Ryogoku area guide

The shop on the ground floor of this venerable sweets dealer sells traditional snacks and sumo merchandise, while the café upstairs offers truly offbeat treats like bean paste coffee and anmitsu desserts with ice cream...

Found in a residential street roughly a 15-minute walk north of the station, this comfy neighbourhood café is worth the trek. Housed in a former factory that's been turned into a light-filled, very stylish but far from sterile space, it's famed for its lattes, made with high-grade milk from the Nakahora farm up in Iwate...

This café and restaurant offers terrace dining and a seasonal menu featuring bistro cuisine with Japanese tastes and homemade desserts. In winter, they turn the terrace into a warm and cosy kotatsu dining experience, offering special menus such as nabe...

Built in 1929, the historic former Ryogoku Station building has been fully restored, with the old façade kept intact, and now hosts this decidedly nostalgic shopping and restaurant complex opened in November 2016. Based on the underlying concept of 'enjoying Edo-style cuisine', twelve different stalls offer Edo-inspired food, drink...

For the best soba in Ryogoku, stroll past the Edo-Tokyo Museum from the station, cross Kiyosumi-dori and look for this wonderfully traditional shop in an alley on your right. The Michelin-starred Hosokawa serves up superb fare at very reasonable prices...

There is no official definition of the dish known as chanko nabe, but it refers to the protein-rich stew eaten by sumo wrestlers. It makes sense, then, that you’ll find a cluster of chanko nabe restaurants near the Kokugikan. One of these is the hugely popular Tomoegata, which was built by a master of the Tomozuna sumo stable and is actually on the stable premises...

Satisfying locals' dumpling cravings for well over half a century now, this classic spot deals in thick, simple and delicious – you guessed it – gyoza. Big eaters may want to take part in the shop's 'gyoza challenge': any man who eats 100 of their signature pan-fried treats within an hour can walk out of the shop without paying a yen...

Look for the boar statue on the wall above the entrance and you'll know you're in the right place. Specialising in boar meat, this restaurant – founded in 1718 – serves up a delicious shishi nabe (boar hotpot), but do try out the venison sashimi and bear soup too...

Simple memorials, a quite modern statue and a well built on the site of its renowned predecessor are all that remain of the mansion once lorded over by Kira Yoshinaka, the bad guy in Chushingura – or, as it's more commonly known in English, the legend of the 47 ronin. This now solemn spot is where the samurai led by Oishi Kuranosuke decapitated Kira, who had insulted their master...

Surrounded by office blocks and other bulky buildings, this temple of the Jodo (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism was constructed to honour the tens of thousands of Edoites who lost their lives in the 1657 Great Fire of Meireki. Ekoin was also the site of kanjin-zumo (the predecessor of professional sumo) tournaments for 78 years...

A Japanese garden right next to the Kokugikan, Kyu Yasuda was originally located inside the mansion complex of Honjo Munesuke, first lord of the Kasama domain. Having once drawn on the Sumida River's water for its lake and streams, recreating a tide effect inside the garden, it's beautiful year-round...

Opened in 2008, the second outpost (the other one is in Roppongi) of this contemporary art gallery strives to cultivate a new generation of artists through an exhibition selection that emphasises fresh new names and unique personalities...

Opened in 2011, this gallery is found inside an apartment complex and focuses on contemporary art. You can expect quite a variety of conceptual pieces and events from the likes of Daisuke Nishijima, Masahiro Wada and Yuji Ohta...

First opened in 1989, Monzen-Nakacho's Monten Hall has hosted a wide range of gigs and performances – from the traditional to the truly experimental. Having moved to Ryogoku and re-opened as this artsy spot in 2013, it remains on the cutting edge of the local art scene...

A brand of knitted zori (Japanese-style sandals) for wearing indoors, Meri has taken this traditional style of footwear and turned it into a unique combination of softness, the comfort of knitted materials and adorable Nordic designs. Especially handy (or footy?) when it's cold...

Found just around the corner from the Kira Mansion Ruins, this venerable wagashi shop has been in business since the Meiji era. Their creations include the popular Sumida River Monaka, a bird-shaped cookie sandwich filled with bean paste, and the Kira Manju...

A Sumida-based clothing manufacturer, Ikiji brings together a collective of skilled artisans working with shirts, knitwear, leather and more, and combine traditional techniques with modern silhouettes and textiles. They deal in everything from polo shirts and sweaters to bags, business card cases and other small accessories – all of which draw on the Edo-era concept of iki (sophistication)...

A run-of-the-mill clothing purveyor back in the day, Lion-Do later adapted to its surrounds – it's located very close to the Kokugikan – and specialised in extra-large wear and gear for the huge wrestlers strolling the neighbourhood. If you're looking for jeans with a 100cm waist or a jacket fit for the Hulk...

Though it's long been regarded as the essential destination for beer enthusiasts in Tokyo, Popeye actually started life as a Western-style izakaya. Its transformation into a specialist craft beer haunt has been slow but spectacular: it now boasts an unrivaled 70 beers on tap, all kept in impeccable condition and most of them produced by Japanese breweries...

Cocktails made with fresh fruit are the speciality at this classy Kiyosumi-dori bar, which also boasts a superb food menu. Info on the day's specials and juicy fruit details can be found on their Facebook page, which is updated every day...

End the day with a soak at Ryogoku's premier public bathing facility, a spotless, spacious 'super sento' with Hokusai works painted onto the tiled walls. The baths range from artificial hot springs and bubble baths to a cold tub, while the three saunas include a Finnish-style dry sauna...

The traditional centre of craftsmanship is undergoing a revival – follow us on a stylish stroll along the Sumida River

Get to know Japan’s national sport on an intimate level at a sumo morning practice. You’ll meet your local guide in Ryogoku, Tokyo’s sumo district, where they’ll introduce you to the world of sumo – from the rules and etiquette in a sumo match to their daily giant meals. 

Historic Asakusa, known for the majestic Sensoji Temple and Kaminarimon Gate, is an essential for first-time visitors to Japan.