Re: Need Sumo Wrestling Info

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

Paul:

Subject: Need Sumo Wrestling Info
From: Paul Carter, ptcarter@b30news.b30.ingr.com
Date: 22 Aug 1994 18:06:53 -0500
In article <33bb2d$gfq@b30news.b30.ingr.com> Paul Carter,
ptcarter@b30news.b30.ingr.com writes:
>Hello-
>   I am going to be in Japan during early September and would like to
>watch a Sumo Wrestling match.  I am coming from the U.S.A. and will have
>a Monday  and Tuesday (September 12 and 13) for some touring.  I will
>be close to Tokyo and Yokahama.  

September 12 and 13 is the second and third days of Aki-basho sumo
tornament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Ryogoku Kokugikan is located right next to JR Ryogoku station on Soubu Line.

>What is involved in watching Sumo Wrestling.  Is it hard to get tickets?

Yes, it is hard to get tickets. If you go to Kokugikan early in the
morning, you may have a chance, or if you take a Hato-bus tour course
including sumo viewing, you may have a chance to see actual sumo for a few
minutes. It's been sold out consecutive days for years. 

They only sell about 400 tickets in the morning from 9 am at Ryogoku
Kokugikan. You better be there difinitely before 8 am since they count the
number of people in the waiting line at 8 am. They sell only one ticket per
person in the line from 9 am. You need to wait for more than an hour to get
a seat farthest away from dohyo ring.

>Do they only do it on the weekends?

It is 15-day-tornament for two full weeks from Sunday to Sunday.

>Where is a good place to watch it?

The closer the better. The best seat is in the area called Shomen-damari,
right next to the front side of dohyo ring. But about 400 ticket sold in
the morning are the tickets for the area closest to the ceiling.

>Anything else you think I might need
>to know on the subject would be appreciated. 

You should subscribe sumo@essspg.stat.ncsu.edu and read Sumo FAQ at
MajorDomo@essspg.stat.ncsu.edu.

>Please send me email as
>in lieu of a followup post.   My email address is  ptcarter@ingr.com
>
>Thanks in Advance
>
>Paul Carter
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Masumi Abe                               阿部　加史（あべ　ますみ）
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