weather, and can easily be worked into a Shinjuku or Tokyo sightseeing itinerary before or after other activities, it is a program that fits easily into a schedule even when travel time is limited.
The show is also run in English, making it easy for groups that include overseas travelers to take part.
Making sumo culture easy to understand for travelers from overseas
For travelers visiting Japan, sumo is one aspect of Japanese culture many want to experience at least once.
At the same time, for someone watching sumo for the first time, simply watching a bout is not always enough to understand its rules and cultural background.
Shinjuku Sumo Club offers all of this as a single experience: starting with sumo's history and rules, moving on to a performance by former professional wrestlers, a participatory program, and commemorative photos.
The goal is to give overseas travelers an easy-to-understand and enjoyable way to experience sumo, one of Japan's traditional cultures.
Over 100,000 Total Participants, Highly Rated on Major Travel and Review Sites
Shinjuku Sumo Club has welcomed more than 100,000 participants in total, with visitors coming from countries around the world.
It has also earned high ratings on major travel booking and review platforms.
Google Maps
6,500+ reviews / ★4.9 out of 5.0
Major OTAs combined
Average rating of 4.9 out of 5
Supported by a wide range of guests, centered on international visitors, the club continues to build a track record as a place to experience Japanese sumo culture in Shinjuku.
Group Bookings
Shinjuku Sumo Club accepts inquiries for a range of group bookings.
It can accommodate inbound tour groups, travel agencies and tour operators, corporate and incentive travel, educational tours and study tours, and family or group travel, arranging details according to group size, preferred date and time, and itinerary.
Maximum capacity: 100 guests per show
Duration: approximately 90 minutes
Languages available: English and Japanese
Facility Overview
Name: Shinjuku Sumo Club
Address: 2-5-22 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo (Sekisaku Building, 2F)
Operator: Mediabound Co., Ltd.
Experience content: Sumo culture and history commentary / performance and bouts by former professional wrestlers / participatory sumo experience / commemorative photos with wrestlers
Duration: approximately 90 minutes
Maximum capacity: 100 guests per show
Price: from ¥10,000 per person (tax included)
Languages available: English and Japanese
Business hours: follows the show schedule
