Yeah, that’s the plan.
I’ve been to Japan a couple of times and if there was a basho, I’d have gone for sure.
The problem is the only time that trip is going to happen is when the kids are off for the summer. I think the summer basho is generally too early and the fall one is too late. Maybe there is a non-Tokyo one in there somewhere. Are those just as good?
I’m told the food options at bashos are outstanding.
I think we might need Ikioi to elaborate. Apparently all the food in Japan is outstanding. So, outstanding food at a basho should be standard.
The three basho at the Kokugikan are in January, May, and November.
The remaining three are in Osaka (March), Nagoya (July), and Fukuoka (September).
I’ve only been to the Kokugikan. Nagoya seems to be in the dingiest auditorium and is traditionally brutally hot (as evidenced by the fans desperately and unsuccessfully cooling themselves with handheld fans). If at all possible, find a way to go to the Kokugikan, but each venue has its own character and atmosphere.
As for food, I’ve been told that the yakitori at that Kokugikan is amazing, but not being a meat eater I have no first-hand experience unfortunately. I usually just smuggle in a couple rice balls and bottled green tea and make do.
lol is that the Japanese version of sneaking Junior Mints and whiskey into the theater?
Precisely.
Sneaking stuff into a basho seems antithetical to the deep seated rule-following tendencies of the Japanese. Is this common or is this just one of those Americanisms that you haven’t lost despite living there?
I seem to remember a September one being Tokyo, since I only missed it by a few days. But it was a while ago. Maybe things have changed.
Also are tickets the same price for each day or do they escalate as the basho goes on? I’d expect to pay a lot more for the final day than the first day.
Can’t even remember if it’s explicitly forbidden, but even if it is I’ve seen many fellow Japanese spectators do likewise.
Also, some box seat (masu-seki) deals include bento which include the delicious yakitori, so one more reason to splurge for the best possible sumo experience.
You’re right, I mixed up Tokyo and Fukuoka dates. Tokyo is every four months (January, May, September), with Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka in between.
Ticket prices are the same (provided they aren’t scalped), but weekends and days closer to the end are the most popular, so tickets are more difficult to obtain for those days, although pre-covid, in the past few years all advance tickets for all 15 days were selling out within hours of going on sale (there are some same-day tickets always held in reserve but these are 2nd-level nosebleeds).
All of this basho talk is really making me want to do this. Unfortunately, looking into it more, Nagoya seems like the only one that can happen for me in the next decade. Might be worth it, though. I’ve never actually been to Nagoya, only Tokyo and parts of Kansai.
Nagoya as a destination doesn’t have much to recommend. A small castle. Some funky food. And the Nagoya Basho. That’s about it.
Found replay clips of all Makuuchi and Juryo bouts on the NHK website. Japanese only. VPN to Japan required to view I believe.
The prompt box asks if you want to see the results before watching or not. Click the right button (いいえ）to decline.
NHK and Abena TV are real dicks about letting international sumo fans share broadcasts. Since there are no realistic ways to legally pay for it, people are forced to just pirate sumo if they want to see all the matches. Not a great way to grow an international fan base.
VPN?
I have no choice but to stan Ichiyamamoto because the kanji in his name are so basic even I can read them.
Story? Blue looks like he’s casually walking out rather than being forced. Maybe that’s because it’s a still.