Ryogoku Kokugikan is a massive indoor stadium located in the Ryogoku neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the most important venues in the country, particularly for sumo wrestling. The stadium was originally constructed in 1985 and has a seating capacity of approximately 11,000 people. It is a distinctive and recognizable building with a circular, pagoda-like roof that is visible from miles away.

Sumo wrestling is the primary event held at Ryogoku Kokugikan, and it is the spiritual home of the sport. Sumo is a traditional Japanese martial art that dates back centuries and is deeply ingrained in the country’s cultural heritage. The sport involves two wrestlers, or rikishi, attempting to push each other out of a circular ring called a dohyo. Matches are incredibly intense and last only a few seconds, but they are filled with ritual and tradition. Sumo tournaments, or basho, take place several times per year, and Ryogoku Kokugikan is the primary venue for these events.

The atmosphere at Ryogoku Kokugikan during a sumo tournament is electric. The stadium is filled with die-hard fans who come to watch the wrestlers battle it out in the ring. The crowd is often split into opposing factions, cheering on their favorite rikishi and engaging in elaborate chants and cheers. In addition to the sumo matches themselves, there are also various other events and ceremonies that take place during the tournament, including the dohyo-iri, a pre-match ritual in which the wrestlers perform a series of symbolic gestures and movements.