Tokyo CHAPTER 7: The Neighborhood of Ryogoku.
Center of the Sumo World.
We made a short quick stop in the neighborhood of Ryogoku one evening. Ryogoku is the center of the sumo world. In this district you will find the sumo stadium, many sumo stables, chanko restaurants, and other sumo related attractions. Sumo events have been staged in this area since a long time before, but until the beginning of the 20th century, sumo tournaments were held outdoors at shrines and temples. Word is, sometimes you can catch the big boys walking around on the streets every now and then.
Ryogoku Sumo Stew:
Chanko nabe is the main reason for our quick visit to Ryogoku. Chanko nabe is the staple food of sumo wrestlers. It is a hot pot dish that comes in many varieties and contains vegetables, seafood, and meat. There are several restaurants in the Ryogoku area that feature chanko nabe on their menus. Many of the restaurants are managed by retired wrestlers themselves too!
We visited a restaurant called Hanano-Mai to eat this high-calorie stew. (Of course we split one because of the size!).
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Our roots will forever be from here, America, born and raised. Yet, life requires us to move more frequently than we care to count. Whether living stateside or abroad, you can always find us traveling somewhere. We scout out places that you only think you can dream of one day seeing and we seek out those that aren’t found in guidebooks. We then bring them to life here in our travel memos, so hopefully, one day you too can visit them or at least be able to live vicariously through us. This blog isn’t just about crossing off places from a bucket list. It’s about absorbing and learning how other cultures grow and fit into the same world that we do. Life is short and the world is big. Enjoy and get out there!
American Roots. Traveling Boots. 