Nagoya: Grand Sumo Tournament Tour
The grand sumo tournament tour in Nagoya is a small group tour with real-time commentaries by a sumo expert guide. Nagoya is conveniently located from the nearby Osaka / Kyoto area; about 50-minute train ride from Osaka and 34-minute from Kyoto. What decisively differentiates this tour is: Firstly, each traveler will receive three items below which are hard to come by. 1) A pamphlet showing photos and profiles of each wrestler with English translation. The guide will walk you through it as you watch each fight. 2) A cheering towel for a particular wrestler. The guide will show you how to use it when the wrestler is going to fight; cheering a particular wrestler will significantly increase the joy of watching. 3) A sumo booklet which tells pretty much all about sumo. Secondly, what also sets apart this tour is use of an earphone guide system. Your guide will provide real-time commentaries through your headset throughout the tour. Toward the end of the tournament, you will ① Enjoy the fights and have lots of fun. ② Get excited with your fellow travelers while cheering a wrestler with your cheering towel. ③ Learn a lot about sumo by listening to your guide’s real-time commentaries. You will watch the bouts by top-division wrestlers for 3 hours from 15 o’clock. While some might think “the longer the viewing hours, the better,” our experience tells otherwise; in the past, those who started to watch much earlier got bored over time and left the arena before the top division match started! Hence, let’s start watching the bouts at 15 o’clock with all our might. Apart from viewing the tournament itself, this tour includes an optional walking tour in Nagoya Castle where the sumo arena is located. Nagoya is the fourth-most populous city in Japan. It is also known as the home of Toyota, the world's largest automotive company. While Nagoya is the third largest metropolis Japan, the city made a humble start from Nagoya Castle built by the Tokugawa clan who ruled Japan for almost three centuries. Built in early 17th century, the castle exhibits most of the traits Japanese castles offer. Learn from your expert guide: 1) The historical backdrop when the castle was constructed. 2) How the Tokugawa clan mobilized the feudal lords who were once antagonistic toward the clan. 3) Architectural techniques used to build it. 4) Its effectiveness as a fortress / dungeon. Last but not least, marvel at the beauty of the Honmaru Palace featuring extensive use of valuable hinoki cypress wood, decorative metal fittings, and the fine art gracing the walls, ceilings, and sliding doors.