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SportsJun 5, 20267 min readKanto

How to watch Grand Sumo like a regular, not a tourist

Written by Daichi K.

A sumo tournament day runs from morning to early evening, and the lower-ranked bouts in the quiet morning hall are where you learn to actually watch. By the time the top division arrives and the hall is full, you'll understand what the staring, the salt and the false starts are doing.

The salt-throwing is purification, but it's also theatre and psychology — wrestlers use the ritual to read each other. The charge itself can last seconds; the tension before it lasts much longer, and that tension is the sport.

Ringside seats put you close enough to feel the impact. The ringside experience we link to adds an English commentator so none of the ritual passes you by.

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Carry cash — and coins: why Japan's otaku scene still isn't cashless, and how to break a bill
Anime & Manga
Jun 26, 20267 min read

Carry cash — and coins: why Japan's otaku scene still isn't cashless, and how to break a bill

Japan as a whole keeps going cashless, yet Comiket circle tables, used-doujin shops, gachapon and retro arcades all still run on cash — and specifically on coins. Here's why, plus a concrete plan for stocking up on small change in a country where shops won't break your bills.

By Mika T.

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We're a fan-built media & affiliate site. We share info and answer questions — we don't arrange, sell, or plan travel, and you book each experience yourself with our partners.(情報提供のみ。旅行の手配・販売・日程作成は行いません。)