Experience the Splendor and Excitement of the 18th Nigiwai Festival in
Ryogoku—the Sacred Home of Sumo

Have you ever heard of Ryogoku? This tourist destination nestled in the heart of Tokyo is a hidden
gem full of friendly locals and exciting opportunities to learn about ancient traditions. The Ryogoku
Nigiwai Festival 2024 will be held on April 28 (Sun.) and 29 (Mon.). The themes for this year’s event
will be food, shopping, and fun.
One of the unique attractions of this festival is the opportunity to have fun comparing the various
chankonabe dishes that can be found in Ryogoku, the sacred home of sumo wrestling. Enjoy sampling
the unique flavors offered by Ryogoku’s famed chankonabe restaurants and see if you can discover a
new favorite taste!
Chankonabe is a hot pot dish eaten daily by sumo wrestlers seeking to strengthen their bodies. It isfull of vegetables, meat, and carefully selected Japanese delicacies, making it a perfectly-balanced
source of nutrition. Each sumo stable makes its own version of chankonabe using secret specialingredients.
Enjoy some chankonabe and a draft beer as you watch the locals put on spectacular performances inthis elegant Tokyo district. You should also take the time to sample some of the amazingly delicious
street food, such as takoyaki (fried batter balls containing minced octopus).
Don’t miss out on this sumptuous experience!
Event Overview
Dates: April 28 (Sun.) to 29 (Mon.), 2024
Festival hours: 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Festival locations: Front of the west exit of JR Ryogoku Station (JR Sobu Line), Kokugikan-dori Street,
and the Ekoin (temple grounds).
Event Details
Chankonabe (Three Booths)
Six chankonabe restaurants will be serving up their signature hotpot dishes at three dedicated booths.
Other booths at the festival will offer a variety of other cuisines, including Mongolian dishes, Japanesesweet dumplings, fresh grilled fish, and takoyaki.
A serving of chankonabe will cost 500 yen (approximately USD 3.30). Payment must be made in cash
(Japanese yen).
Shopping Area
Ryogoku’s prosperity is due in large part to its textile industry, so you will find a wide range of clothing
on display during the festival. Whether you’re looking for something unique to treasure or simply wanta few souvenirs to take home, you’re sure to find what you seek here.
Play Area
A local toy manufacturer has arranged a workshop that will let children put together their own toytrains. Visiting children will be welcome to chat and play with the local kids as they create special
Japanese toy trains together.
Performances
Beginning with a performance from brass bands from local schools and some dances, the festival will
showcase traditional Japanese performing arts, including ohayashi (traditional Japanese festivalmusic) and sumo wrestling songs.
The 28th will also give you an opportunity to enjoy the soul-stirring vibrations of Japanese drums,
while the following day will enchant you with the ethereal sounds of the koto (Japanese zither), leaving
you with cherished memories of this event. The festival will also feature hula dancing and ukulele
performances.
Japanese Cultural Experiences
Visit the Ekoin to personally experience various vital facets of Japanese culture, such as tea ceremonies
and the copying of colored sutras.
What is the Ekoin?
The Ekoin is a Buddhist temple with a history stretching back over 360 years. The temple was foundedin 1657 in the wake of the Great Fire of Meireki, a tragedy that took place in Japan’s Edo period. To
memorialize the more than 100,000 victims of the fire, the ruling Tokugawa shogunate ordered that amonument be built and religious service held on the land now occupied by the Ekoin. This temple isalso considered to be the birthplace of Sumo wrestling.