Aki Basho (Autumn Tournament) in Tokyo! 9/19/11

I can't believe I'm holding actual tickets to a sumo tournament in Tokyo! Since Tokyo is the "home of sumo" - this is a REALLY big deal for me. I've been watching sumo on TV since 2004, but I've only attended one other tournament & that was in nearby Fukuoka a few years ago, closer to us, but on Kyushu Island. Stan went to a lot of trouble to get these tickets today and I'm VERY grateful. The elementary ET from Iwakuni Netra is also joining us. Who knew she likes sumo as well as I do?


On the train from Zama. It's more than an hour's trip to the Sumo Stadium in Tokyo. The new Tokyo Skytree is located nearby, but don't know if we will have a chance to visit that today. It's still under construction, but I really want to see it when it's all finished . . .


That sounds interesting, but not our train today . . .


Oh look! The men's toilet has blue lights & the women's has red!


Netra & Stan in the station.


Stan & Margie as sumo wrestlers at the station where the stadium is located. Aren't we cute?


It's about a 10-minute walk from the train station to the stadium, but it's a beautiful walk that winds through a lush park next to a museum. I like this stone statue being held up by a large turtle.





Beautiful manhole cover in the sidewalk depicts a cherry blossom.


Yikes! There are some of the rikishi (sumo wrestlers) walking inside that fence and I'm
VERY excited! Rikishi are HUGE celebrities in Japan . . .


This is the Yagura - a tower outside the entrance to a tournament, which is a holdover from ancient days. There's a taiko drum on top which is beaten to announce the tournament. I don't think I would enjoy climbing up there . . .


I can't believe we're actually here! Right over Stan's head (if you double-click it will enlarge) you can just see the top of Tokyo Skytree Tower.


Murals on the outside of the building to the left of the entrance.