The Ryogoku Kokugikan is a facility for the performance of sumo wrestling, located at 1-chome, Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan. It is owned by the Japan Sumo Association.

It is also used as a venue for martial arts such as professional wrestling and boxing, a venue for other sports events, and a venue for popular music. In some cases, classical music concerts were held.

The name «Ryogoku Kokugikan» is a common name used by the Japan Sumo Association for the general public, and the official name of the association is «Kokugikan».

History

First Kokugikan
The predecessor, unlike the current Kokugikan, was located on the grounds of Honjo Kaimuin along Keiyo Road.

Construction started in June 1906 (Meiji 39), completed three years later in May 1909 (Meiji 42), the opening ceremony was held on June 2, and was used from the place of June (until then The “Hukoin-in place” was held by a hut (with temporary equipment). However, in June, there was only the «Permanent Hall» on the list, and there was no Kokugikan name yet. The June location was originally announced as a start-up from May 18 and the construction was delayed and the location was postponed to June.

It was designed by the Bank of Japan headquarters, Tokyo Station, and Hamadera Koen Station, and was designed by Kingo Tatsuno and his student, Manji Kasai. The construction cost is 270,000 yen. It was able to accommodate 13,000 people, including about 1,000 seats, and the capacity was more than three times that of the hut era when it could only accommodate about 3,000 people. The actual capacity was estimated at more than 20,000. The inside diameter of the building was 62m and the height of the center was 25m. Some observers believe that the ability to perform at the show regardless of the weather has spontaneously created the championship system.

Two reconstructions
At 1:30 am on November 29, 1917 (Taisho 6), a fire broke out from the fire extinguisher at the first-floor stand Fukuiken, and the fire was extinguished at 2:40 am due to fire extinguishing such as hokoma. The whole building including the Mukoin Hana section and the main hall was burnt down. The damage amount was about 1.2 million yen, and the insurance was about 130,000 yen. During the period of disuse, a temporary hut was built on the precincts of Yasukuni Shrine to perform.

The Shin-Kokugikan was designed by Dr. Kasai with a roof made of zinc, and there was a groundbreaking ceremony and groundbreaking ceremony in July 1918 (Taisho 7) and a steel column collapse accident on April 3, 1919 (Taisho 8) The completion and opening ceremony was held on January 15, 1920 (Taisho 9). It was rebuilt and rebuilt on September 1, 1920 (Taisho 9), but was burned down again with its roofs and pillars after the Great Kanto Earthquake on September 1, 1923 (Taisho 12). As a result of the reconstruction, the show resumed from the summer location the following year. During the reconstruction, the site was opened in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture in January 1924 (Taisho 13).

The second generation Kokugikan
The current Kokugikan, which has been in use since January 1985, is the second-generation Kokugikan and was built at the JNR Bus Tokyo Automobile Sales Office (former site of Ryogoku Freight Station). The Shin-Kokugikan has two floors above ground and one underground floor, and the total construction cost of 15 billion yen was entirely covered by its own funds. Completed on November 30, 1984, three years after the announcement of the construction plan. On January 9 of the following year, the grand opening ceremony was held, and the three-stage stance by Yokozuna of Fuji and Kita Lake in Chiyo was performed. At that location, Chiyo’s Fuji was the winner of the championship, and the northern lake, who was forced to participate due to his injuries, was unable to win even one win and retired.

Kuramae Kokugikan was built with the steel frame of the Atsugi Navy Warehouse being dismantled, and in the 1975’s, the damage was getting severe. Immediately after taking office in 1974, Kasugano announced at the Board of Directors the concept of construction of the new Kokugikan, and later at a press conference, «I was the first place in 1944. As you know, that place is a historical place where Futaba Yamaseki was defeated by Akino Kaiseki and stopped 70 wins in a row. I happened to go to the table for the next day, I was witnessing the scene of «Futaba scattered.» Well, it was a terrible fuss to fly to the seat butons and ashtrays. So, the desire to sumo in both countries someday was even stronger. » The dream of building a new Ryogoku Kokugikan was drawn during the active era of Yokozuna, leaving the Kasugano room in both countries by car every day, and heading to Kuramae Kokugikan. Passing in front of the Nihon University Auditorium. Nitsuke see go like, the paper, I said that I I I went recruited that … «, to clear the attitude of» the two countries return «.

