History’s highest sumo wrestling and geisha dance to take place at Tokyo Skytree observation deck

Early-morning and late-night events are aimed at visitors with an interest in high places and rich culture who also have deep pockets.

Tokyo’s Sumida Ward has an interesting double nature. On one hand, being the part of the city where the Tokyo Skytree stands, there’s an undeniable modern aspect to Sumida, but at the same time, the neighborhood is known for its cultural connections to Tokyo’s Edo period, when the nearby Sumida River was the major route through which new goods and ideas came to the capital.

Now, a series of special events is set to combine those two parts of Sumida’s identity, as the Skytree’s observation deck, 350 meters (1,148 feet) up in the sky, will serve as a venue for geisha dance and sumo wrestling.

If you’re wondering how geisha are supposed to dance, or sumo wrestlers grapple, inside one of Tokyo’s most-visited tourism spaces, it’s because these demonstrations will take place outside of the Skytree’s normal 10 a.m.-10 p.m. operating hours, when the observation deck is open exclusively to those attending the events. The geisha exhibition starts at 10 p.m. and runs until 12:30 a.m., while the sumo event is for early risers, beginning at 5:30 a.m. and wrapping up at 8 in the morning.

The timing of the events also means you’ll get to see the view of Tokyo under very beautiful conditions, either the lights of the city shining in the night, or the sun coming up and bathing the city in its light as it crests the mountains that lie to Tokyo’s west.

If you’re worried about the morning sumo show overlapping with your regular breakfast time, you can put your mind, and stomach, at ease, since the program includes a breakfast bento boxed meal made with locally sourced Tokyo ingredients.

The nighttime geisha event, meanwhile, provides you with drinks, snacks, and even a sake cup made in Tokyo’s traditional Edo Kiriko glasswork style to take home with you.

Both events will also include professional photo service, with a photographer to take photos of you with the night view behind you or a sumo wrestler at your side.

The nighttime geisha event will take place this month on November 26 and again on February 15 in 2025, and the morning sumo event on November 27 and December 16. Both are limited to 20 participants per day, and that exclusivity comes at a price of 100,000 yen (US$667) per person for the sumo event, and 150,000 yen per person for the geisha event. Reservations can be made through the Skytree’s official website here.

Source: PR Times, Tokyo Skytree official website (1, 2, 3)
Top image: PR Times
Insert images: PR Times, Tokyo Skytree official website (1, 2)
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