Kuramae Kokugikan
Encyclopedia
was a building situated in the Kuramae district of Tokyo
which was built by the Japan Sumo Association
and opened in 1950. The Association needed a permanent venue to hold sumo
tournaments as the previous, bomb-damaged, Kokugikan had been taken over by occupying Allied forces after World War II
. Since then tournaments had been held in various venues including the Meiji Shrine
and baseball stadiums. Tournaments were held there until September 1984, and in January 1985 the new Ryōgoku Kokugikan
was opened.
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
which was built by the Japan Sumo Association
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
and opened in 1950. The Association needed a permanent venue to hold sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
tournaments as the previous, bomb-damaged, Kokugikan had been taken over by occupying Allied forces after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Since then tournaments had been held in various venues including the Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine
', located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken.-History:...
and baseball stadiums. Tournaments were held there until September 1984, and in January 1985 the new Ryōgoku Kokugikan
Ryogoku Kokugikan
, also known as Sumo Hall, is an indoor sporting arena located in the Ryōgoku neighborhood of Sumida, one of the 23 wards of Tokyo in Japan, next to the Edo-Tokyo Museum. It is the third building built in Tokyo associated with the name kokugikan. The current building was opened in 1985 and has a...
was opened.