Tokyo: 10 Things to Do in 24 Hours

Forget kabuki — sumo is better theater. If you happen to be in Tokyo during one of the three grand tournaments — 15-day events in January, May and September — go straight from the Tsukiji fish market to Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo's National Sumo Hall. The box office opens at 8 a.m., and competition begins at 9 a.m. and lasts into the evening. Bouts are brief — usually just a few, very exciting, extremely intense seconds, with a lot of posturing in between. Try to stay long enough to see the start of a new round, when the rikishi parade into the arena wearing special aprons over their loincloths, and there's a brief ceremony in the ring.

If it's not tournament season, try to go to one of the stables where the wrestlers live and train. Sessions start early and are usually over by 10 a.m., though figure 9 a.m. to be safe. (There are more than 50 sumo stables in Tokyo; click here for the list). Have someone who speaks Japanese call the stable in the afternoon on the day before you want to go, to make sure the team's in town and not on tour in the countryside. Some stables are more welcoming than others. Try Kokonoe-beya, or ask the concierge at your hotel if they have an in somewhere. Inside the stable, keep quiet and out of the way, and don't take flash pictures. You may be expected to make a small donation.

General admission tickets for Ryogoku Kokugikan are sold as same-day seats on tournament days: $20 for adults, $2 for children ages 4 to 15 (kids under 4 get in free); tickets are cash only. Take the JR Yamanote line to Akihabara and transfer to the Sobu line for Ryogoku station; the stadium is next door, and Kokonoe-beya is a 5-minute taxi ride from there. The Toei Oedo line also stops at Ryogoku station.

• 1. Ryogoku Kokugikan
  1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan; 81-(0)3-3623-5111 35.696944139.793333 http://www.sumo.or.jp
• 2. Kokonoe Sumo Stable
  4-22-4 Ishiwara, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan; 81-(0)3-5608-0404 35.696944139.793333