It seems that sumo—and not just the sumo wrestler—is huge these days. And there’s no need to cross an ocean for an authentic encounter: the Grand Sumo Tournament is headed to Los Angeles on Saturday, June 7, and we have tickets to give away.
The kind folks at discoverLosAngeles.com have given us tickets to dole out to the first IgoUgo Travel Blog readers who email us. There’s no catch; as long as you are 21 years of age or older and complete our release form, you can win two free tickets.
Of course, filling out a form is nothing compared to the great lengths some IgoUgo members have taken to see sumo in action. An already-hooked retirejapan found himself in Tokyo during a season devoid of tournaments, so he headed to a sumo-beya, or sumo stable, in Ryogoku to watch sumo wrestlers train (“call ahead and receive permission,” he advises). IgoUgo’s own benlin headed to Tokyo and attended a Grand Sumo Tournament in 2005, where he “immediately fell in love with the intensity and thrill of this ancient sport.” And Bz3rk went to a Tokyo stadium on a weekday morning to secure a seat—which wasn’t really his seat. “You can sit in the front row for the amateur rounds until somebody comes for that seat; then they will politely inform you,” he says. He sure got an eyeful until he had to move, though.
But forget going early and on a weekday; thanks to discoverLosAngeles.com, you can just email us at [email protected], and as long as our ticket supply lasts, we’ll share. The seats are in section 25A, Class D, but we hear the arena is relatively small and everyone should have a smashing view. Please note that the prizes are event tickets only and that we cannot provide transportation, accommodations, or any other LA extras. Although we can steer you toward some ideas of what else to do while you’re in the neighborhood.
So who’s in?