Wasen traditional boat and cherry blossom viewing

Spring officially arrived in Tokyo with cherry blossom season has come.
How about viewing cherry blossom from a Japanese traditional boat, Wasen （和船）, during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival of Edo-Fukagawa?

You can experience both Wasen (Japanese traditional wooden boat) and Hanami (flower viewing), unique combination of two Japanese traditional cultures.

Wasen cruising is offered by "Wasen Tomo no Kai" (Japanese boat Friendhship Association).

dates & time: Saturdays and Sundays from March 29 to April 20, from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Place: Kurofune-bashi Bridge, 2 minutes' walk from No. 4 exit of Monzen-nakacho Station on Toei Oedo Line (E15) or Tokyo Metro (T12)
Fee: 500 yen
No reservation needed.

Other events of Cherry Blossom Festival of Edo-Fukagawa include shuttle vessels to Nihonbashi, cherry blossom viewing buses, cherry blossom viewing cafes, photo exhibition and lots more!
Most events around Monzen-nakacho Station and Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station (E14/Z11).
Enjoy!

Next tour: February 22, Saturday

This month, we will have the course A tours both in the morning and in the afternoon of February 22, Saturday. You can visit Shinto shrine and Buddhist temple, and have a chance to experience the mysterious ritual of sacred fire. We still have room for more participants. Click here for  detail.

Next tour: January 25, Saturday

Hesitate to go out in freezing weather? How about joining our tour to attend the mysterious ritual of fire in Fukagawa Fudoson Temple to stay warm and wish for a good luck? 
Or you can choose visiting a beautiful Japanese garden for winter birds watching. 
Our next free volunteer-guided walking tours will be held on January 25, Saturday. Click here for  details.

Next tour: October 26, Saturday

Our next free volunteer-guided walking tours will be held on October 26, Saturday. Click here for  details.

Next tour: September 28, Saturday

Tokyo has been chosen to host the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. Some of the venues are in Koto-ku, eastern bay side part of Tokyo.
Apart from these venues, Koto-ku has a lot of things to offer, including Japanese traditional temples and shrines, beautiful Japanese garden and unique museums. We will guide you through to these interesting spots in our free walking tour. Click here for tour details.

Sumo Grand Champion's name inscribed at Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine

 

Harumafuji, the 70th Yokozuna, sumo grand champion, attended the Yokozuna's name inscription ceremony at Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine in Tokyo on June 6.

 

 

 

 

 

Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine is the place where the first professional sumo tournament was held in the late 17th century. Because of the close relationship with sumo, the shrine has a huge stone monument of  Yokozuna sumo wrestlers on which successive grand champions' names are engraved. Harumafuji's name was added on the monument by putting his own finishing touches with a chisel.

 

After the ceremony, Harumafuji performed his ring-entering ceremony on the approach to the main hall in front of executives of Nihon Sumo Association and roughly 600 spectators.

(Photos & report by Nobuko san)

 

 

 

 

 

Want to visit Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine to check the name of Harumafuji?  There's a tour for that. Our next free walking tour will be on June 29, Saturday. Click here for detail.

First sumo wrestler from Egypt promoted, supported by his stable mother

Ms. Sato Ayumi, Okami-san of Ootake-beya

An Egyptian born sumo wrestler, Oosunaarashi --大砂嵐, meaning big sand storm -- has become the first African to be promoted to the elite division called Juryo.

"He has a strong patience and is practicing very hard. I think that's why he is getting stronger" said Sato Ayumi-san, the stable mistress called Okami-san. As a wife of stable master, Okami-san takes care of the trainees as if they are her own children.

Ayumi-san talked to KEV members this weekend about Oosunaarashi and other wrestlers, running a stable, and her own life as Okami-san.

According to Ayumi-san, Oosunaarashi is always cheerful and let others feel at ease, even if he have to practice Ramadan during the summer tournament as a Muslim.

Their stable, Ootake-beya, is rather small with family-like atmosphere. But as is the other stables, daily training is very hard, and trainees have to sleep in a dormitory with others, do all the chores, and take care of promoted wrestlers, receiving only a small allowance instead of a salary until they get promoted.



Ayumi-san speaking to KEV members

Many trainees just drop out, some even run away overnight, Ayumi-san said. Only those who have strong determination and practice really hard can promote like Oosunaarashi.
And at Ootake-beya, Ayumi-san's cheerfulness and warm support must be a big help for young trainees.

Want to know more about sumo stable? We can arrange a tour visiting Ootake-beya and other stables.
Click here for tour details.
The tour is available only for a few weeks in between each Grand Tournament. Check the tournament schedule here.

Follow @Oosunaarashi on Twitter.