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Nakagyō after the sumo show
The sumo show meets in Nakagyō Ward, Kyoto's central ward. What the ward is, what lies around it, and how to fill the hours before or after the show.
Book the sumo show ↗Quick answer
Nakagyō is one of Kyoto's eleven wards and sits at its centre. Wikipedia says its main income comes from tourism, shopping and entertainment, and it lists Nijō Castle, Nishiki Market and the Kyoto International Manga Museum among its sights. The Takase canal also runs through it. The sumo show meets here, so you can pair it with a walk, a market or a second booking without crossing the city.
What Nakagyō is
Nakagyō-ku is one of the eleven wards of Kyoto city, and its name translates roughly as central capital ward, says Wikipedia. The Kamo River runs through the district, in the area known as Kawaramachi. Streets in the central wards still follow the grid of the original city, which was laid out on the model of Chang'an, and they are referred to by name, a practice that Wikipedia calls rare in most of Japan. That grid is why Kyoto addresses read as street crossings. The ward's population was an estimated 109,629 in 2021, says Wikipedia.
Sights nearby
Wikipedia lists Nijō Castle, a former residence of the Tokugawa shogunate known for its architecture and gardens, Nishiki Market, the Kyoto International Manga Museum, the Kyoto Art Center and the Museum of Kyoto among Nakagyō's notable places. It also says the ward hosts three of Kyoto's most famous festivals, Aoi Matsuri, Gion Matsuri and Jidai Matsuri. None of these is part of the sumo booking, so check opening hours with each place directly.
The Takase canal
The Takase River is a canal that runs along Kiyamachi Street, starting in the Nijō and Kiyamachi area, says Wikipedia. Suminokura Ryōi dug it in 1611 to move materials, and it carried cargo between Kyoto and Fushimi until 1920. Today the stretch between Sanjō and Shijō runs through Pontochō, one of Kyoto's entertainment districts, and is known for cherry blossom. The site of the Ichi-no-funairi boat inlet, preserved as a National Historic Site, lies in Nakagyō-ku.
Where to meet
The booking page gives the sumo show's meeting point in Japanese, as Shimizu-chō 359, north of Nijō, in Nakagyō Ward, and says to meet on the basement level. It names no station, so use the address and the map link on your confirmation. Because streets here are named, you can also check the cross street on a map before you set out. Allow extra time to find the entrance, since the meeting point is below street level.
Other bookings in Kyoto
This site's Kyoto booking list carries a Gion night walking tour, which the booking page says starts at a theatre in Gion and passes through the geisha district, and GEAR, a wordless theatre show. Both are separate bookings on separate evenings, and neither is part of the sumo ticket. They suit a trip with several nights in Kyoto. If you only have one evening, the sumo show alone fills it comfortably.
Keeping the evening simple
The sumo show lasts 70 minutes, and the booking page describes no meal, so dinner is yours to arrange. Nakagyō is a central, walkable ward, which helps. Wear clothes and shoes you can move in, check the starting time on your confirmation, and decide afterwards where to eat rather than before. That leaves room for the evening to follow the show, whatever it turns up. Central Kyoto rewards a slow walk: the Takase canal, the shopping streets and the river are all within the same ward, and none needs a booking.
Frequently asked questions
What is Nakagyō?
One of Kyoto's eleven wards, at the city's centre, whose income comes largely from tourism, shopping and entertainment, says Wikipedia.
Is there a station named on the booking page?
No. The booking page gives an address in Japanese and a map link, and asks you to meet on the basement level.
What else is in Nakagyō?
Wikipedia lists Nijō Castle, Nishiki Market, the Kyoto International Manga Museum, the Kyoto Art Center and the Museum of Kyoto.
Sources