Ryogoku is synonymous with sumo. This is where most sumo-tori live and practice. Yukata-clad sumo-tori are a common sight and if you are willing to get up early (5-6am) you might have a chance to peep at their morning training session in one of the wrestling stables of the neighbourhood. "Chanko-nabe" restaurants are a good place to spot sumo wrestlers, as most of them cater for them and are managed by ex-sumotori and their family.
Sumo wrestling competition take place at the new Kokugikan sumo arena. Six major tournaments are held for 15 days each year in Japan, among which three at Ryogoku's Kokugikan in January, May and September. The remaining three are held in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. The bouts starts at 8:30 am with the beginners, and ends around 6:00 pm with the best wrestlers of the day. The cheapest same-day tickets can be purchased from ￥2,100. Good seats right next to the action can be very expensive though.
If you are yearning to learn more about the legendary giants, have a look at the exibits of the Sumo Museum or the some 50.000 "rikishi" (sumo) pictures at the small Sumo Photographic Museum.
If you are interested in history, and particularily in that of Edo and Tokyo, then don't miss this museum. Housed in an impressive modern structure, visitors have to go up 3 high escalators before reaching the entrance.
The first zone is dedicated to the Edo period, and has a reconstruction of the original Nihombashi bridge, a several meters long miniature of the palace of Lord Matsudaira in Otemachi and another one the Nihombashi neighbourhood. Numerous other artifacts and documents are on display, but unfortunately little information is available in English (try to get a guided tour from an English-speaking guide).
The second part covers modern times since Meiji. It has a few reconstructed buildings as well as more miniatures of the late 19th century Ginza. Another room tell us about the Great Kanto Earthquakes of 1923 and Tokyo during the Second World War.
Morishita 森下
Deep into "shitamachi", Morishita is in the Northern part of Fukagawa. Mikoshi from the Fukagawa Shinmeigu participate to the great Fukagawa Hachiman Matsuri (=>see Fukagawa).
The first attraction for the visitors is the Edo-style shopping mall.
Matsuo Basho Museum
The famous poet and haiku master Basho Matsuo (芭蕉松男) lived here from 1680 to 1682, along by the Sumida River, between the Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Kiyosu Bridge.
This museum is situated on the grounds of Basho's former hermitage ("Basho-an"). Several of Basho's most acclaimed haiku and travel journals such as "Okuno Hosomichi" were composed while he was staying at "Basho-an". The Museum keeps the collection of materials related to Basho.
The museum is 7 minute walk from Morishita station (Address : 1-6-3 Tokiwa, Koto-ku).
Ryogoku is synonymous with 
If you are interested in history, and particularily in that of Edo and Tokyo, then don't miss this museum. Housed in an impressive modern structure, visitors have to go up 3 high escalators before reaching the entrance.
