Ryogoku district sumo stables. What is left of the floating world of old Japan can be glimpsed in the north-east of Tokyo, home to the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters, the magnificent Asukusa Kannon temple and the sumo stables of the Ryogoku district. Some of the latter allow visitors to watch the practice sessions for free. You will have to set your alarm clock, though, as training can start as early as 4am, but it is worth the effort to get an insight into the traditional and hierarchical world of sumo. Seeing these giants limber up by slapping huge wooden pillars - or each other - is an impressive enough spectacle; watching them humbly sweep the floor is even more memorable. For those who want to probe a little deeper, there is a sumo museum in the area.

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If you can make yourself understood in Japanese, and you ask nicely in advance, you can go and watch asa geiko (morning practice) at a sumo 'beya' for free.

The stables themselves are fascinating, and worth the trip alone. Outside: normal-looking suburban houses, Inside: dirt floor, padded walls and a sumo ring. In exchange for getting there for about 8am you'll get to see the wrestlers run through their techniques and warm ups (when we went this included beating each other in the belly with a lightly-padded baseball bat) and you'll see plenty of short matches between rikishi of all levels without having to pay to see a whole basho and at far closer proximity than anywhere else.

Most of the stables (beya) are in the Ryogoku area, and lists and phone numbers can be found on the internet.

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