I was lucky and got tickets for the Sumo tournament in Tokyo starting soon in September.
Do you have any advice on how to behave and/or sone general tips?
E.g. the ticket is valid for the whole day starting at 8 in the morning. Does it make sense to be there this early?
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We had a box at the Fukuoka tournament last year. 8am might be a bit too early, just depends how much you like Sumo. We got there in time to have a bite and see the start of the Juryo fights. The stores were closing then so if you want merch go a bit earlier.
As far as behaviour, do what the locals do. You can tell when it is appropriate to be silent and cheer, and when some awesome fighters or local favourites are up you can really feel the energy in the silence.
Have fun! Would definitely go back!
Unless you have unhealthy level of interest in sumo, you probably should come around 12am-1pm, which is a good medium between tournament not being too crowded and skipping very junior divisions.
We did this in Fukuoka last year. It was awesome and I can post some pictures if you’d like. I might be using the wrong terms here, but the day starts off with what seem like amateur and club-level bouts. It’ll be absolutely empty at the start and will remain mostly empty for the first few hours. As the day progresses things get more serious, with the best/famous wrestlers coming only towards the end. You can come and go for most of it, so we left once or twice to get some lunch and stretch our legs. It was truly a fascinating experience and I’m so glad we went. It’s wild how short the matches are. As far as how to behave: just follow the crowd.
Can I ask is it suitable for kids 12 and 10 year old boy and girl?
You don’t need to spend the whole day there since the top (Makuuchi) division starts around 3pm, while the lowest division starts in the morning.
Get there around 2-2:30pm. The Juyro division should be happening.
If you’re in a box, it’s 4 people per box, shoes need to be taken off while in the box, and you need to sit in the box.
Your feet will cramp/fall asleep wife you’re not used to long periods of sitting on the floor.