It’s this very stadium that gives the neighborhood of Ryogoku the nickname of “sumo town.” The centerpiece of sumo culture, this is where the blockbuster battles of the season (that’s January, May, and September) take place. Such is its reputation that locals go into a frenzy when tickets are released a month in advance, but all is not lost if you don’t nab one. On match days, fans wait in line outside the ticket office at 6am, when 400 same-day tickets are released (three hours later, mind). Once you’re inside, there’s nothing quite like the gasps that fill the arena when the wrestlers collide with a crash. Want to be more than a spectator? Sign up for the sumo experience at Raien