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There are several ways to buy sumo tickets in Japan. If your Japanese is proficient you can get them from the official Japanese site at http://www.sumo.or.jp/ OR you can buy them from this English site:  http://www.buysumotickets.com/

How to buy tickets to Japanese soccer games?

There are a few different ways you can purchase tickets for Japanese soccer games.

1) Ticket Pia
At Pia, you fill out a form and hand it in to the people at the counter.

2) Lawson convenience store
At Lawson there is a touchscreen (Lopi Machine) where you have to select the game, number and type of ticket . You then take the receipt to the counter and get your ticket. Even if you don’t speak Japanese, the people at the convenience store are friendly and can usually help you.

Japan is a golf obsessed country and has driving ranges located everywhere. Whenever you drive down the highway you will see tall green netting, indicating a driving range. Since land is at such a premium, the ranges are small in shape ..

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Japanese Driving Ranges

Sumo and Female Sumo
Traditionally, Japanese sumo wrestling is strictly for men only and women were not even allowed in the Dohyo (wrestling ring). For a long time women were prohibited fro even watching Sumo contests because it would be desecrating the sacred Samurai ritual. However, in 1873 the ban on watching Sumo was lifted and women became great fans. Although women do practice Sumo as non-professionals and make up a large percentage of Sumo fans, they are still not permitted to touch the dohyo that the professional male sumotori use.

As early as the 1700’s, women Sumo (“onna-zumo”) actually did exist in Osaka and was performed in connection with prostitution houses. Matches were organized between women and also between women and blind men.  By 1744, onna-zumo’s popularity had reached Tokyo, which at that time was called Edo.  Tournaments were even held at Asakusa Temple until authorities closed them down on the basis that it was immoral and by 1926 it was completely banned.

Because female sumo is tied to prostitution and considered more as entertainment for men, it is not considered a real sport in Japan and you can easily offend sumo purists if you mention it.

Female Sumo has had a recent boost because one of the conditions to be included as an Olympic sport is that is must have participants who are both male and female and it may be a trial sport at the 2008 Olympics.

Championships are organized in three categories (instead of one – superweight). The three female weight categories are: below 65kg, below 80kg and above 80 kg.

The main purpose of a sumo contest is to push an opponent out of a dohyo or to force him to touch the ground with any part of his body, with the exception of the sole of the foot.  Sumo competitions are  carried out predominantly in a standing position, which was considered the most aesthetic and noble form of wrestling by ancient Greeks. If you’ve ever seen a Sumo match you can soon understand that endless rituals and ceremonies are considered to be very important.

The sport of Sumo was established in the 17th century when 72 canonical Sumo techniques were written down. They are based on sacred “Shinto” rituals, which are performed for the gods. For time immemorial , Sumotori represented a small “selected” group close to the emperors.

Female Sumo is not exactly ‘Traditional’, but this is a Sumo festival for women in Japan which has been running for a number of years.

[youtube:http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv7tp2MVilA]

A famous Japanese announcer doing her best to Sumo wrestle!

[youtube:http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=FpUDXvbilWY]

SQ-Cube Squash Courts, Yokohama

These courts are probably the best public squash courts in Japan. Recently build by Watanabe Masahiro, former No. 1 player in Japan, the squash complex is a converted warehouse with 4 squash courts. The place has a relaxed atmosphere with a tv and lounge area.

You don’t have to become a member to pay and it costs somewhere between 1,575-2,100 yen per hour to play depending on the time.

Location: Shin-Yokohama station – 30 seconds walk
Tel: 045 306-8700

Baseball grounds

Name of baseball ground: Shiomi
Address: 1-1, Shiomi 1-chome
Tel: 3645-1210

Name of baseball ground: Kameido
Address: 2-6-50, Kameido
Tel: 3685-7699

Name of baseball ground: Yumenoshima General Sports Ground
Address: Yumenoshima 2-banchi
Tel: 3521-8265

Name of baseball ground: Sarue (the metropolitan)
Address: 28-26, Sumiyoshi 2-chome
Tel: 3631-9732

 

Number of tennis courts: 3 doubles (2 artificial, 1 hard court), 1 indoor hard court

Tel: 03 3711-4551

Address: 5-12-20, Kami-meguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo

Url: http://www.como.ac/ts/  or  http://www.megurotennis.co.jp/

Costs: Outdor 6,300 yen/hour,  Indoor 8,400/ hour. It’s cheaper on weekdays – 4,200 for the  outdoor courts and 6,300 yen for the indoor court.

You can only book 2 weeks in advance (and not earlier). So if you want to book a court make sure you call early exactly 2 weeks beforehand.

Weekends are usually booked out with lessons so the best time to play is on weekdays.

Number of squash courts: 1

Tel: 0120 20-5732

Address: Yamanashi Kita, Zushi, 3545-1288, Kiyosato, Takane-cho

Url: http://www.mitsuinomori.co.jp/guide/area/ooizumi/villageyatsugatake.htm