President Kasugano will first consider repurchasing the Nihon Auditorium, but the plan will disappear because the site is smaller than Kuramae Kokugikan, and his aim will be to the north of Ryogoku Station. There is a time when the Japanese National Railways was actively pursuing disposal of idle land in order to eliminate the deficit. In February 1980, the five-party talks between President Kasugano, Fumio Takagi, Governor of the National Railways, Governor of Shunichi Suzuki, Eiichi Uchiyama, mayor of Higashi-kudaidai, and Eijiro Yamazaki, Sumida-ku mayor were held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. We finally settled the disposal of the Kokugikan site. In July 1982, the board of directors officially decided to construct a new Kokugikan, and a land purchase agreement was signed between the National Railways and the Association in February 1982, and in 1983 Construction started on April 27.

In addition to being used by the association itself in the main place of sumo wrestling, retired sumo, NHK welfare sumo, etc., it is conceived as a structure that can be used for multiple purposes from the design stage, and the G1 CLIMAX finals of New Japan Pro Wrestling (2014, 2018, 2019 1991 (Heisei 1991), and the National Contest of the National College of Technology Robocon every November since 1991, and the All Japan Robot Sumo Tournament every year from 1992 (Heisei 19). The 9th concert of 5,000 people at Kokugikan is held.

Facility
On the electronic bulletin board, the deciding factor of the approach can be displayed.
Due to the aging of the electronic bulletin board, it was newly renovated for the first time in 30 years before the location in September 2015 (Heisei 27), and the lighting was changed to an LED with a power saving effect. In addition, the display of the ruler has been changed from the monochrome liquid crystal panel type (dot display) to the LCD type (screen display), and the character of the ruler has been changed from Mincho to Sumo. In addition, 92 types such as rare hands that could not be displayed conventionally can now be displayed.

The suspended roof is built with sacred trees at Ise Shrine. It is a permanent type that can be moved up and down with two wires, and can be rolled up to the ceiling except when sumo is held. The total weight is 6.25 tons including the lighting equipment installed on the attic.

The tower and ring are lift-type elevators, and the seats are partly movable, making it possible to cope with events other than sumo (the tower rises to near the ceiling, and the ring sinks underground).

There is a yakitori factory under the supervision of Kokugikan Service, which cooks and manufactures yakitori for souvenirs. Previously, it was active only during the sumo wrestling, most of the employees were in separate jobs and worked as part-time jobs during the performance. It is sold at Ekiben dealers at some JR stations, such as JR and Shinjuku Station. The reason for the roast is that the chicken, which is the raw material, «stands on two legs and does not touch,» and is considered a lucky charm in the sumo world. . The chicken used is from Iwate Prefecture. This experiment is also carried out in Chanko nabe.

During the sumo wrestling, smoking was traditionally permitted in the masumi seats. However, due to Article 25 of the Health Promotion Law (passive smoking prevention regulations), smoking was completely banned from January 2005 in 2005.

There is a sumo museum on the first floor, and a sumo clinic on the first basement floor, and the museum is free of charge when there are no main places or events. In addition, the clinic provides medical care and regular medical examinations for wrestlers and association members, and also accepts general patients.

The side of the golden part on the roof can be opened and closed in eight parts.

The front faces west-northwest, northeast-northeast east, south-southwest west, and east-southeast front.

In principle, wrestlers are not allowed to use the elevator, and there is a notice on the side of the elevator.

The former Kokugikan was renowned as one of the largest buildings in the Orient at that time, and had a reputation for its beautiful illuminations, and was also used as an evacuation site for chrysanthemums and floods.

Sumo Museum
The Sumo Museum is a facility that stores sumo materials that are said to be the Japanese national sport.

Overview
The museum was opened in September 1954 with the completion of Kuramae Kokugikan in September 1954, based on the data collected over many years by Tadamasa Sakai, the first director, to prevent the dispersal of sumo materials as a national sport. In January 1985, the museum was relocated with the opening of the Ryogoku Kokugikan, and has continued to this day.

It is located in the Kokugikan in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, and is operated by the Japan Sumo Association. The collection, which was collected by Tadamasa Sakai, the first director of the museum, was established as a parent body, and since then the collection has been increased by donating materials at any time.

Admission fee is free, but it is attached to the Kokugikan, so if there is a headquarters or a paid event at Kokugikan, only those who have a Kokugikan admission ticket can visit. Anyone can enter on other days. There are two entrances near the Sumo Association office and at the front entrance of the Kokugikan. When there are no events at the Kokugikan, the entrance is closed. The museum is closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (open every day during this site) and the year-end and New Year holidays.

Guided tours may be held during the exhibition. In addition, since historical archives are also kept, some can be browsed by requesting them to be browsed.

Activity
We collect and store materials related to sumo such as Nishiki-e, numbering, and makeup-making, and disclose them through exhibitions. One exhibition room is not a permanent exhibition, so we are trying to show various materials by planning exhibitions six times a year. In addition, we regard sumo wrestling as a unique Japanese culture and conduct research and research on history.